Being An Outsider

Growing up in the military poses many challenges for children, especially if the family travels. Being transferred from post to post either made you resilient or bitter. Making friends for any child is difficult, but to make them over and over again creates instability, a difficulty to form strong bonds, and relationships often lasted only as long as the assignment. We were the consummate outsider.

As clearly as I can remember we moved about every two to three years. We lived in California, Florida, Illinois, Oklahoma, Greece, Turkey, and back to Florida again. The traveling can seem exotic, but as I look back there were no lasting friendships as a child. That isn't to say I don't have some great memories. My time at these different posts were adventures and I made the most of them; I was resilient. Yet, I was always the outsider among other outsiders. Maybe the common connection of military life allowed us to connect quickly, but not deeply. We were all outsiders. I feel a Star Trek conundrum coming on; We were on the inside of the outsiders. AHHH!

We all want to be included. That's what makes being on the outside so difficult. When we feel like an outsider and can't break through the walls that others set up, we either join with other outsiders or we become isolated. In typical fashion TV often portrays outsiders as either the nerds or the outcasts. But they ban together to form their own group so that they can be the insiders. When it comes right down to it, we all just want to belong.

God has insiders and outsiders as well. Jesus tells a story about people who were invited to a party, but refused to come. The party host sent his servants to the streets and offered an invitation to everyone who would come, poor, sick, outcast; all the usual outsiders. When the original guests saw who came to the party they weren't happy, and wanted to come, but the host said, "No, you had your chance." They became the outsiders by choice.

It is an eternal story. God invites us all to be insiders. He wants everyone to be a part of his group. He has invited us to the party. We are admitted to the party through our faith in Jesus. Our trust in him gains us access. Yet, there are so many who will not believe, not trust, not obey and by doing so set themselves up as outsiders. When they die they are will look across the abyss at all the fun and want to come in, but it will be too late.

What is great about God's invitation is that it is open to everyone; the poor, the sick, the downcast, the despairing, the outcast, the hopeful, the rich, and all who will come. They can come as they are, no pretense and no judgment. God will give them a new heart, a new life, and a new family in which to belong. I'm just saying.....

Gaining The Prize Can Be Hazardous

I just read an article about a man who won one million dollars in the Illinois state lottery.  The day after his golden parachute opened someone poisoned him with arsenic.   He wasn’t going to over indulge himself with his newfound fortune. He was going to be responsible, pay off debt and invest in his small business.  But the greed, that so easily consumes us, moved someone to act in violence.

            The Apostle Paul encourages us to press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:14).   The prize of eternal and abundant life is worth trading all the riches of the world, but there are hazards to obtaining this prize: 1) The world’s hate, 2) sin that entangles, 3) self-righteousness, and 4) legalism to name a few.  If we are to live victoriously we need to prepare ourselves for the inevitable struggle. 

            I just recently installed a spice rack in our kitchen (it was a group effort with two of my sons).  There use to be a built in ironing board in the wall.  The finished product doesn’t look too bad, but to get there we had to do a lot of preparation before the finished paint could be applied.  My oldest son, Joshua, took a hammer and screwdriver to the internal components of the ironing board.  It wasn’t easy, the old mechanisms were securely entrenched, and needed a lot of sledging to get them lose.  He ran out of time to finish the project before his family had to return home.  Over Christmas my youngest son, David, took up the banner.  With all the old components out of the way, his task was to fill in the crevices and ‘wounds’, and then sand down the rough edges.  It was a mess!  There was so much wood dust all over the kitchen that Rebecca and I had to wash the walls, the counters, and sweep and mop the floors. We are still finding dust in crevices.  After David installed the new shelves, I put on a fresh coat of paint.  It looks wonderful!

            When God brings us into his family the work isn’t complete.  In fact, there is a lot of hammering and sanding that needs to take place, and it is often messy.  The Spirit of God in us, working to bring about his will in our lives, and though he is doing the work it is a cooperative effort.  There are things that we must do to prepare ourselves for his work.  We need to surrender, submit, and serve.  

            By surrendering we acknowledge that we are sinners in need of a savior, and that God, in Christ, is the only avenue for redemption.  By submitting we acknowledge that God’s ways are best, His laws are right, and whether it makes sense or not, His glory is our greatest happiness.  By serving we acknowledge that we are not our own and the grace we have received is to be turned outward and extended to others.  We serve by loving and caring for others.  We serve by learning and leading.  We serve by reaching out with the gospel of Christ. 

            None of this is easy.  It fights against our old nature.  But greater is He who is in us, then he who is in the world.  Living a life of victory in Christ is ours by promise, and when we prepare our selves, God works in us to make us complete in Him.  I’m just saying….