08/23/2016
Can You Stand the Reign?
Today I went to dinner with a colleague and on the walk back from our meal, it began to rain. Not the torrential downpour that tends to happen, but a light drizzle. My colleague and I made notice of the rain, and before I could reach she stated “It’s only one cloud, it should be over soon”.
We walked quickly through the city, while others were immobilized. Pedestrians took cover under awnings and entrance ways. The rain grew steady and cool, and a gentle breeze provided an extra chill to help remind me where each drop had previously fallen. The moment was refreshing, cooling, and rejuvenating…especially after a long day. And in that moment, I couldn’t for the life of me remember when was the last time I walked in the rain.
Had I not been with that co-worker, I probably would have caught a cab to my hotel to avoid the rain. But why? Why do we avoid nature in such a way, especially when we know it’s coming? On our walk to the restaurant, we noticed:
1) The change in temperature
2) The breeze
3) The cloud cover
And still, we were fairly surprised at the rain? And many around us tried to avoid it.
It is here why I found the “message in the moment”:
Rain is natural and when possible we should try to enjoy it (NOTE: I say ‘when possible’ because there are times when rain is dangerous and it should be respected and honored from a distance).
Rain has several functions:
• It marks a change in atmosphere/season
• It is cleansing
• It causes things to grow
But in life, rain seems to limit us. When we were children we learn to hate rain because it prohibits our play. As adults, rain is a common excuse for not coming outside. But I want to challenge your perspective.
Metaphorically, rain can have the same functions in our lives spiritually, as it does naturally. Is there rain that we are avoiding, because we are trying to keep things from changing? Is there things that need to be cleanses or even watered in our life that isn’t because we want to control the “what and how”? The reality is, rain rains on everything and some of us don’t like not being able to control the showers. While walking through the rain without an umbrella I could not control the rain from raining on my briefcase or my clothes. I had to enjoy and appreciate the entire rain.
And so, perhaps this is why it is hard for God to REIGN in our lives. Perhaps we need HIS rain to change our atmosphere, cleanse us, and make things grown in and around us. But sometimes our desire to control WHERE HE REIGNS serves as a metaphorical umbrella for all of our lives…he can’t reach us because we are standing in breezeways waiting for the REIGN to pass. Natural rain in constraining and inconvenient, and in some ways, spiritual REIGN can be viewed the same, because the reign often is in conflict with our expectations. However, when we give ourselves over to the direction, guidance, and love of the REIGN of God we experience a freedom and power beyond comparison.
So here is tonight’s CHALLENGE: Ask God, where are you trying to keep him from REIGNING in your life. Identify that space and invite Him there to do as He will.
Scripture Reference: Isaiah 45:8 Drip down, O heavens, from above, And let the clouds pour down righteousness; Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, And righteousness spring up with it. I, the LORD, have created it.
Be blessed.
-nrp
