If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned.  We’ve heard this phrase a thousand times, as our society teaches us to avoid the pain.  Our ads give us the false idea of escapism, our conversations hide the truth, and our dreams always point to a shallow, unrealistic paradise.  In essence, we rely on our own effort and do everything we can to not be burned.

Self-help, pop psychology allows us to approach the fire of life, and we weakly reach out our cold hands to warm ourselves.  But, look at our feet!  We are positioned to stand where we don’t get too close.  Our distance from the heat is a reminder for how we isolate ourselves from life-giving community, and instead dwell in the coldness of our loneliness.

We are invited to a life that has no fear of fire, for we rest in the paradox of being refined by the flames, yet not being burned; where the warm hands of a Savior hold ours.  We have inside us a gift which is a burning heart, and an understanding that what leads and heals us is stronger than any hell.

As humans, we are really only capable of seeing the world in 2D.  Technology allows us to view objects in three dimensions, but even then we are only able to see a false reality (motion picture or computer graphics that have been recorded).  But, as we move out of the natural and into the supernatural, we begin to see things beyond standard definition.

De-tick: The misconception of stewardship, especially regarding time, is that we think we need to get a lot out of a little.  Expectation becomes an idol, as we measure our worth, and others’ worth, based on our predictions and timelines.  Our expectations wrap around our ankles and fetter us to the clock that reminds us, falsely, that our time is almost expired.

Detox: Religion requires unattainable spiritual perfection without failure, but grace gives room for imperfection by inspiration with courage, in spite of failure.  As we are being lead in the knowledge of knowing a great work is being finished in us, we begin to do away with faux spirituality.  Exfoliation removes the layers of our narcissistic and obsessive self-awareness.

Debrief: The arrogance of the ego points us in the direction of guilt when we engage in wrongdoing.  As we move out of the illusion of perfection and into freedom, we take joy in conviction and rest in truth.  We take delight in correction and resist the temptation to compartmentalize our mistakes.

When despair no longer convinces us that we are crushed, and when we start to desire to desire again, we step away from seeing things as black and white, or even grey, and see truth as a colorful, multi-faceted, life-giving gift.  The layers of our life are revealed in ways we never imagined, and we begin to see our story is important and not fiction.  This is real-life, in-the-moment living.

Getting your but in shape. Romans 3:21

We have been steeped in a companionship that fulfills our deepest desires, but sometimes our wants confuse this cherished fellowship. As our obedience increases, however, those misguided wants emerge into intimacy.

Consider a woman who is consumed with the idea of marriage.  Her partner is her object of desire, but to be married is her actual desire.  However, once the bond between the two becomes stronger, he becomes the desire.

We are created for deep, soulful relationships.  We can be wooed by ideas or ideals, but we can only become more alive when we take the responsibility of intimacy seriously.

We hunt for the objects of our desires, but the weapons we use to get them are often what we fall in love with.  This is true in the way we use the attributes we possess to form relationships.  A man who uses his humor to make people laugh can often use the laughs as a form of comfort (in place of the friendships).  A woman can use her beauty to attract a partner, but she can also use her beauty to distract herself from experiencing intimacy.

The hunt for the objects of our desires is an obstruction to what we really long for, and ultimately, what we really need.  We must kill our expectations that lead us to a standstill.  Instead, let us dance to the song of intimacy, though the beat is often unknown.