9/19/2011

Don't let the drama obscure the drama.

How clearly do you understand your role in life's greatest drama?Is your vision of life's greatest drama being enhanced or just obscured by all the lesser drama? There is no shortage of lesser drama and though it may be used to enhance, it often distorts, the most important drama of our lives.  If our attention is not completely absorbed by lesser drama we can import more from media, or our imagination, or under the influence of both ...we can get creative and make up some for ourselves.

There is an important drama in the universe, it counts for way more than the fluff we are so often distracted with.  This drama is of far greater importance than the self-centered non-sense that can so easily be drawn up to  grandstand our misguided sense of self-importance. The real drama is about God as the effective creator of a good creation, and the honor that is due Him.

Slander, rather than honor, is the business of the adversary. We see in scripture that Satan "the adversary" makes it his business to slander God before man (Genesis 3:4,5) and to slander man before God (Job 1:11, 2:5).  He slanders God and God's creation.   I suspect that there is some wickedness in this slandering of, either God, or his creature, that we are often numb to.  This brash, slanderous spirit was present in the religious Jews who disregarded the full authority of Jesus. Jude addressed them in this way:
Yet in the same manner these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile glories. But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgement, but said, "The Lord rebuke you." But these men revile the things which they do not understand...                                                                  
 As submissive creatures we are called to a high standard in the area of proper respect.  Our respect and disrespect for God and His creatures is on display in the drama; along with our loyalty and disloyalty.  Jesus Christ is, and will be, the demonstration that both God and His creation are legitimate. You are either for him or against him. If you are for him then you ought to demonstrate it as a witness while this great drama unfolds.  The tension is not about my reputation or your reputation first, it is about God. God's intended end is already in sight -Jesus. But what about you and me? Are we in Christ by loyalty to Him, or against him by disloyalty?  Does the slanderer have room to slander God and creation?  What is your testimony?   We as individuals are not the centerpeice of the real drama, but each of us is playing one role or another of great importance. Christian, play your role well. May God help us do that.