My name is Summer, and I am a line hater. Christmas shopping lines, Wal-mart lines, express lines, traffic lines, and most others. Yet nothing compares to my hate for imaginary lines. That’s right, lines that do not even exist except by human innovation. I ask my husband, the beacon of knowledge and wisdom, questions all of the time. About faith, about life, about children, about books, about what I should make for dinner and all to often the response I hear is prefaced with, “Well, honey, there is a thin line here…” and I realize there are two sides to everything. It is what makes us different, it is what births likes and dislikes, and sets us in either opposition or support of certain issues. It draws us together like no other, yet can cause a war. What side of the thin, ridiculous line are you on?
Well, for me, to determine my stance I like to go to the Bible. God seems to know everything, He usually has an answer. The Bible is very clear, but there is that thin line between what I interpret, and what you do, right? Even if we both agree that the Bible is infallible and perfect, we’ll still disagree what Jesus meant in parable of the good Samaritan, or whatever else is challenged. Thin lines, I hate them. I bought a book the other day called “Conversations with God.” It was at the thrift store for 25 cents, and I bought the book because the man wrote on the back that he believed God had spoken everything to him, and he had answers to many of the fundamental questions concerning life, politics, the world, and every other “thin line” issue. I bought it because I crave the word of God, even if I hear it myself, even if I have it sitting on my book shelf in 50 different translations, I wanted to read this man’s experience. Turns out the whack job “heard from Satan” as Paul put it, only two chapters in the book. “Evil does not exist except in our minds, it is what we make it, but good and evil are the same, “ yada yada yada. He thought it was God though. What do I think God said that is really my own? What about you? Trust me, I can think of plenty of things, for you anyway. That’s the nature of lines.
One of the reasons Paul and I knew we were “meant to be” was because we looked at our fruits. Not in the fridge, friend, but the spiritual sense. It seemed the closer we were to one another, the more we craved to know God. We were not in any hurry to mess up our lives by marrying the wrong person. We wanted to know that God was the author or our love story. Furthermore we both were aware of dirty baggage we had dragged around behind us. We didn’t want that brought into our marriage. We were tossing our forgiveness each way it was due, dealing with darkness we’d happily suppressed for years. The fruits were good, we knew that God was at work for us and around us. I don’t want to say what has been troubling me lately, but I will say that it is “something trendy” and I haven’t jumped on board yet. I tried, I wanted to but could not make it happen in my life. No money, no time, no support from my husband or family, and not nearly enough education. Still, I wanted in because that is the nature of a trend, sort of like how Satan comes as an angel of light. Wouldn’t life be so much easier if all evil seemed evil right away?
So I am no good at math, yet remain fascinated by formulas. I’m not good at them (you will see) but the concept is pretty neat. Here are a couple I have come up with, not mathematically or anything, and I have no doubt I will have those who disagree with me, but here we go:
Idol = majority of thought life (keep all thoughts captive to Christ) + majority of your money after basic bills are paid (where your treasure is, there your heart will be also) > not praying in the Spirit constantly + not giving sacrificially
Truth = 1Word + 1Spirit (The sum of equal Spirit and equal Law is ultimately truth) = stupid imaginary thin line where we don‘t agree = asking what are the fruits? = How one should respond to any given situation.
You and Me = not perfect. Therefore, testing spirits against the Word is supremely important. If unclear, question the fruits. Bad fruits = fear, taking control away from God and in order that you may have it, intimidation, despair, depression, low self image, anything contradictory to who God says you are and who He made you to be.
I just feel so distressed. When I think of “something trendy” and the fact that I am not participating I hear this whisper, “You are such a crappy Mom,” (Do you really care about your family?) “Your children are going to die,” (You will have no influence now). It’s hard, I fight so hard.
“Wait a second, these are not things God would say to me.”
I think this can be applied to anything trendy. I look at the people involved and see all of the money and time involved and thank God that he’s teaching Paul and I to be so careful with our money and our time. Yet, from the outside looking in, we may appear to be the ones worshipping idols. I’m sure we do have an idol or two ( I know I make my children an idol at times). I just want to encourage anyone faced with a trend, desperate to fit in. Remember that first of all, this life is a vapor in the wind. Trends come and go. I’ve always heard that if Satan can’t make you bad, he will make you busy and when I think of trends, that’s what I think of. Get busy being acceptable! Get busy controlling your own life! At the end of the day, a really dirty trend can just help you to get comfy sitting in a throne, being the queen or king of your own life and that is not God’s will, ever.
There is a thin line between being part of the world, yet not of it. I hate that line the most. Beware,
Trying to control your own destiny = fear + inadequacy = worldly TREND. It’s so simple, way too simple. Almost like Satan planned it from the beginning of time.
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