Saturday, August 16, 2014

Morning Reflections - Not So Easy

A few weeks ago I was flipping through the television stations and saw Alice Cooper in an interview.  I was surprised to discover that he was talking about his Christian faith.  Being fascinated by peoples' stories, I listened with amazement to hear about how God had transformed Cooper's life and what impact that had on him and how difficult it made sojourning in the music industry for him.

Today, I came across this quote from Cooper:

"Drinking beer is easy.  Trashing your hotel room is easy.  But being a Christian, that's a tough call.  That's rebellion."

So simple, yet so true.  It is easy to do what the world wants us or expects us to do.  It is often times much more challenging to do what God calls us to do.  It is truly holy rebellion.  Jesus was a holy rebel.  Just remember what he did in the temple courts in turning over the tables of the money changers.  Or recall how he put a stop to his disciples violence when the Romans came to arrest him.  Jesus always seemed to graciously, but rebelliously, go against the grain.  He turned everything up on end so that we might understand in Kingdom terms rather than worldly terms.

My hope is that we will take this thought provoking quote to heart in each of our own contexts.  That we will go and cause all the holy trouble we can.  And that the Kingdom would be better served by our holy rebellion, and that the world would see Christ in us and through us.

Today's prayer - God, we realize that your ways don't always seem easy.  But we give you thanks that in accordance with your word to us you lead us in paths of righteousness for your sake, not for ours.  Grant us this day the discernment, strength, courage and grace that we need to be the fullest reflection of you that we can be.  Let us live according to your will, rather than the demands and expectations of the world.  And allow these actions, grounded in you, to transform our little part of the world.  Amen.

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