Walking the path

(2-minute read)

I learned many years ago that my identity, what I think of myself, significantly affects my life, whether I succeed or fail at what I’m trying to do. When I identify with a condition, thought, or organization, it subconsciously influences me. Recently, I’ve been struggling with a health issue and realized that the severe limitations that it puts on my life have made it an ever-increasing part of my personal identity. There was this gnawing feeling within me that this did not please the Lord.

“Lord, I want my life. I want the one you designed for me, not the one controlled by earthly circumstance. I ask for wisdom, Lord. Tell me what to do.”

When the answer came, it was, “Lay down politics.” It surprised me, but it was not the first time I had prayed for an answer and the Lord had asked me to do something that seemed completely unconnected. In fact, it has happened many times, and each time I followed it, my original problem resolved itself.

First-century Jews loved to talk about the politics between the Jewish sects and their hatred of Roman rule. They tried to get Jesus to discuss this, but the closest they came was when Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” Jesus loved the Jews, but Rome had temporary rulership over a temporary situation. Jesus was there on behalf of the eternal and spoke to them of the Kingdom of God.

My years of working either directly or indirectly for the government were over. As a voter, I am listed as “no party.” I no longer campaign or donate to any candidate. I only vote. For the last several years, I have attempted to avoid conversations about politics outside the family, but I am often unsuccessful. When I speak of politics, it’s all just noise that produces no results.

The Lord seems to be saying, “Knock off the noise.” Politics is acidic to my soul, and it’s a constant distraction. To do this, I may need to stop reading the news each morning until I can adjust to this new direction.

Throughout history, the cry of politicians, kings, and dictators has been, “I’ll give you what you want if you become one of us.” They said they wouldn’t throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace if they would become one of them. They said it to Christians in Rome when they were being publicly killed. And politicians are saying it today in every country of the world.

I’m sure others are much stronger than I am, but this instruction to lay down politics for me was much like someone telling an alcoholic not to go to a bar or telling a compulsive gambler not to go to a casino. The Lord wants my identity to be in him, and I pray that the Lord fulfill that in me.