Now I know that many of you are turned off by the title of "How #3" ... so, before I continue let me explain a thang or two. I never reach for the middle... I always reach for the top ... I always want to move from "Good to Great" ... "excellence is a good start but, we can do better" ... I love attempting to do the un-do-able or the not yet done ... and, I love the reaction it creates when you do it. If you know me, then you know that I have a long list of successes that prove this ... If you do not know me I would be happy to tell you about my success... I like to brag, it makes me feel good. I believe good bragging makes God happy he made me. Bragging, like Pride, is a way to check and see if you love yourself enough to love others ... I can safely say I love myself and I am great at doing above average things, if not great things, if not unbelievable, fantastic, how the heck did you do that things that prove God exists.... So, reaching for the middle is a bit of a stretch for me... in the wrong direction.
"Reaching for the Middle" sounds like somebody who is trying to figure out a way to keep everyone as comfortable and unmoved as they can. It sounds to me like an attempt to live in the grey ... no black, no white, ... just grey ... no right, no wrong, just "Oh well, maybe, lets see. (Sorry, but my gag reflex is kicking in) However, I am not talking about this kind of "middle".
The most uncomfortable place to live or try to live is between two true things. For instance, "Jesus is fully man" and "Jesus is fully God" are two very true statements that most believers agree with. It is easy to look at one of these truths at a time and agree with one of them at a time but, it becomes more difficult and uncomfortable the more you try to look at them or believe them at the same time ... this is "The Middle" that I am referring to. Some of you call this a "paradox" and it sounds so groovy and modern and intelligent to say "we are living in paradox"... but, to this redneck it just sounds like a fancy way of saying "Please don't make me think about that stuff and what ever you do don't make me try to explain it to anyone" ... which in redneck language translates into "I'm a baby... I'm a whiny, little, fat, cozy, baby who just wants to be cuddled and carried and lay here in my own little poopy diaper ... why is my diaper poopy? ... cause you made me think and that makes me uncomfortable so I pooped a little ... wheres my bottle"? ... Baby!
The "middle" is the most difficult place to live because it requires the most action... the most activity. If you believe that Jesus is all human, and you believe that Jesus is all God then you are forced to keep moving from one of these truths into the other... you must stay active... In your daily life you can identify with the 100% human Jesus and can rely and trust in the 100% God Jesus ... this requires activity in your brain ... brain movement ... This requires activity from your heart ... heart movement ... you can't just say in your brain or heart ... Jesus is "Just" 100% human this week so I am only going to live with the 100% human Jesus ... when you try to do this your heart and your brain enter into conflict with each other because, you think with your brain and you believe with your heart. Your heart beliefs tell your brain to keep moving between these two truths in order to live with and enjoy both truths fully. ... So, when you try to stay on one truth your heart beliefs will tell your brain to get things moving ... when you ignore what your heart is telling your brain, your brain and heart will argue, this is conflict ...to resolve the conflict your brain hears the heart and starts moving ... therefore, you spend as much time in the middle, or between these two truths as you do in the truth ... This is what I mean by "Reach for the Middle". How #3 "Reach for the Middle" is the way that we will live the most full, abundant life as believers. The space where we can believe and love ALL of God "heart, soul, mind and strength", while enjoying and living in the most truth.
If we could be honest, really honest, I would guess that most of us do not want to expend this kind of energy in our everyday life when it comes to our beliefs. It would be much easier to just believe in one truth fully and pretend the other is not as important or just look at it every once in awhile and say "Yes, that's true'. However it is not as difficult as it sounds. The most energy is required at the beginning ... in the choice to reach for the "Middle". When the choice to live with both truths is made the movement between the two truths starts automatically ... your brain and heart begin to move you in the direction that you need to fully embrace. If you need to be saved from something, or saved again, or saved a little more ... your heart and brain will move you toward the 100% God Jesus. If you are being tempted your brain and heart will move you out of the 100% God Jesus and into the 100% human Jesus so you can respond to temptation like Jesus the 100% human did, while knowing he fully understands as a human. ... One time in the 100% God Jesus truth, One time in the 100% human Jesus truth and two times in the middle equals a fuller experience of both truths. The beliefs of the heart and the revelation of the mind will always move you toward the truth that you need or seek and lets not forget that Holy Spirit is with us always, ... moving us, leading us, reminding us, while we are in the truth or in the middle. How #3 "Reach for the Middle" ... always be willing to move from truth to truth.
In "How #3 part two" we are going to look at how "Reaching for the Middle" can help us live with other truths that we sometimes struggle with. I would also love to hear if this post makes sense to you. I think this is really important to get ahold of, so if its not really clear, help me make it clear. Thanks.
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