- Not The Only One!
- Post # 71
- 23 Mar 23
- ” .Moth To The Flame “
- Howdy!
- As usual, I’m both thankful and grateful for you guys, my audience, feedback and encouragement, and sometimes criticism, both constructive and otherwise ☺️☺️. I’m going to put out the warning placards for those of you who get the least bit squeamish around spiritual matters, but I hope that you will read on and give me the opportunity to defuse maybe some common misconceptions about weirdos, like myself. Most of us are familiar with or have heard the expression of a moth to a flame. Many of us have seen this phenomenon at night around a campfire, or around the headlights on your car. While we may have observed this , few of us know or understand why this takes place. The the scientific explanation of this is something known as phototaxis. Phototaxis is something that has the ability to draw near or to repel away. Moths are positively drawn to light and cockroaches are negatively effected by light, as you may have observed , when light is turned on, they will scurry back in to some crevice in the dark to avoid the light. Now , on the surface, it may be seen or viewed as more positive to be drawn to light than to be repelled by it. Simple truth is that light confuses the navigation system of some insects, such as moths, and in their confusion and disorientation they may be led to be eaten by a predator, smacked head on into a moving car, or even the dreaded bug zapper on someone’s back porch. Of course by now, the question is popping in your head, what does this have to do with me being so darn weird, or how can this have anything to do with those warning placards? I want to talk about an observation and it’s just that an observation. I have noticed how so many individuals are drawn to spiritual light. This is not a phenomenon in itself because I believe that God designed us as spiritual beings and to be in fellowship with Him and others. If you have ever encountered individuals that are hostile towards spiritual components of life, be it people, conversations, or God Himself, we will just compare them to the cockroaches who scurry away when the light is present or somewhere close to their proximity. If you have been paying attention, I just said that we were designed and created to be spiritual beings and that is true of them as well. They may be drawn to the dark side of spiritual things. This could be something that is as innocent as horoscopes, but that could be seen as a gateway to more serious things, such as terror readings or wanting to connect with people who have already past on from this existence. There is a market for the Long Island Medium, after all . Am I saying that anyone who reads a horoscope is inherently evil or will some how be sucked into some black abyss much like the dark side in a Star Wars movie, absolutely not. What I am saying is that we are all spiritual and we will lean into or draw from someone, or something spiritual. I’m not writing those individuals off, but I would like to focus, just for a bit on the other half of the divide. I once dated a lady, whom I loved very much, but on our first date, we had lunch and me being me, I prayed over our meal, before we picked over our food. It so impressed her, that it was one of the very first things that she shared with her mother about me. We shall just say that it was out of the norm for her, but she was drawn to that. I was recently reminded that we are to be good stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. In the process that we would bring glory to our heavenly father. Again, what does this have to do with the price of tea in China? Well, this is just one remote example of being people of integrity. People who are dishonest in life, whether in business dealings or in other forms of relationships, are looking for people whom they can trust. They are not honest themselves but they want and are looking for people whom they can trust, so they are also drawn to the light, but it is just not their norm, an odd dynamics, but it is true and is just another indicator back to the original design. I also have another friend who lives down outside of Winston Salem, she is a person who studies horoscopes and if she can get your birthday from you can tell you things about yourself that would scare the pants off of you. She is not a confessing believer, but when things come off of the rails or don’t go according to plan , she has no problem asking for prayer, and is somehow comforted by that. This is interesting, but not original ,because the Bible talks about how even the demons believe that there is a God , and it says that they shutter at that thought. Demons don’t go to heaven, so there has to be something more than just believing that there is a God. I want to draw a parallel between the moth and those of us who are drawn to the light. I said us, because I’m included in there is as well, but with a distinction. I have on occasions referred to this life as a feeble existence and that is not true for all of us. Sometimes someone will post something on social media and it is so profound that it just shakes you to your core. I’m going to share it, but I can’t give credit because I can’t remember where I read it or who said it, but it doesn’t take away from the revelation of what was said in the quote. . The post stated that for the believer this is the only hell that they will ever experience, and for the unbeliever this is the only heaven that they will ever know. If that statement is true, it definitely explains why so many are out for themselves to get as much and experience as much as possible, this world is their pinnacle , so yes, let’s eat, drink , and be marry,, for tomorrow we die ! . I spoke earlier about being drawn to the light and it actually leading to some looming disaster in the form of a predator, smashing headlight on a car, or a bug zapper, and that can be true for us humans as well. If the light is a representation of a relationship with God and us being drawn to it, there is a certain percentage of us , who will flutter around the light and occasionally being singed by it by doing what we consider to be good deeds or demonstrating good or exemplary Behavior, but never allowing the light to bring life transformation change to our hearts and lives. This is a good and moral person and I think that this is more dangerous than the scurrying cockroaches, because it gives a false sense of eternal security. I believe that You have to deal with the central question of who Jesus Christ is to you, and what central truth that you can point to that God is governing your life and not yourself. This can often be a simple acid test as if you were charged with being a Christ follower, would there be enough evidence to convict you, Of that crime. Many of us like to fit God into a box, and if your God can fit into a box, as in we only need Him when we have major life crisis and at all other times you find yourself in the driver’s seat, then you probably don’t have that kind of evidence that would lead to a conviction. I mean it only makes sense, if you are in it relationship with someone, then you spend time with them and most assuredly have conversations with them, and it shouldn’t be you always doing all of the talking. Some years ago there was an artist by the name of Nicole C. Mullens, and she charted with a song called ” My Redeemer lives”, in the song she expressed tangible elements of a vibrant relationship as in comforting the weary, rescue of the hurting from pain and yes, speaking with a Holy God. I shutter to think about those who are both inside and outside of the church, trusting in themselves and their good deeds. At the onset, I said an observation ,and that truly is what it is, after all no one knows what is truly in someone’s heart. I have seen, and both been guilty of living like a hellion, while bringing shame on and to the name of Christ. I’m not proud of that, but the facts are what they are, and God doesn’t make room for revisionist history. That is where we like to make the details of our story hazy and rationalize and tell ourselves that it wasn’t that bad, but of course, we know the truth of it , and often we are happy and relieved that it is just one of those things between us and God. I have a couple of steamer trunks , full of those☺️☺️. I did touch on false eternal security, and accompany that with what I just said about not knowing what is going on in someone’s else’s heart, we can’t judge about other people’s walk with God, nor should we. There are numerous places in the word of God, that encourages us to do a little self examination and to check the genuineness of the faith that we say we possess. There are stern warnings before taking the Lord’s Supper as well throughout other New Testament scriptures in both James and first Corinthians. Since we are here, and I always do my best to not quote scripture, because I know at times it can be as polarizing as Donald Trump, ☺️☺️but I’m not also sure that I’m not doing a disservice to some of you, but out of all of the brutal and harsh things in scripture, and there are many, nothing is more chilling and cutting than that scripture when Christ says away from me , because I never knew you! They protest, and talk about all of the great things that they did in His name such as casting out demons, which you wouldn’t think is a minor event, and yet He says, away from me, I never knew you!. Ok, back to my analogy of the fluttering Moth, that is drawn to the light or flame . I think that sometimes in our zeal or legalism about checking the boxes, we completely miss the main thing, and that is Christ. We get busy doing things, churchy things, sometimes good things, but they are not and should not be seen as the main thing, and again, that is Christ. We give money to a church or charity. We may mentor a youth, or read to an elderly person at one of those facilities. We can donate blood, or a thousand of other good things, but none of that matters when it comes to getting you into heaven. I know that sounds odd or off in our culture of no free lunches. If something is free, it has some price associated with it that we are unaware of. Sometimes it is what is known as a loss leader, where someone will eat the cost of one thing, in hopes of making that up on other products and services down the road. The same is true of heaven, it is not something that you can obtain on your own, but fortunately for you, you don’t have to, because that price was paid for you and for me. Many are unaware of their great need for, and many are unaware of the cost associated with that as well. God bankrupted heaven, so that we could have an eternal home and be able to be in His presence. Again fluttering about, I think that some of us get an inoculation to God’s truth. We hangout with certain kinds of people and use certain churchy words and do certain churchy behaviors and things, yet we miss the main thing. We can fool others and yes, even sometimes ourselves, but I don’t believe that Almighty God is going to be fooled by our great masquerades and the incredible performances that accompany them. Much of my faith and my understanding of my relationship with Him, was solidified when I became a parent myself. I know, now days with all of the gender stuff , and self identification , and yes, let’s not forget about emancipation , those children who want autonomy away from their parents, because they know best, not so much! I know now as a grandparent, what joy it can be just for my adult children to find time to hangout with me and how special it is to watch the next generation, as in grandkids to grow up , and the time moves rapidly by. Take just a second and think about the fellowship and interaction that you enjoy with your kids. You guys speak to one another, and can you imagine not ever having to discipline or correct your child ? ,or even having to say hard things to one another. Those are all some of the same things that should be present in your relationship with God, and if you don’t have that, then the obvious question is why not. I have used the pronoun ” us” , a lot here and I did mention that there was a distinction. The distinction is for those of us who have a personal relationship with God , yet, we sometimes seek to keep Him at arm distance, or refusing to lean in hard and be further refined by His brilliance. Again with the analogy of a parent to a child. Have you not ever always wanted the very best for your kid , and wanted them to excel in every area of their life. Well God wishes that for us as well. I believe that as children of God, we only have two main objectives and that is to know Him more and to make Him known to others. We see this in scripture as well, when Jesus was asked, what was the greatest commandment. He said to love God with everything that makes up you and who you are, and to love others, as you love yourself. When I say to know Him and to become more like Him, it is a reference to His character and who He is. It doesn’t mean that we are God and get to go around and judge and be critical of others. God wants us to grow in Him and to become more like Him, and at best , its a difficult process, well at least it has been for me, and that is because I’m often trying to do it my way opposed to doing it God’s way. I think this process is further hinder by the fact that we all have hearts that like to hide, and to hide who we actually are. I mean just look back at the garden. What was the first thing that Adam and Eve, did after they disobeyed God,? They hid themselves and we have been hiding every since. So , both of us , both those of us who know Him and those who do not , are both , attempting to hide from an all knowing God. I guess what I’m trying to say here is, don’t be a cockroach☺️☺️, but also don’t just be going through the motions, fluttering about and around the light, without letting it bringing life changing and life giving transformation to your heart and mind. I’m a bit long as usual, because the week has been abbreviated with me being in the Midwest again this week and I’m sure that I will share about that later, but in the meantime, please forward your questions and I guess, your corrections as well ☺️☺️.
- Till Next Time ✌️ Peace!
- Sandy The Southerner
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