Everyone knows the unwritten list of things you shouldn’t do in certain places: You shouldn’t start the wave at a funeral. You shouldn’t heckle the pastor at church. Breaking out into song and dance may be okay in the privacy of your home or on the stage, but unless your in a musical any other location is frowned upon. Asking, “Do you have these shoes in size 9 in the back?” while at a yard sale, you just don’t do. Chatting at a coffee shop is good. Chatting in the movie theater is not good (That’s right Movie Talker! I’m calling you out!).
What should be added to the list is: Marco Polo should not be played in a public pool. I learned this one the hard way: Several years ago, Sarah and I joined one of our church families on a trip to the coast during spring break, right before the Super Bowl of Church life, Easter Sunday. We stayed at this real nice hotel with an outdoor life-sized chess board, a small putting area, a space for volley ball, and a large pool. The family that invited us on this trip brought two of their boys, both under the age of 10 at the time. We played all sorts of things. We joked around and came up with phrases like “shank you!” instead of “thank you!” The kinds of things boys found silly. The boys wanted us to go swimming. So we did. They wanted to play Marco Polo. Bad idea. They wanted me to be the “Marco” guy first. Worse idea. Here I am, a grown man hands outstretched, eyes closed, yelling “Marco” in a public pool with strangers. This is one of those moments moms yell at their kids: “Get out of the pool, get away from that creepy guy!” It took one awkward grope to realize: This is a real, real, real, real bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad idea. This is the Everest of bad ideas. This is the bad idea that all other bad ideas’ moms worn them about.
We’ve all been there, where we’re watching someone do something embarrassing and our insides are screaming: Don’t do it!!!! Not here!!! Not now!!! Nooooooooooo!!!
Today I want to say the same: Believer, don’t do it! Not now!
There were actions that had their place in the old life, before Jesus found us, redeemed us, and set us in a new direction. But some of us go back to those old habits, making old mindsets, practices, and hang ups the norm.
I'm moving next week. It would be wrong for me in couple of weeks to enter the old house, poke around the fridge, sit in front of the TV for a nap. That was okay when I lived there. I don’t live there anymore.
So as a believer where do I “live”? Paul put it this way: And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6
This blog post isn’t intended to shame you or call you out. This blog post is intended to point you to the power available to you. Christ is seated in a place of authority and honor. And all the power that Jesus controls is ours to access. We’re seated with Him. Do you realize that Christ redeemed us so that we can reign with Him? Too many Christians aren’t reigning in life. We’re living CONQUERED instead of as a MORE THAN CONQUERER. We’re stuck in old habits. I want you to know that not only did Jesus forgive you but He’s given you the power to live different. Victorious Christian life can be yours. Connect to the Source of righteous living. You can live different.
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