Retreat... Or Rise?

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

Today's Passage: Mark chapter 2
Memory Verse> Mark 2: 21-22

Okay.  I've got a new favorite movie.  I've seen some pretty good ones lately, but the one that impacted me the most is "Rise of the Planet of the Apes".  If you haven't seen it yet, I give you permission to stop reading so that I don't spoil it for you.  But for those of you who have seen it, I'm sure you'll agree that it has such awesome revelation.  Yet again, principles from God's Word come shining through something meant merely for secular entertainment.

Caesar, the chimpanzee, is so cute and harmless at the beginning of the movie.  Even though he has genetically enhanced traits from his mother that cause him to perform at the same level as a human with the intellect of a genius,  he doesn't really realize there's something different about himself until he sees a dog on a leash.  The questions begin to plague him about who he is and why he's not free.  Then he attacks his father's neighbor and is sent to an animal shelter, where all of his innocence is soon lost as he becomes the object of everyone's wrath.  In his past, he has never been exposed to living among other apes, so his entire existence is turned upside down to find he is no longer the object of affection.

In turmoil, he is heartbroken to discover that he won't be going home anytime soon.  Does he retreat into himself and allow the defeat to overpower him?  Should he accept that he is nothing?  Or does he use the adversity to rise to the new place of authority and destiny he was created to occupy?  Pretty soon, Caesar comes to the conclusion that his old ways of thinking and living are of no use in this new, hostile environment.  He must learn to adapt and be transformed from having a victim's mentality to one of a victor who was meant to walk in freedom-- but not only that.  He must begin to think and act like one who was meant to lead others to this new place of freedom.

The parallel with our spiritual walk is crystal clear.  We stand on the verge of our new season, having been pushed there by adverse circumstances.  Because we are by nature creatures of comfort, we would never desire change unless our "Father" orchestrated it by allowing us to experience turmoil.  It's in this place of discomfort that we really begin to ask ourselves the tough question: is this all I was meant to accomplish?  Or is there more?  Then and only then can we begin to step out of old mind sets, realizing that our old ways of thinking, responding and acting have no place in the promised land where the milk and honey is flowing, but the giants are just as plentiful.  Just like Caesar, the choice is ours.  We can retreat into fear and insignificance, or we can rise into relevance and purpose.  But no-one-- not even God-- can do it for us.  The end to the story has yet to be written.  We decide what it will say.  May we choose what God intended all along.

Prayer: Father, You have blessed us with all spiritual blessings.  You desire for us to take our place and live meaningful lives, leading others into freedom.  Give us the grace to want that more than sympathy for our current circumstances.  May we dare to be different, realizing that the road to destiny is paved with one decision of devotion and obedience at a time.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.