“We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5 MSG)
I used to tie my shoelaces in the standard way--a basic knot plus a pretty bow. It was presentable and polished. Unfortunately, this method led to my shoelaces coming undone regularly. I wouldn’t notice the unraveling until I tripped over my own laces. It wasn’t until I became a runner that I learned a secure way of tying my shoelaces. Now, after I double knot my laces, I tuck all the loose ends in securely. This is not an attractive look, but it works. I can run an entire marathon without my shoelaces coming untied.
Maintaining appearances requires us to live by the standards of the world. Our social standing is laced together by ambition, pretensions, manipulations, and shame, tied together in a pretty bow of cultural compliance. When our delusions unravel and trip us up, we go back to repeating what is familiar--presenting one polished illusion after another.
There is a better way.
We can confront the barriers of deception, tucking every loose thought, emotion, and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. This may look weird, because it doesn’t fit worldly standards. The natural realm is filled with fabricated mansions of human machinations. Dismantling long-held defensive mechanisms takes dynamic strength. We cannot do this on our own. We must access the Spirit’s wisdom and power to tear down barriers against truth.
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