It is so hard to describe what was actually going on. There was a panic in my heart; my life was out of kilter; I was very easily distracted by unrequited desires ... something wasn't quite right. Leaving my comfortable position among the western world success syndrome, I tried to rise above the amassed pile of "needed and wanted things" to get some fresh perspective, only to immediately discover that a raging vertigo had set its course in my soul's equilibrium.
Rise up to walk and fall ... was not an option; knowing the precarious nature of the path I was needing to take, I decided to crawl to the silent dark mirror to try to get a clue. As I turned the unread pages of the mirror, the fogged image seen in its leaves appeared to have sweat dripping from every pore of its eternal existence. For a moment I saw a tinge of Crimson color mingling within the mixture of perspiration, and small dog-like hellish beings lapping at the moisture with an intense effort to drain my existence dry. The closer I looked these beings looked like me?
With an urgency that was one notch above panic, I threw open the medicine cabinet door and riffled through the contents. Pain killers, anti-everything's, Vitamin A, Vitamin B 12, B-Complex, Vitamins A-Z, on and on until my eyes fixed on a strange looking container with a coarsely hand written label that read - "Messiah Complex". Could this be the pill to cure this illness that had dislocated my sense of balance? It seemed that all that was needed to be done was to unscrew the cap, swallow the pill, and all that I was experiencing would vanish as a cruel distant memory.
There seemed to be ample supply by a discerning shake of the container. Even the lid on the "Messiah Complex" came off with a simple twist; but upon closer examination the jar was empty. Alas ... Hope is lost?
Why is it that we so soon rush to treat symptoms and stumble over the root cause? "Instant" is what we seek even though the dreaded symptoms did not happen in an instant. The symptoms came about by a long practice of looking away from the mirror, giving into the "world" of distractions, harboring resentment of others, guarding old wounds, despising Heavenly options, fearing spiritual appointments, hating God's people, and reflexively shutting down any communication from above.
We medicate the unbreakable chains and stains, but our Savior wants to heal us from within by removing us from the stench of the death blow of sin and replacing it with the sweet smelling savor of Grace.
Hear why Jesus Came ... from the words of Eternity - shouting out from the pages of the Mirror.
From the Prophet - "The Spirit of the LORD God is upon me, because He hath anointed Me to preach glad tidings unto the meek, he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim Liberty unto the captives, and the opening of prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that morn, to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, thee planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified:" Isaiah 61:1-3
And from His lips - "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill and to destroy; but I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10
Rejoice if you went to the medicine cabinet and found that the "Messiah Complex" bottle was empty, "Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because HE HATH POURED OUT HIS SOUL unto death; and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." Isaiah 53:12
Now -let's read the pages of the mirror, listen to the Spirit, sing the songs of Zion, and love the people of God; and hate the sin that so easily besets us and keeps us from knowing Him more!!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face,
And the things of Earth
Will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and Grace.
HLFA,
Jeff