My family and I live on a small lot inside the Denton, TX city limits. We have a vegetable garden, pretty native plants and flowers, some fruit trees, and little flock of chickens–6 of them. Those chickens are some egg producing boogers, and we love to crack and sizzle a few each morning.
What’s fascinating about those rascally chickens is that they can teach us something about the human condition. Simply put our chickens lack trust. Every day–since they’ve been at our house–we’ve feed them, made sure they have water, provided a place to scratch and dust bathe, as well as–and really important–we protect them. We protect them from critters each night when we lock the gate after they’ve made their way to their roost. And let me tell you…there are some critters that roam through this side of town. No joke, I’ve trapped a cat, one squirrel, over 9 raccoons, and over 10 opossums. Here are some culprits below:
Nevertheless, even with our attention to their protection and provision, they still get flustered, run for their lives, and/or start squawking when I shut their gate at night, or when I walk into their run and drop leaves, grass clippings, or give them food. I’ve never chased them for sport, I’ve never mistreated them for any reason, but they still are uneasy every time I move toward them for their good. My goal is to protect them and provide them with nourishment, and they’re running for their lives or letting me know my disturbance to their peaceful rest is unwelcome. It’s amusing…and telling.
How Does This Apply To Us Today?
As I was thinking about the chickens the other night, I thought about the human condition as it relates to our relationship with God. In so many ways, we’re just like those chickens.
First, how many times have we mistaken God’s protection as God’s allowance of unfair actions? I wonder how many lives have been saved from flat tires and traffic delayed appointments? I wonder how many tragedies have been avoided because of a job loss or a financial limitation? When we perceive that our everyday circumstances or situations are unfair and unjustified, then we’re not viewing God as our Protector. To go further, how many times have we looked at someone else’s lot in life and wished we had it? What about thinking that we deserve or are entitled to–because we have done the right thing(s)–something better than our situation(s) are presenting? In all these misperceptions, what are we saying? We’re saying to God, “You’re not using–nor will You use–my situation or this circumstance for my good and Your glory. Therefore, I don’t trust You…You can’t be trusted.” We’re saying–in essence–that we don’t trust God…that He doesn’t have our best interest in mind…that He’s not protecting us from ourselves. Really, we just don’t like being uncomfortable, and we don’t like to wait. Waiting is painful, and pain is the unwelcome guest that disturbs our precious comforts. In pain, our feelings and thoughts get us flustered, and can even lead to being bitter. But pain is often what God uses to grow us…to prepare us…to use us as His vessels. Scan your Bible to see how God has used pain to work through His people, not to stymie them.
Second, how many times have we looked at God’s provision through people and our spheres of influence, and we run scared…we run away? Where are you right now in life? Are you employed? Married? Single? Looking for a job? Serving as a pastor or minister of the gospel? Where are you? Well, in any and every situation of living you are dealing with people, and with people comes conflict. That conflict, if left unaddressed, will lead to apathy, disgust, disillusionment, and ultimately running away. We may not leave, but we will disassociate…we will disconnect…and we will check out. This happens all the time in marriage. This happens all the time in the workplace with a tough boss. This happens all the time looking for a job. This is why people lie on their resumes or in interviews. This is why so many pastors leave the ministry. What we’re saying is, “God’s provision for us through the people He has put in my life is not enough.” We’re saying, “I don’t trust You, God.” We say this when we don’t view our tough boss as an instrument in the Redeemer’s hand to shape and mold us. To humble us. To teach us how not to be a tough boss. To teach us that we’re selfish, etc. We say this when we no longer invest in knowing and learning about our spouse. We say this when we’re longer a student of our spouse or our kids. We just come home and live as roommates. We’re still really just running scared, and we’re not trusting God. God made us to be surrounded by people in our spheres of influence–in community–because He is in community within the Trinity. But, we often would rather run when it comes to people…but that’s not ok. It’s not a path of health and flourishing. It’s not honest.
What if? What if instead of being flustered and discontent with our situations or spheres of influence, we viewed them as His present provision? What if we viewed what He has provided and where we are as enough, as well as the means through which He is shaping us as a conduit of His character? What if we didn’t try to alleviate the pain with things that we’ll later regret, but instead trusted that–even in the midst of pain and suffering and wanting more than we have–God is good, He is using this pain and longings for His purposes, and He will sustain us in the midst of it all? What if instead of running to things–porn, addictive alcohol or casual drug consumption, habitual spending habits over current income, laziness through addictive mindless entertainment, etc.–that will never satisfy, we run to God? We run to Him by saying, “No!” to the false pain alleviators, and “Yes!” to spending time in His Word, in prayer, in loving the unloved, in being a voice for the voiceless, and so on.
God has created humans to be free in Him: free to love Him in spite of pain…free to have joy in the middle of our circumstances, knowing He will shape them for good…free to trust Him in the midst of pain, and follow Him where He is calling us to go. To a radical life of surrender. Surrendering our lives, our families, our finances, our relationships, our jobs, our ministries, etc. to Him. Finding rest–steadfastness–in the midst of chaos, and being a people of trust.
“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.”
Isaiah 26:3
— April 12, 2019