This is the revelation shaping my life today:
Simon Peter spoke up and said, “You are the Anointed One, the Son of the living God!” Jesus replied, “You are favored and privileged Simeon, son of Jonah! For you didn’t discover this on your own, but my Father in heaven has supernaturally revealed it to you.
Peter took him aside to correct him privately. He reprimanded Jesus over and over, saying to him, “God forbid, Master! Spare yourself. You must never let this happen to you!” Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get out of my way, you Satan! You are an offense to me, because your thoughts are only filled with man’s viewpoints and not with the ways of God.”
Observation
There are two places where my thinking, my decisions, originate – the supernatural revelation of God or “mans viewpoints”. I either think like Heaven or the world. One is the Father the other is Satan, and they are mutually opposed. One releases Heaven one releases offence to heaven. And if I am not careful and aware I can choose one in one moment and the other in the next.
These competing voices are the clash of the Kingdoms, it’s the clash of my life, in every life. Understanding these conflicting and competing influencing voices is the challenge of life, for I will follow one of them into the key decision making process of life.
Every decision that shapes my life looks to the stories of God or the stories of the world. These are the only two depositories from which I can choose the way my life will play.
‘I am injured by what you do to me,’ I can head to the story of revenge and anger, or the story of forgiveness. There are only two stories, and I’m not the author of either, but I am the decision maker as to what story has its say in me.
The challenge is also to understand that I have a feeling response to all data presented. Peter feels his response, “God forbid, Master! Spare yourself. You must never let this happen to you!” But our feelings are not given as decision making apparatus, they are there to help us interpret what stories are seeking my engagement. Peter choose Satan’s ways because he did not weigh his feeling response against his shaping truth -“You are the Anointed One, the Son of the living God!” If he had taken his feelings captive, he would have then chosen as Mary did “let it be as you have said.” I must listen to my feelings for they are all wonderful gifts from God, but I must master my feelings, and take responsibility for my stories.
Application
I see that the choices I make shape my world; I can choose to make these choices from mans viewpoint or the way of God. The stakes are too high to be feeling led or to choose to be lazy. God is in charge and has authored the stories that release life, but I am in control of choosing the stories that shape me.
Ultimately, life is a responsible activity, I will be responsible.
Response
Thank you that you are present with me to bring revelation for life. I am not alone swimming in the competing thoughts of the world and the whirlwind of my emotions, you position yourself with me as my guide for life. Your ways are not learned they are leaned into, it’s the intimacy of revelation not the intellect of my thinking. To know the ways of life and to have the giver of life as my guide to life – could I be more blessed?
Meditation
Spend some time in meditation. Where do you turn to when you make the decisions that shape your life? How often do you follow your feelings and make decisions based on them?
JOURNEY DEEPER
