Found

Things Left Behind

11 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment

by Melinda VanRy in The Growth of Wisdom Tags: Christian, freedom, judging, legalism, Scripture, spiritual growth

In the wake of the fatal wounding of my Jeep last night, I was involved in a conversation that has kept me thinking. Mostly about one comment and my response – and how they reflect my relationship with my church family.

I’ve been thinking about choices. Specifically, the choices we make to leave things behind as we progress in our walks with the Lord. As I sat in the passenger seat of the car of one of the two men from my church who made sure I made it home alive, the driver said, “You probably don’t like my choice in music. I’m a classic rock guy.” The non sequitur surprised me. Kind of like when I was on the highway earlier in the evening, going and steering in one direction, but having the Jeep randomly veering the other way. A whole lot less adrenaline in response, though, and without the need to gain control of the conversation as quickly as possible.

I told him that I had to make the decision a while ago to not listen to secular music; it does bad things for my mood.

To be more blunt than was appropriate in that setting at the moment, anything that glorifies sex, reminds me of the what was pleasurable in my “past life” while denying the enslavement, or encourages me to compare my real-life marriage with a songwriter’s imaginings, is poison.

There have been many things like that. Both things I’ve given up because I realized they were proscribed in Scripture, and others, like secular music, because I’ve been subjected to the gracious conviction of the Holy Spirit. It’s difficult enough for me to keep my head on straight without feeding my mind with things that distract me from God, glorify sinfulness, and feed my weaknesses.

It’s never freedom to keep doing something just because it’s what we want to do; freedom is found in the letting go. Sadly, when I’ve talked about these things, some people seem to think in terms of rules and limitations – dreaded, and deadly, legalism. If they care at all about what the Bible has to say about things, they cling to a (warped) concept of the freedom in Christ which Paul joyfully, and rightly, proclaimed. But where is the other side of Paul’s coin? He wouldn’t compromise on sin, and he refused to use freedom as an excuse to sin or to encourage sin in others.

I wish I were better at conveying the freedom of giving up ways of worshipping self. I wish it was easier for people, myself included, to learn from others’ mistakes.

So that’s what I’m thinking about today. I’ve been kind of quiet again since I went back to volunteer teaching. I haven’t yet adjusted to my new schedule. But it’s Veteran’s Day. School is closed and I’m stranded following the Jeep’s rebellion. Turns out the frame is cracked, so I’m hoping scrap metal prices are good next week. Acquiring reliable transportation with as little financial obligation as possible is on my mind, too. As are many more important things. I’ll try to get back here soon. For now, I need to get back to the laundry.