Perspective:
Gen. 1:1-2
, 26-28
; Gen. 2:19-20
; Gen. 3:1-6
- When God spoke,
He spoke over that which was in disorder to create order and harmony.
Created in God's image, man , likewise, given authority to speak
into creation, to rule and reign, to have dominion, to be fruitful,
to multiply, to replenish, and to subdue. Therefore, when life
is chaotic, man is to speak, to say something, to do something,
to get involved. If man remains silent as Adam in the garden
( Gen. 3:6
), then he is sinning.
Thus, to be a man is to be godly, by speaking and by doing, by getting emotionally involved in order to establish the Kingdom of God and His will on earth.
Hope:
Matt. 22:36-40
; Lu. 9:23-24
; Rom. 7:5
; Eph. 5:25
; Prov. 3:5-7
;
Prov. 4:20-25
-God's purpose for us is to love others, to build
relationships, to move into other peoples lives, and help them
move towards God. As in marriage, relationships can be messy.
Husband needs to move towards wife to build a relationship with
her. In the process, she may fight, reject, resist, disappoint,
not respond. This is where sacrifice comes in, to be willing to
be hurt and rejected in the process of moving towards his wife.
This is entering into chaos and the mystery of relationships.
Likewise with wife who is to complement, and encourage and build up a resistant or weak husband in order for him to fulfill his role as leader of the home. As Christ was rejected and crucified , we likewise, proceed to save that which is being lost.
The immediate self that faces the externals of life, must die to the instinct of self preservation, to fear of failure, to withdraw and remain silent, waiting , thus, for certainty. At this point , he is to call upon the Lord, remain silent in His presence, and He will move and speak through man which brings His presence into the situation , and restoration begins.
Gen. 1:28 ; 18:19 ; Deut. 11:19-20 ; Deut. 13:4 ; Psalm 103:17-21; Matt. 6:24 ; Eph. 6:6-7 -Man is to move into that which is uncertain for that is his function and purpose in life, to create order and harmony. Man's mandate is to be fruitful, to multiply, to bring seed to maturity, to replenish, to rule and to have dominion. But man must initiate, to choose to move forward. At the point he moves, God will provide the wisdom, strength and ability to accomplish the task at hand.
Matt. 5:44 ; Eph. 5:14-18 -Life is but one of mysteries and uncertainties, such as: who to marry, which job to take, which home to buy, how to deal with nasty or unpleasant people, how to discipline children, how to love spouse, etc.
Gen. 4:7 -Simply put, the answer lies in the taking the first step forward, then to rely on God, and in the face of chaos, ask God what to do, do it, and trusts God for the results.
Change:
Gen. 1:2
; 3:6
; Matt. 22:36-39
; Eph. 4:25-32
-God moved into
chaos and darkness and created life and order by speaking. Man's
natural tendency is to avoid darkness, to avoid messy situations
by shutting down emotionally, by withdrawing and doing something
else, placing the burden on others, etc. God created us to enter
into life and establish order and harmony , to love our neighbors,
to build relationships, to move into other peoples lives and
move them towards God.
Gen. 4:7 ; Joshua 1:2-9 ; Prov. 3:5-6 ; Isa. 55:8-9 ; Matt. 20:25-28 ; James 4:6-8 -We hate chaos and uncertainties, we want certainty in life. To follow the Lord's teaching is to challenge and to run against the grain of the world system orchestrated by the enemy to discourage and to destroy man.
We are inclined to avoid challenges by ignoring the problem, avoid the situation and devote our energies to things we can manage, put the responsibility on others, become dogmatic to cover our fears, or dull our sense of inadequacy by drink , drugs, pornography, etc.
John 15:4-5 ; Phil. 4:13 -Realize and accept this tendency to avoid confrontation. You cannot handle life alone. Abide in God, and God in you and through you, to enable you to speak the word of truth , thus, creating order and harmony out of chaos and darkness.