When you write a weekly column like this, even if you have an idea where the next article is leading, many times the journey from one week to the next has some twists and turns you could not imagine.
In last week's message I used the line from a song, which just sort of came into my mind. As I said at the time it wasn't on the play list: "We gotta get out of this place, If it's the last thing we ever do."
But as I contemplated life during the week, I realized that these lyrics, in the context I used them, pertain much more to our existence in the world, even more so than I could have imagined. In that respect, the last thing we will ever do on this earth is get out of this place, the world. The question really is not if, but when, how, and to where.
Now, since I am not really a connoisseur of rock n' roll, I thought at the time this song was by the "Stones," but I now see that it was recorded by "The Animals." Here are the original stanzas of those lyrics:
WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE
(Weil/Mann)
In this dirty old part of the city
Where the sun refused to shine
People tell me there ain't no use in tryin'Now my girl you're so young and pretty
And one thing I know is true
You'll be dead before your time is due, I knowWatch my daddy in bed a-dyin'
Watched his hair been turnin' grey
He's been workin' and slavin' his life away
Oh yes I know it(Yeah!) He's been workin' so hard
(Yeah!) I've been workin' too, baby
(Yeah!) Every night and day
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!)We gotta get out of this place
If it's the last thing we ever do
We gotta get out of this place
'cause girl, there's a better life for me and you
Thank God always, 'cause boys and girls, there's a better life for me and you. Last week our all too long journey took us from the city to the Big Sky of Montana. However, even though we make pronouncements to the contrary, we generally live our lives as "this is all there is." where ever we choose to live. So while that Montana Mentality is still fresh in our minds let us look at the four levels of gifts that an understanding of the tension between the great expanse of sky and the grassland gives us. This tension is true no matter under what cultural disease of human civilization we choose to live our lives.
What is incumbent on all of us is that we should be seeking the better life, and not be so concerned with the material goods we amass in this transitional reality. From the top down these are the levels of gifts that can be imparted through our infection with Montana Mentality. It is by keeping the focus of the gifts in their proper order do we achieve the ability to travel beyond our natural capacity. Then, and only then, do we begin to enjoy the blessings that are so easily missed in much of our life.
So briefly, here are four levels of gifts available to those who make it a point of their journey to walk by faith in the God of heaven, that creates and sustains the endless universe.
God's sovereignty
The wild Montana skies are really just a visual common grace representation, or general revelation of Psalm 19. Everyone living in Montana should understand that there is a God and they are not Him. This of course is met with two types of understanding. One is of defiance and the determination to go their own way, come hell or high water. In these cases, the high water usually comes first, but sometimes it comes simultaneously.
The other type of understanding tries to seek God through His grace, turning that general revelation into a specific revelation of the glory of God.
For those who choose the first path, they seem to perceive that this is a choice they make of there own free will. Those who choose the path of specific revelation, find in the whole context of the Bible an understanding that their own choice was in bondage to their own sinfulness. They were only freed from that bondage by a sovereign act of that great God himself.
In their revelation of God, humanity divides itself into these two camps. I do not understand why anyone would want to tackle the reality of this life using only the limits of their own personality, I really can't relate to that journey. So we will depart from their self-willed destruction at this time.
Man's humanity
Under the endless sky, we walk on the dust of the ground, from this dirt the Bible says that man was formed by God in His image, "male and female, to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it" (even in Montana). Life in Montana is not all that easy, that is why less than a million people choose to live there. But contrary to what our modern educational system preaches, life is not fair and we do not create our own reality wherever you may find yourself on this earth. If you want to understand the problems in the world today you will find this religion of self esteem as one of the main roots of evil.
The tension between the endless heavens and the limited nature of mankind's perception brings context to our lives. Showing the great awe of a God centered humility brings David and all of God's children to the point :
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in your sight ,
O LORD, my strength and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)
Our intelligence
God has given each of us a measure of intelligence far beyond the animals, birds, and fishes. We use very little of that capacity, and that which we do use, most of the time we use for our own selfish endeavors. But common to all humanity is the perception of our own life, our need for others, and the willingness, or need to communicate through language, both written and verbal.
God gives each of us the ability to use varying amounts of this potential, but for the most part the variation within all humanity is quite small. Even within human variability, the exercise of our capacity through work and discipline allows one to achieve skills well beyond testing and other measurement tools. This exhortation should rise not from self, but from gratitude to God if it is to be truly effective.
Our aptitude gifts
Gifts as we generally define them are specific aptitudes that can again be developed through work and discipline. Some times these gifts can be related to intelligence, or our verbal ability, sometimes through other physical characteristics. Most of the time there is some sort of interaction between some, or many aptitudes of our personality and our natural body. By putting God first there are times when He elevates these gifts, bringing wonder not only to others, but perhaps more importantly humility to self.
Our application
We are taught from our birth to use our gifts to achieve what we desire. We can also use our intelligence to help us to achieve this (these) goal(s). We seldom think beyond this limited sphere because we always start from the bottom as we reach for the sky. Is it any wonder then, that we get tired and run out of steam before we ever seem to make any contribution?
The problem is not with our desire but our priorities. We worry and are stressed out because we have made ourselves the object of our endeavors. The Bible teaches in the context of the grasslands: So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matthew 6:28-30; Luke 12:27-28) This also can be understood by doing a simple search for "seek" in your concordance.
So before we each determine to go our separate ways, this week it is a good thing to meditate on the gifts that our journey to Montana has brought. As we are in the process of getting out of this place, as the last thing we ever do, it would be wise and prudent to keep our priorities straight.
It is through our choice to put God first that He is able to lift and reinforce our gifts by His divine presence in our life, elevating our game, our abilities, and our blessings well beyond what we can think or imagine. As we discussed in Hebrews last week, this understanding must be a daily part of our journey on this earth. It is only through that daily acceptance of God's gifts to us do we begin to comprehend the rest that God offers to His children. Again today, this week, as last, Montana's gifts as well as Montana Mentality are gifts of faith.
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. Proverbs 3:6,7
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