Being a person that has to the most part made his living in entertainment I know a thing or two about the wonderful art of “distraction”. Magicians use this to accomplish a trick. A slight of hand magician will find a way to get you to look one direction while he hides his “Magic Coin” somewhere else. You know what he’s doing and insist that you wont let him distract you yet he still does. Actually a good magician will use that against you. I have a magician friend that uses that as a part of his shtick. He will tell you exactly how he does the trick and insist he can still fool you every time “He does” An Illusionist uses the same technique except he employs the use of mirrors and lights so you think you’re looking at one thing when you are really looking somewhere else. A good haunted house will trick you into looking at one thing while the scare comes from somewhere else. “Distraction” you insist you won’t be yet it gets you every time.
I want to tell you about someone else that is great at the art of distraction. Actually I don’t think anyone is better. You know what he’s doing yet somehow he fools you into looking anyway. I think you can probably guess where I’m going. The one I’m talking about is non other than Satan himself. As mentioned before some of his techniques are pretty in your face. Gossip is a good one, An argument as you walk into church, Singles how about those times you notice a cute guy or girl as you’re walking into church? You get the idea. Others are a little more subtle. These are the tactics that take your focus of off God. For example: Each time we sin Satan is pretty good at getting us to focus on the sin and trying to overcome it instead of focusing more intently on God. He even distracts from that distraction with thoughts that say… “I’ll never be able to beat this” “Why do I even try” or We go to read our bible and think of something we have to do first (It’ll just take a sec) It’s one of his more subtle distractions that I want to talk about. I personally think it’s one of his better distractions but only one he employs after the other distractions have become less effective.
I’m not sure what to call this distraction so I’ll just use one of the sentences he may whisper in your ear. “Wouldn’t it be great to receive the spiritual gift of ___________ (Tongues, prophecy, healing, helps, etc…) You see Satan’s ultimate goal is to get our focus off of God himself and onto ANYTHING ELSE. What’s wrong with pursuing these gifts? Absolutely nothing! It’s just not the prime focus God wants us to have. 1 Corinthians 13: 1-3 “Though I speak with tongues of men and of Angels, but have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love it profits me nothing.” Speaking in tongues could possibly be known as incantations as well. Prophets today could also be called “fortune tellers” I’ve known more than just Christians that volunteer at homeless shelters. I’m going to be so bold as to say that none of these people have “Love”. Oh, Larry you’ve done it now. Are you saying that only Christians can love others? No I’m not. I’m saying that there are a ton of Christians that do this without love as well. I’m saying that Satan has so distracted us that we don’t even know what love is anymore. We look at love like it’s some inanimate object. Lets continue 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 (The first part of 8) Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek to own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” (The rest of the chapter goes on to speak of what does fail.) I don’t know about you but this description does not sound “Inanimate” to me. It sounds like love is a living, breathing thing. We are told to pursue this living, breathing thing above all else. “Wait a minute this is beginning to sound familiar.” I certainly hope so! Who else do we know that carries all these attributes that we are suppose to pursue above all else. Hmm, lets go to 1 John 4:7-8 (Actually just read all of 1 John it’s a great book) “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, FOR GOD IS LOVE.” This is no big surprise of course we are to pursue God above all else. If that’s the case and we know it why do we pursue these other things first? My thoughts, because when we hear pursue God we don’t truly know who God is or how to do that so we are tricked into pursuing what we see instead (The Gifts). If that’s the case let me throw out another suggestion. Actually I’ll just throw Paul’s suggestion at you. PURSUE LOVE! In so doing we are pursuing God. What does that look like? Lets figure it out together. Here is where I’m going to begin at least. Remember those WWJD Bracelets (What would Jesus Do)? I’m going to try and follow that model but instead it will be “What would Love do?” When I’m faced with a choice I’m going to ask “What would love do?” and then try to do it. But then ask another question. How did I feel about doing it? If I’m more begrudging than loving I will ask one more question. “God help me to become you in this area of my life.” You see living this way will help us to recognize where we are close to God and where we are clinging on to ourselves. That knowledge will help us to pursue love and in so doing pursue God who is love
Alright Gang, sorry to be so long on this one. Hopefully it was worth your while. Have a great week and as always lets “Live it Upside Down”
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