Wednesday, October 05, 2016

LIFE DEPENDS ON THE PLACEMENT OF OUR BACKS

Stress.  Concern.  Pressure.  These three, and more, push and prod.  They poke.  They jab.  We live with these elements which frustrate; even depress.  Their forces are so strong that it is often said that our backs are against the wall.

What would this phrase, "Our backs are against the wall" imply?  Cornered?  In trouble?  No way out?  The idea is that there seems to be no way of escape.  However.... ...however, I believe that I have some very encouragingly Good News for you today!

I know this will seem strange; but success in life is fundamentally determined by where we determine to put our backs.  You may not realize it, but we are the ones who decide where such is to be placed.  Oh yes, we talk as if we had no choice in the discouraging matter.  We didn't ask for the rough time; the bad days.  They just happened and now look; our backs are against the wall.

Enter Jesus.

One of the most astounding truths of life is found in this true, real, authentic person known as the Son of God.  And would you like to take a guess as to how he, in one single move, transformed one's outlook?  He took the most basic hindrance (negative force) of all men and women and changed the background.  Yes, the BACKground.

Jesus moved any who dare to follow from having our backs against the wall to having our backs against our own crosses.  This is one gigantic shift of positionalistic dimension!  When our backs are against the wall, we are fighting for survival.  But when our backs are against the Cross we are fighting for others' survival.

This transition changes everything....like in EVERYTHING!

When our backs are against the Cross, an entirely new outlook on life takes place.  We are talking major transition here within the scope of simply re-placing our backs.  We love our friends AND our enemies; where beforehand we were defending our territorial inclinations.  We become dependent on His resurrection power with deep and abiding hope when our backs are against the greatest source of hope on earth...the Cross.

Step away from the wall, my friend.  Step over to the Cross.  In this one move you will bring a hope a community like no other.  This....is the power of God within us...that will person by person...change the world.

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