I begin today's episode of Leaving the Grandstand World with a joyous old "Folk song" entitled "Do Lord" which I made into a poem with peppy music in the background. It should make you smile. Next I share our song, "The Happy Song," and I finish with a teaching from my book, A Course in Christianity entitled, "The Body as an Attack Instrument." Question: Did God make hands to caress or slug with?
The Body as an Attack Instrument
The body doesn't have to be an attack instrument that we use while residing on this planet--but think about it. How often IS it used as such?
God gave us hands with fingers attached so that we could pick things up or pet a dog or cat, or gently caress the face of a friend. We decided that a hand could be used as a fist to smash into an enemy's face, or, if we've been offended by someone, we could slap them there with an open palm. An instrument of attack, an instrument of pain.
Our words can act as pistols, whipping people into submission. Our words are another source of weapons of which we need to be aware.
As spiritual beings, we need to live beyond the body and its various methods of attack. Praise God, we can choose to live by communicating only love--despite what others may do to us. From our vantage point, this could lead to death by someone who is NOT a fan of communicating love and we'd be a martyr. But God, through Jesus Christ, does not recognize the human body as a means to an aggressive attacking end. He is glorified in the sacrifice of our bodies as we choose to love instead of show vengeance. “He who tries to keep his life, will lose it, but he who loses his life for My sake, will save it. Matthew 16:25 and Luke 17:33”
I know that is controversial, but how else will the world learn that the true desire of a purified heart (through Jesus Christ) is to see love advanced and multiplied, not hate? How else can the world see a completely different picture than the one it has been enjoying for so many years? How else, but through advanced demonstrations of love in the most extreme situations?
And, wasn't the One who placed Himself in a most extreme situation of death on a cross, demonstrating love to the highest degree? Not only did He die FOR us, but He demonstrated a completely new way to deal with the enemies He told us about: Turn the other cheek, give them the clothes off your back, let them do what they will with the shell of a body you have and show them the spirit of love, show them the way, the truth, and the life.
And what a mark on the history of humanity Jesus made! His life is a most revered life and a most discussed life and a most impactful life one could ever imagine. We would emulate Him, we say, but to what degree? When would our gentle and creative "hands" turn from expressing love in so many ways to becoming fists of anger and rage? How much do we want to emulate the master, Jesus Christ, and become like Him?
Go to God, know Him, love Him with all your heart and let Him lead you. Make a difference in this world. God will remove all fear from your heart as you embrace Him with all your being, thereby doing His will.
There is no life but His and our lives are meaningless without Him so why not rise above the ways of the world and go with the ways of God? Relax your fists of anger and let them become hands of healing and love.
This chapter discusses this principle for individuals. Think about it for nations. We as nations of individuals have fought and fought for the ability to live our lives with as little constraints as possible (our freedom), but there’s always some other nation who wants to see us crumble, take away
I'd love to hear from you! email: vic@zarley.net
