That may not sound all that bad to those who are taller, but
from late elementary school age on into my adult years it wreaked havoc on my
thinking and self-esteem. It’s likely because
of all the taunting and teasing, or maybe even the “I just-can’t-quite-reach-it”
moments (not to mention Randy Newman’s
song Short People). Oh and lest I
forget all of my tall friends, who by the way were usually very kind regarding
our differences (caveat: I have some very
dear friends who are short like me).
And yes I know being short is nothing compared to the issues and
physical disadvantages many people live with day in and day out.
But my point is this: When we find ourselves devolved of a divine
perspective, our view of life becomes tacitly stagnant and toxic and usually
without us even knowing it. We somehow
by default hear only the echoes of accusations directed to the underdog or the naked
(Genesis 3:11).
In Colossians 3 the Apostle Paul reminds us to set our
hearts and minds on things above. And in
doing so our perspective will change and inner peace will come. And for that promise I am grateful.
But here’s the rub. I
live below. I’m earth bound. So if and when I do have one of those “things
above” moments, it’s only through divine action on God’s part. It usually happens when my mind is changed in
relation to my earth-bound-ness. And that
problem, most always stems from the fact that I fail in my belief that there is
actually anything above. I tend to fail in
my belief that there is more than a simple horizontal perspective to life.
In Deuteronomy 6 we find the basis of the Shema.
A prayer and a command to believe there is only One God and how therein
to live for and to love Him. I love this
passage, but even more I love how Jesus fleshed it out in the Gospels. And the curious thing is He added something
to the command and prayer. Do you know
what He added?
He added the component of our mind. For in loving God with all our being, we must
do so fully and firstly with our minds.
And further, do you know that when Jesus first arrived on the scene, to
the very end of His ministry here on earth, and even to the churches mentioned
in Revelation, He constantly called for us to repent.
Now most of us when we hear the word “repent” tend to mingle
it with confession and a gritty will-driven cessation of sinful and destructive
behaviors. But repentance is not
confession of sin nor does it originate from our own willpower or grit. On the contrary, it originates with God
speaking truth to the lies bottled up inside us. And as God speaks truth to the inner most
parts of our mind, our minds begin to change, our thinking changes. And that my friend is the beginning of
repentance – a change of thinking, followed then by heartfelt and subsequent
outward changes, and never the reverse, contrary to popular belief and
teaching.
My inability to see things from above has little to do with the
fact that I’m earth bound, but everything to do with a mind that is yet fully
repentant. A mind that has not been
transformed or renewed by the truth of God will never experience nor have the
ability to be set On Things Above. And
set it must be if I am ever to get over being short, naked, blind, sinful, helpless,
hopeless and retched.
So I ask you: Is your mind set On Things Above? Can you alone by willpower and dogged
determination keep your mind On Things Above?
Because I can tell you my mind tends to slip to things
below, if it has not been changed by the Spirit of Truth. For I cannot memorize, attend, partake or genuflect
enough to get my mind set On Things Above, but only by the power of the Word of
Truth, only by His Spirit of Truth will my mind be set like a flint and become
unmovable in its perspective from above.
For if my mind is to remain set On Things Above I must turn it
over to the Truth. I must experience a metamorphosis
based upon Truth being infused into memories, thoughts, misinterpreted experiences,
and blatant lies and accusations thrown at me from the very beginning and from
every direction.
That is the only way I can keep my mind set – On Things
Above.
Oh I’ll always be physically shorter than most, but I have
overcome and will continue to overcome the lies that tell me being short is
somehow bad or inferior or anything else of that nature – all lies. Because from my heavenly Father’s perspective
– I’m just perfect the way He created me and by His grace I’ll continue growing
into that perfect son He loves so very much.
On Things Above – I’m slowly but surely getting His perspective. And you?
