Beyond Ourselves

There are days when time seems to linger in the peripheral. In these days, I find myself moving about as if on a film screen, feeling that someone is sitting in the audience watching. How closely they are watching or what they are watching for, I do not know. But I feel their presence.

As messengers of God's love and saving grace, speaking the truth and exposing lies can make you vulnerable to criticism and scrutiny. It also draws the attention of the adversary, Satan, who actively seeks to undermine and derail truth. As such, those who take on this responsibility must be prepared for the spiritual battles that come with tethering themselves to Christ.

In this tethering, it must be known that we are propelled to rise above the critical eye of society, not by subjective favor or intellect, but by the omniscient power of Christ Jesus. In speaking from experience, I can attest to my failings, and they are many. Am I qualified to preach unadulterated truth? No, as I have even gone as far as to deceive myself at times. Is God qualified to use my brokenness as a vessel to demonstrate the redeeming power of Christ? Yes, and He has done so many times.

My greatest testimony is found in my surrender: in the realization that I am but a blink in the eye of humanity. In this blink, I am a tear Jesus shed upon the cross for the one He came to save. And so are you. And you. And you.

And in this knowing, we are more than what the world can label us as being or even understand. We are His. This world is scheduled upon calendars, whereas God's timing is beyond what can be penciled in or even dreamt.

A young child recently showed me a plump grape that she got from the refrigerator. "Would you like one?" she asked.

Holding the grape in my hand, I couldn't help but marvel at its plumpness. The thin, delicate skin that covered it seemed to encase a world of flavor and juiciness, making my mouth water. Yet, as I looked at the withered vine it had come from, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder. How could something so beautiful and nourishing survive in such an environment?

It was as if the grape had been born into a world that was starving for goodness and sustenance and could only truly thrive with a source of divine intervention. This is how I see Christians today — as a beacon of hope and nourishment, born into a world that is often lacking in direction but sustained by a divine source that empowers us to make a difference in His name and for His glory.

Despite our human weaknesses and self-sabotoging anxieties, we still manage to achieve remarkable things. We are creatures fighting against the constructs of self and society. In this fight, we eventually discover the secret to winning is not measured by societal success but in the often painstaking development of hope. Better put, the responsibility to be hopeful people who recognize and proclaim that God is in control.

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation," Romans 5:3-4.

Not until we evaluate our limitations can we adequately give credence to a power so beyond our understanding that it requires faith to explain it. And yet, held by the restraints of the human mind and heart, we know whatever we say will not be enough to exalt the Most High. We will forever fall short until we humbly submit to the truth: we are made whole only by the sacrifice of Christ Jesus.

"He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness. 'By His wounds you were healed,'” 1 Peter 2:24.

The question of how we measure ourselves against the One who died for us is daunting. Nevertheless, some may attempt to do so, only to find themselves confronted with a difficult truth: that they cannot.

For those who struggle with pride, it is not uncommon to find themselves seeking easier contemplations, perhaps even convincing themselves that they do not need God because they consider themselves to be "good." However, even those who believe themselves to be good have likely found themselves wandering down blind alleys at some point in their lives (see Romans 3:9-20).

Sin is not prejudice. And its scepter, albeit ornate and sometimes beautifully tantalizing, can become an authority over our lives if we are not careful. How many have been deceived by the trappings of sin? I dare say, all but Christ Himself.

So where does this leave the Christian who tries to follow the will of God in a body made of flesh — riddled with diseases of the mind, bone, and muscle?

I tell you, it leaves the Christian in the exact position where we can be the most effective. By having all else fall victim to circumstance and perversity, we can only attribute our peace and salvation to someone beyond ourselves: Christ Jesus.

“‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved,’” Acts 4:12.