SLOW FADE-
Merry Monday by Parris Bailey
“It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away,
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to grey
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day.” (Casting Crowns)
Let’s face it, I don’t think people wake up some morning and out of the blue and decide to take drugs, sleep with a married person, or walk away from your loved ones; like the song says it was a slow fade.
I must admit, some of the girls at Mary’s Song fell into destructive behaviour after a traumatic event happened in their lives. Whatever it was, it wasn’t that easy to get over. Drugs and a destructive lifestyle came way to easy after that. They are now finding that Jesus can totally heal the pain, not just numb it.
For me, it’s the Christian that I find myself struggling to understand. Did they not feel the Lord of Glory come into them, and the cleansing of the blood of Jesus? Were they not taught about the cross and how we have died with him and are raised with him? Paul asks the Corinthians why they were being carnal? (Fleshly or unregenerate)
Watchmen Nee says: “Biblical regeneration is a birth by which the innermost part of man’s being, the deeply hidden spirit, is renewed and indwelt with by the Spirit of God. How can a man be regenerated? By being born of God and by believing on the Son of God and receiving Him.” In other words, your flesh is not to be tinkered with, educated, beautified or trained- all of that does the flesh nothing, only one thing is needed, it has to be put to death.
It always amazes me to see how far Christians will go to be like the world. I am still waking up to the beauty around me that God has given us while others seem to be drawn to everything that is of man and from man. It’s almost like we feel we are missing out on something if we aren’t a part of the world, like we are being deprived. The other day I got to thinking about broccoli, I am actually growing it at the moment, in my back yard. It is so very intricate, made of a million little green buds that bring all sorts of anti-cancerous agents and vitamins to our bodies, but we still grab for the Popeye’s Chicken every time. Why is it that man reaches for the synthetic rather than the real? Don’t you think there is a parallel in our lives- we reach for the spiritually synthetic?
James called that clouds without water, blemishes in our love feasts. Jesus called them the foolish virgins. Whatever the case, I don’t want to have a “slow fade”. Let’s run the race guys, lets get on with it.
“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, draw me and I will run!”