The Deception of The Insulated Life

“Many try to dodge the hurting by living insulated lives.” I read on a forum.

It resonates. These words.

And I wonder if we miss this beautiful grace-filled life of joy and sadness, coupled with highs and pain. This life of wonder and imperfections, tough stuff and then the swallows of love that captures us…

Or are are missing it all, by living insulated lives?

I hear of the moms who’ve lost their sons to video games. Women stuck on Facebook. Too many playing the game of dance the dance, smile the smile, live to please…

While secretly living in a feeling-less casket of their own hurts and bitterness…

Numb hearts that fear tip-toeing out from the cocoons they live in…

And I wonder if we have gotten to be experts at avoiding this glorious life because we think we can protect ourselves…

So, we hide in crippling thoughts, lay in the lies paralyzing us, get willingly caught in webs of deception….missing the miracle of love, because we never want to be hurt again.

I remember when I lived, numb. Dead by the pain of circumstances, lost encapsulated in hard-ache and bitterness…and I couldn’t get free.

I dug in fingernails, drove myself to risky behaviors, screamed out, yet no one seemed to hear me…

So, I stopped living and resided to just begin dying.

And yet, the gospel talks about this glorious death (not of physical bodies) but of self-will and self-righteousness.

“[Let us be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.” (Rom 5:3)

Rejoice? Do we dance in the presence of suffering? Do we bend our knee and lie low in praise at the One who reigns supreme and loves us more than we could imagine…

Isn’t He enough when children start leaving, young people choose dying, life stops going how we want or anticipated?

I don’t know about you, but when I started taking back my life, I said subconsciously, “O.k. I will engage. But I will only live safe, do what I want, step out when I can rule or control or dictate my circumstances.”

But, is that the abundant life, the live of generous praise, the stepping out in faith, fully surrendered following the good Shepherd’s plan?

Or is it just playing God. Giving Him just a little…us holding back a lot?

Not living risky or dangerous, not taking chances, not diving deep into the abundant life He promised.

I now have learned, faith doesn’t rise from giving God ultimatums, from bargaining and bartering, from living a life of conditional existence. It comes from abandoned worship, determined purpose to praise Him regardless of where He calls us, despite what He may give.

If we share in His death, won’t we also share in His resurrection power, experiencing what we need and more fully undertaking, truly, new life in Him?

And yet, we think this death to self is something to be grieved and mourned, something we must sacrifice to God as if He wants our suffering, more than He wants our praise.

Yet, what if He is in the business of multiplying what we give Him? Honored a thousand fold our simple acts of faith and submission to His will?

Still, grips tightens, and we cling fast to our own flesh as if we could carry it into eternity…

As if anything can be prospered by coveting worldliness.

Oh God, let us know, and get, and taste and see that you are good. Let us kneel before you in praise and confidence.

Let us commit right now that whatever may come, we will praise you, despite the pain.

Let us trust that you are good, always. Your plans are not ours. The glory of your face, worth any difficult circumstances we may be facing…

And we know, your glory will replace everything we have endured…if we hold on, and bow low, and continually seek wholeheartedly your will.

Oh children of God, why do you mourn? Why do you turn down your heads? Crawl around as if we are still covered in ashes and sackcloth?

Did He not come and raise us when He was resurrected? Did He not pour His power in us, equipping us with all we need for this moment?

Let’s step out of our bubble of perceived perfection, meet the world, and feel and know the incredible gift of not just being saved, but of true redemption.

Finding Him in our secret place, but then, coming out of our insulated existence.

And rising and going out in faith, full of His power, and presence, and praise.