Who's Chief?

 Supreme: highest in rank or authority; highest in degree or quality; ultimate, final;

chief, commanding, first, foremost, head, high, lead, leading, preeminent, premier, presiding, primary, prime, principal, supereminent, top

In light of these definitions and synonyms, what or who holds supreme place in your life? What leads and commands your heart?

These can be tough questions if we ask them honestly...and sometimes the answers are good things, admirable things. There have been seasons in my life when striving for the leading role, the highest grade, the best position were supreme...they were the things that my mind went to through most of my day. Other seasons found me putting my family as supreme (not a bad thing to have up there on the top of the list); and still other times, I just sort of floundered...and that probably meant that I was foremost in my mind.

But how about today? Right now, to what does your mind jump? Where is your heart leaning? As you look at your own life, what is first and foremost...what leads you?

Friends, life is short and we are not promised tomorrow; let's take stock today...right now. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of making things, jobs, positions the ultimate in my life; people disappoint me, fail me or leave me, so I can't trust making any relationship of supereminent importance.

So I turn to God, beyond the allure of this world, beyond the fragility of human weakness. If I make Christ supreme, the highest authority and presiding thought and devotion of my life, will I be disappointed? Will His quality or character ever change, like the blustery wind on a winter's day? Will I be left empty-handed on my final day?

“Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?”

Exodus 15:11

“For who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord?

Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord?”
Psalm 89:6

“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world,
 and loses his own soul?

Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Mark 8:36-37 

 Disdain: the feeling that someone or something is unworthy of one's consideration or respect, usually out of pride or superiority.

I think that is the what has become the heart of cancel culture in our day...

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, cancel culture is a way of behaving in a society or group, especially on social media, in which it is common to completely reject and stop supporting someone because they have said or done something that offends you.

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I think it's easy for people to jump on the bandwagon, and 'cancel' others, finding encouragement and sympathy from those with whom you agree. And perhaps there are legitimate reasons for canceling someone...if there has been a grievous moral failure or criminal activity, if grave harm has occurred. But I think there are a few important things to think about as we see the rise of this disdain and banishment of others in our society.

First, 'cancel culture' is nothing new...it's just bigger and louder than we've seen before. There is evidence of this even as far back as the book of Daniel in the Old Testament. In Chapter 3, we see three young Jewish men, devoted to Yahweh, the God of Israel, who “have not paid due regard to you (King Nebuchadnezzar). They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.” (verse 12) They were called out by some of the people in their culture for not bending or bowing to the demands for idolatry, and were thrown into a furace. These young men weren't worthy of consideration, of life itself, because they would not forsake their faith in order to give in to culture's demand.

Secondly, look around...how many perfect people do you know? I don't mean nice, friendly folks...gracious store clerks, kind neighbors, faithful co-workers...I mean perfect! The last time I checked, there isn't a single person living on the face of the earth who has not in some way failed morally...told a little lie, abused a spouse, cheated on their taxes, took someone's life. The fact is, those who are calling out to cancel someone else need to take a hard look in the mirror before they decide if they, in the secret recesses of their hearts, deserve to be canceled themselves.

Finally, do we ever consider the devastating effect canceling might have on the individual who is being canceled? This is a very real human being, with friends and family, lives, emotions...and most of the time, the 'canceled' never have the opportunity to defend themselves. Once words are spoken, they cannot be unspoken.

All this to say, if you have faced the pain of being canceled, known the heartbreak of damaged relationships within society, hold fast to some truth. In the story in Daniel, these three young men clung tightly to their faith, unbending to the pressure culture was putting on them, saying, “...our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (verses 17-18). They knew where to find refuge.

Don't be quick to cancel someone...examine your own heart, and see if you are worthy of being canceled for something you've done. Look at Jesus' words to the leaders who wanted to cancel a sinful woman...”He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (John 8:7)

In the midst of pain and banishment, know to Whom you can run. The three Jewish men weren't alone, even in the furnace. When you are left alone, left behind, left outside...

“I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress;

 my God, in Him will I trust.”
Psalm 91:2 

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Shards of glass

 There are times I look back over my life, and I stand amazed! I recall days when my heart was torn apart, broken beyond what I thought could ever be repaired, let alone be used. There were shards, like broken glass, that had fallen to the ground, and I expected that nothing could ever be done with them...different shapes and various sizes of fragments, and depending on the season of my life, they appeared in rainbows of colors.

I think most of us would conclude that chips and pieces should simply be swept away, gathered together and tossed aside. But sometimes those remnants can be picked up and shaped, cleaned and polished, and be used for another purpose...perhaps pieces can be put together by a master artist, who knows exactly how those pieces can fit together to create something beautiful, something breathtaking! Alone, those scraps seem useless, and may only serve as reminders of how the break came to be, how we were clumsy and let something valuable fall from our hands, or how someone else broke what was ours. But when those shattered pieces are carefully, skillfully brought together, we might find something really remarkable.

photo credit: http://www.slightlyastray.com/sainte-chapelle-cathedral/

And so it is in life...but when our brokenness is in the hands of the Master Artist, He can bring beauty out of our shattered past, and create a place where His glory can shine through. The focus isn't on the pieces of glass, but how they all come together like a tapestry to form a breathtaking vision, spilling color and warmth however the light shines through. There is such value in surrendering our shards of glass to the One who holds the master plan.

photo credit: https://www.art-days.com/nasir-al-mulk-mosque-iran/

Let go to hold on

I think that through our lives, we learn that sometimes we have to let things go...

Perhaps it's a pair of jeans that used to fit 15 years ago, and we hold on thinking, "Maybe THIS year they'll fit!" Or how about the empty box in the basement that we might just need to use to pack something, although it's been there for the last 3 1/2 years.

Sometimes we let things go, only to grab onto something different...

The job you'd hoped for didn't turn out to be all you'd dreamed, but you dare to dream again, leaving the old behind and forging ahead to grab new adventure. Young daughters might find they hold tight onto dad's hand, until the right man comes along and takes her hand as his own. And perhaps there have been times we find we've conquered one vice, only to take comfort in a new destruction.

There are times when the releasing is easy, and other times it takes the very prying of our fingers off the object of our attachment. Some challenges present healthy change, some bring brokenness.

There are moments that will force us to let go, when we aren't presented with an option, and we are only left with empty hands and crushed hearts...relationships fall apart, people move away, children grow and leave the nest, loved ones die. Then there are times when we hold on with a white-knuckled fierceness, which causes our hearts to grow cold and bruised. 

So, here's the question...

When you let go, what do you hold on to? Most of us tend to grasp at something when it seems there's nothing there to keep us standing, or when we feel we're about to lose our footing. And how practical are the choices we make? When we hurt, do we let go of the pain in exchange for the comfort of resentment? When we are left empty-handed, do we just...flounder? Do we reach out to hold on to anything at all?

And at the end of the day, at the end of our days, what will we just not let go of? What are we holding in our hands, in our hearts, that we don't even realize that our fingers have molded around that which we so tightly grip? 

When I was really young, when I held my parent's hand, I knew I could let go of worry and fear...I could trust that I was safe, that I wouldn't fall...I let go to hold on tight! 

"Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love for them." Jonah 2:8

"My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me." Psalm 63:8

Photo Credit: https://kpthrivingfamilies.org/pediatricsblog/parenting-resources-our-top-recommendations/