Last night Kim and I went to our annual staff Christmas party. It was great; good food, good friends, good fellowship - and a magician. That’s right, a magician - he had been contracted to come in during dinner and go table to table doing tricks to entertain everyone. After dinner, he put on a show for us in which he performed several illusions that mystified the group. He was really good. In fact, there were some things that are still freaking me out even as I write this; “how did he do that?” - I am still trying to figure it out.
It got me thinking about my life, and asking some other questions. One question was, “Does my life leave others wondering - how does he do that?” Do people see the power of God in my life, in my marriage, in my family, or in my ministry and wonder; “how does he do that?” I know that magic tricks have some natural explanation - even if I don’t understand it. But I would hope that my life does not have a natural explanation. I want others see such victory and glory in me, that the only way to explain it is by something super-natural. I would hope that my life isn’t an illusion that has my best effort and strategy as the explanation to it’s success.
Another question was, “Is what you see, what you get with me? Or do you see one thing, but in reality, is my life something different?” Am I a spiritual illusionist - do I put on a good show with the Christian life, or is it real? A great preacher used to put it like this; “Can it be said of you what is written of you in scripture?” Is my faith real? Are the truths that are written about me in the bible the reality of my life? I see many “Christian magicians” in the church; those who give the perception of walking in the Spirit, but the reality is something quite different. I want a life that is unexplainable outside of Jesus. I want to worship God in the beauty of His holiness and be continually filled with his Spirit so that my life is truly magical - but not an illusion.
Entries (RSS)