"You gnarl your face at my words, you repulse and push away at my incidental touch, you show disdain when I appear, you sicken at the smell of my presence and turn your nose at my breath. The typical response to my offerings of love is silence, I only experience your complaints and cruel grumblings. Of all men I am most miserable as I stare through the broken perception of my pain." The Scarlet Sinner to the Lover of his soul.
The capacity to think on God and receive His Truth is constantly filtered by: what you know and believe of His Word; what you have touched, seen and desired to experience in the world; and your "infirmity filter".
We are all composite people. There are no self made men and women. Every one of us is a product of the input that he or she embraces as his or her reality. The sad state of affairs of the human condition is that we usually espouse the "first experience" as proof. This is why we wrestle with principalities (or beginnings).
If it smelled good, tasted good, looked good, felt good and had minimal negative repercussions, then it was probably not bad, ok, good or left undetermined and open for further experimentation. If it isn't outright catastrophically evil than it may not be sin. Hence we apply the "moderation in all things clause" to provide an alibi for our momentary self inflicted ignorance of potential eternal truth.
The flip side can be just as devastating to a faith walk - it smelled bad, tasted bad, looked awful, felt bad and had ongoing negative personal repercussions, then reflexively it is bad and to be avoided. Again the sad state of affairs of the human condition is that we may even consider God as the source of suffering and thus shut down the avenue of healing by trading for a painful commitment to "this is my lot in life or my cross to bear". Hence, we provide a filter to out life that handicaps us from the potential blessing of God.
"Will the Lord cast off for ever? And will He be favorable no more? Is His mercy clean gone for ever? Doth His promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah." Psalm 77:7,8,9
There is a rhetorical answer that pride blusters against and instinctively pushes back from at every twinge of pain ... But if pride would fall the answer would be "NO".
But the gift of a reason that the these questions are even being asked is found in verse 10 with a plan of action that takes on gratitude as the enabler and not bitterness.
Psalm 77:10 - "AND I SAID, THIS IS MY INFIRMITY: but I WILL REMEMBER the years of the right hand of the Most High." (I will remember His story, His past mercy, His wonders, His doings, His sanctuary, His greatness, and I will declare His strength among my peers... Read to the end of this chapter).I will be totally saturated with the memory of My God and override the infirmity filter.
"The Natural man receives not the things of God!" Don't get bent out of shape when the Word of God you try to share creates conflict; for so it potentially created a conflict in you until you surrendered your will to that Truth. If you are going to get bent out of shape, get bent into shape... Choose the kneeing shape and Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
"When I decided it was my infirmity that was ruling my vision instead of Thy Word, I broke desperately before Thee. At that moment I regained the clarity of vision needed to see through the issues that had burdened me so. Now I could see this magnificent Kingdom in its splendor. Mercy painted its glory across the Heavens in the changing of the lights; faithfulness extended it beauty as it reached the clouds; as mountains arose in the azure beauty of righteousness, judgement flowed strong and true to the depths of the oceans. There was plenteous supply for the preservation of man and beast, and loving kindness was the power that extended in all directions to the children of men that put their trust under the shadow of His wings. There I stood in captive amazement." exert from The Scarlet Sinner - Starting Anew.
Culture must not dominate and define the Kids of the King. Pain must not dictate our willingness to live openly in His truth. The King's Word and His Spirit must invade every area of our living so that we can live abundantly ALIVE becoming transcendently relevant in thee culture and through the pain.
Let God be our Filter.
BOW, RISE UP and LIVE!!
See Love!
HLFA,Jeff
PS: The picture of the TWO fighters - they Praised to the end