July 2007 | Posted in • Life | (0) Comments |
Recently my son Brandon and I were discussing our upcoming summer vacation to Disney. It was exciting to talk about our time of family fun, relaxation, and fellowship. We talked about all the activities that would be available at the resort, the adventures that Mickey Mouse had to offer, and what we would do while we were there. We decided that the whole family was ready to go and have some fun together.
A few days later, I realized the impact of our conversation. Out of the blue, Brandon asked me how many days we had left. “Until what?” I asked. He responded, “You know, Disney.” I told him that we had a number of weeks to go until vacation, and to emphasize my point, I said that it would be after the end of the school year.
Well, obviously the school year wasn’t my best choice for a time reference, because suddenly he no longer wanted to go to school. I attempted to point out all the good things about school, and the need for him to go, but it no longer mattered to him. He hated school. School had become the enemy keeping him from getting to his “Promised Land.”
I explained to him that he still had things to learn from his teacher before the year ended, that his friends would miss him if he left before the end of the year, and that the vacation would come in due time. In response to all of my adult explanations and tactics, he stood his ground. He decided that his teacher couldn’t teach him anything else, that he didn’t need his school friends anymore, and that the end of the year couldn’t come fast enough. In his mind ? what’s the big deal? Why can’t we just skip ahead to the fun, the play, and enjoy the sweet life, at Disney?
I found it amazing that not only could I understand his point of view, but I could also relate. As adults, we can act the same way about our promised lands. But, we justify our actions, because my “Promised Land” holds a greater life purpose than just a Disney vacation. It is the promotion, the new job, the new house, the new plan, the new phase, etc. We look at the blessings and promises of God as if they were instant potatoes. Just add water and poof!!! Let’s eat the good of the land! How many times have we tried to skip the wilderness, go around the giants, or bypass the desert’s hard places in order to bask in the land of milk and honey sooner?
I am not attempting to say that any of these is a great place to hang out and visit for a long period of time, but they each provide plenty of opportunities to see not only who we are, but also how much of Christ is really shining through us. In Proverbs 16:9, it says, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.”
There are times when we will go through challenges in life, both in the natural and in the spiritual. This is when we really learn that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Gal 5:22,23) As we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us through the challenges, renewing our minds with the Word of God, the junk of our souls is decreased, and we gain our strength and endurance through Christ living in us. It is in the tough places that we are forced to grow.
God will, at times, give us a visionary glimpse of the future, or a word of knowledge about a shift that is to come into our lives. But we must not act like it is some magic wand that will change our lives in an instant. Most of our blessings come when we do as the Word of God instructs, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Prov. 3:5,6) Often it is on the path to the “Promised Land” that we learn to press into God. We must allow the Lord to direct us in each step, making sure not to get ahead of Him, and to do the homework that is divinely assigned, even when it doesn’t make sense to us or seems too hard.
As for Brandon, after a lengthy conversation about priorities and the fruit of the spirit, he decided that it really was in his best interest to finish out the school year, with a good attitude. Then he would be able to enjoy his summer vacation at Disney, knowing he had accomplished the task laid before him. He would also know that his attitude and actions were pleasing to his Heavenly Father, and to his parents.
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