Thunder in the desert!
Many of us would naturally spend all our time exploring the contours of our own consciousness. The journey can become a land survey of ambitious scope; some of us find ourselves endlessly fascinating.
There's this mountain on the horizon, an Everest-style giant named Pride. In the foreground is a Death Valley-like descent called Self-reproach. And in between is a treacherous region of rocky foothills known locally as Mock Humility... All this is very interesting, and it gets better as you go inland. Some people spend a lifetime mapping it all out. God, however, takes a different approach. "Clear a way for Christ through the wilderness," he says. "Smash down the mountains and fill in the valleys so you can meet your God on level ground."
God apparently has the idea that "knowing yourself" is not the pinnacle of human existence. He is suggesting that self-absorption is not the status quo, and furthermore, that the features of inner space need to be subjugated so that he can approach. In the verses above, we are told that God expects us to alter our spiritual landscape to get ready for his arrival. But what does this mean? How does it make sense? Why should I have to change myself for God to come walk with me?
"Prepare for GOD's arrival!
Make the road straight and smooth,
a highway fit for our God.
Fill in the valleys,
level off the hills,
Smooth out the ruts,
clear out the rocks.
Then GOD's bright glory will shine
and everyone will see it.
Yes. Just as GOD has said."
(Isaiah 40:3-5, The Message)
Part of the puzzle's answer is the "bright glory" that God promises to reveal. The effectiveness of our spiritual earthmoving efforts depend on our having caught glimpses of that glory, and becoming convinced that we were created to pursue it. As Augustine wrote, "You called, you cried, you shattered my deafness. You sparkled, you blazed, you drove away my blindness. You shed your fragrance, and I drew in my breath, and I pant for you. I tasted and I now hunger and thirst. You touched me, and I now burn with longing for your peace."
There is an awakening of spiritual senses which occurs. We apprehend that Jesus is the embodiment of all that we have searched for, and we find ourselves willing to change our lives for his sake.
At heart, we all know how this can happen. There are instances when we meet someone, or hear about them, and we become so eager to become acquainted that we expend no end of effort. When you love someone, you want to make it easy for them to get to know you. You spend time making yourself more fit for human company. But in this case, the company is divine. And you discover, to your alarm, that you are willing to change your life for the one you love.
But can we really? Because there is a problem. I've trekked through the tortuous geography of my heart long enough to know that I can't simply change it. All I have to work with is the trowel of good intention and this rake. Alternatively the rake is called "positive thinking" or "conscientious effort," but I keep stepping on its teeth and knocking myself in the face. Neither of these garden tools are bona fide earth movers. What can I do? Will Jesus still come? The answer is a paradoxical Yes.
God calls me to move mountains in my soul, but my contribution in the ability department amounts to a modest groundbreaking ceremony. This is called repentance. And the act of heartfelt contrition leads to the healing of love and beauty, as God begins to do what I cannot, and change the makeup of my inner space. Our souls still contain treacherous terrain, but Christ has come to change us, and in the meantime he brings us Christmas warmth. As God transforms our hearts, we feel a comforting glow, an aura of hope and trust, bittersweet (because we are not whole yet) but livable.
God calls us to rework our heart's geography, so we cobble together a garden path of repentance (God helps us even in this), and then God brings in his heavy equipment. Under the power of mercy and grace, we follow the path further than we ever knew we could go. It becomes a highway leading to true reality.
At Christmas, this inner drama takes on special urgency, I think. It would be far better to clear a path home to Christ than to catalog the aisles at Best Buy. Better to transform the spiritual landscape this year than to add more decorations to the external one. Mistletoe and egg nog and pageants are pleasant diversions, but the real business of Christmas is transforming wilds and badlands into a smooth road so that the king of Christmas can come in.
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Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Spiritual Transformation, Peaks and Valleys of the Heart
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5 comments:
Great post!
Jesus IS the reason for the season.
Blessings!
Beautiful post! God is able to help us move the mountains of our souls.
Matthew 17:20 "For truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed and say to this mountain move from here to there, it will surely move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
We can't expect to change our hearts and move the mountains of our souls in our own strength for in our weaknesses His power is perfected.
2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Thanks for sharing this really edified and encouraged me tonight.
In Grace~
Julie
Psalm 100
All Men Exhorted to Praise God.
A Psalm for Thanksgiving.
1Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.
2Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
3Know that the LORD Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are (F)His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4Enter His gates (G)with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise
Give thanks to Him, (H)bless His name.
5For (I)the LORD is good;
(J)His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His (K)faithfulness to all generations.
it is comforting to know that the one who made me...is the one who knows my inner landscape...that he knows which mountians to bulldoze and which valleys to build up. he truly is an awesome GOD :)
thanks ariel
you have been blessed with the gift of hitting the nail on the head.
Wow! This post is packed with truth. I think that is why people have responded with verses. As I was reading the post a verse came to my mind that I have to share:
The context here is God talking to rebellious, idol-worship worshiping Israel:
"Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you" Hosea 10:12
I thought this verse went really well with your thoughts about giving our souls a "raking over". Not only do we want to do this when we catch a glimpse of Christ, but God commands this of us if we are to experience his fertilizing grace in our lives. You are right, God wants repentance and hearts that seek Him. The Israelites problem was that they had trusted in their own way... you think we modern followers of God can identify?
Thanks for the post. I want to work on highway construction in my heart so that I may welcome Christ close this Christmas.
LEV
Thanks for your post. I think that you can summarize your thoughts with one word: worship. Maybe many of us think of worship as being something we "do" at different times. True worship is an attitude, a lifestyle, something that comes as naturally as breathing. I found a good book recently that has helped me understand this better-it's called "Wired for a Life of Worship" by Louis Giglio. Simply written and to the point, you will have a great understanding of living a life of worship--something that you powerfully capture in your post and we all long for.
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