THE SIFTER

This illustration came about while reading the parable of the talents! (Read Matthew 25:14-30) 

Wow, I thought - Contrary to my previous consideration it's likely that this one-talent guy wasn't poor or lazy in this scripture at all. "Instead, he had been working hard and choosing to build his own wealth stemming from deep-rooted personal desires, in lieu of stewarding the wealth that God had already placed at his feet." In my mind, I see a man smug enough to turn a blind eye to the only inheritance that mattered, which we know is our inheritance in the Lord, and because of this his God-given potential and impact to others had taken a very distant last place on his mental priority chart. Unfortunately, he had become self-righteous. Ouch!! Sure, he-believed-in-God but he-wasn't-for-God. He didn't have an eternal perspective or believe in treasure in Heaven. I'll leave it up to you to ponder over whether he would or wouldn't have gone to Heaven, but one thing is for sure, there would have been people around him suffering because of his selfish state of mind. Get ready, because in the rapture, guess who's going to be asking for some of that lamp oil from you? (Read Matthew 25:1-13) 

James 2:19 says, " You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!" We’ve got to be on the team.

Of course, there are real-life versions of this scenario playing out every day. You see them and I see them. We happen to live in a 'How can I win, what can I attain society', dedicated to its cause because of fear-focused concerns of survival and self-set ego-driven lifestyle standards. They wear the deadly blindfold as seen in this illustration. In the warped reality that they've bought into, if they can't see it then they don't have to answer the obvious moral dilemma it would otherwise provoke inside their souls. Oh, the convenience of self-centered preferential thinking! The truth is that they have forsaken their strength in the Lord for weakness in the world. So, for them, with eyes covered, their narrowminded and solo-scoped reaction, effortlessly becomes, "I want the things I've set my mind towards, regardless of the needs and the consequence to others around me." Sounds harsh and I'd prefer it a lie, but the facts speak for themselves - The likelihood of God taking beachfront real-estate in the majority of worldly minds is improbable, but the frightening cost to all humanity is certain.

This is what I call a Priority-Switcheroo, and here's the deal - no one is immune! Believers and non-believers alike. We can all fall for it and must be on our guard and fight against it! Ephesians 6:12 says, " For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.", and 1 Peter 5:8 says, " Be sober minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." Yes, evil lurks in the Heavens and on the earth, and all at the same time. So, what are we to do?

One method I have adopted is guarding my mind and heart in Christ Jesus. That is, I have become entirely open and accustomed to routinely allowing the Lord full access to assessing my priorities. My wife does a pretty good job of assessing them too by the way, but God's assessment carries the determining vote. She knows it, I know it, and the Lord certainly depends upon it. I have come to discover that my priorities always need a little adjustment, and God's correction is always received with gladness from my perspective. 

So, the good news is that I don't have to get blindly drawn in and I can walk in the light as Jesus did, but only if I am willing to invite God to the table to spiritually adjust my mindset, en route. This is, by the way, something I know only too well. Having turned from atheist to believer in 2015, I know the voice of the Lord and He's the Director of the show. Back then I literally gave all of it to the Lord. "Crikey", I thought, there's no way I can do this or give this all up. It was a shocking moment coming to grips with the notion of turning all the arrows away from me and towards others. Won't I be left out, I thought, won't I walk in lack? Those were my fears, but guess what? I did it anyway. I inserted a good old-fashioned dose of spiritual obedience and my mind was changed, instantly. I found out that there was a lot of joy and happiness hidden behind all of that selfishness, waiting to come out. Thank God I followed the prompts of the Holy Spirit.

So for me, since then, it’s become all about taking off the blindfold, owning up to what God has already generously given to me, and putting His preferences first. It's His will, and not my will. I remind myself of this every day! After all, I want exactly what God want's me walking in and precisely what He has prepared for me, just like Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." I want nothing more and nothing less.

So, in this drawing, I show a guy waiting on his priorities. He's been blindfolded by someone other than God. A tactic meant to push his responsibilities to the forefront and God’s goodness held back. Notice, he's holding the sifter! He's straining away everything that doesn't benefit him directly and is ONLY interested in stewarding his "ideal purpose", while leaving the more important matters to fall through the cracks and pile up with urgency around his feet. He has been brainwashed to have a total disregard for God and His priorities. 

Praise the Lord that In Christ Jesus we have been afforded the wisdom to seek every good work He has already prepared for us, and that in Him we lean on His strength to see them through. Like a spiritual arrow released from the Bow of the Lord, I pray for my direction and yours to be clear and precise. I pray, as we are carried along by the force of His might, that the hindrance of any such blindfold is removed, so we can observe the needs and care for the wellbeing of others. Lord, let it be that as we near the final moments of our flight upon this earth with the bullseye of completion in sight that we start to hear your voice, speaking the words, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Lord, not my will but your will be done. Amen!