Kicking the Habit

I’m fairly certain that you’ve never thought of Paul’s letter to the Galatians in the context of a mis-delivered pint of beer! 

A couple of years ago I thought I’d overcome my anxiety about the regular flow of work (being self-employed, time without work is time without income), and learned to trust in God to provide. Then I realised the other day that, such good resolutions notwithstanding, I’m still measuring whether or not I’ve had a good week by the likely income at the end of it, rather than whether it has been one of worthy service to others, or has brought me closer to God.  This idea of clinging to old habits led to the strange juxtaposition noted above.

Some of the most bizarre stories are also the funniest, and the ones that seem to stick in my mind.  I remembered this one concerning a man who suffered with a deformed neck, the consequence of which was that his head was off-centre compared to his body.  One day in his local, he met a physiotherapist who was holidaying in the area.  The man observed his condition, and with one swift manipulation cured his deformity.  Drinks were ordered to celebrate; our hero said “Cheers!” ... and promptly tossed his pint over his shoulder!

When we invite Jesus to be Lord of our life, we may take some time – perhaps a number of years! – to appreciate fully the extent to which He has changed us.  St Paul wrote to the Galatians, “... don’t let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. ... You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ. ... You were running a good race.  Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? ... You ... were called to be free.” (Galatians 5:1,4,7,13)

Like the readers of Paul’s letter, we may have drifted back to, or have never left, habits in our life that are really only relics of the past: aspects of behaviour, or reactions to other people that are totally out of kilter with our new life in Christ.  They were so much part of our old life, and so normal for us then, that we don’t realise that the arrival of God’s Holy Spirit has made them redundant or defeated.  Or maybe we do realise this, but somehow seem powerless to overcome them.

Do you – like me – have something like that in your life that needs overturning, rejecting and clearing out? Maybe you have a close friend who would pray with you about it.  After all, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved,’ they say.  And if it’s a problem shared with Jesus, that proportion has to be infinitely smaller!

Bronze Beauty

(with apologies to Anna Sewell)

I am first used – After I was minted I was taken, along with hundreds of my friends, to a big bank.  All of us were packed into bags, and although we were all in the dark, inside a big canvas sack, none of us was frightened, because we were all together.  Then one day two sacksful of us were taken to a supermarket where, after a short while laying on a shelf, we were emptied into a noisy cash drawer.  Here we were forced to make friends with other, older pennies that had been all over the world, it seemed – oh the stories they told!

Given in change – One day, I was snatched up, along with one of those older pennies, and handed over to a little old woman.  She grumbled as she took us, “Not a lot of good giving me these – you can’t get anything with twopence these days!”  Still muttering as she walked along, she stuffed us into a tiny pocket in her jacket.  Later we felt quite air-sick, as we were swung in the air and jerked to and fro. There was a metallic ‘chink’ and the movement stopped; a click, and all was even darker than before.

Life in a pocket – Apart from the darkness, the two things I chiefly remember about the next month or so were the strong smell of mothballs, and the stony silence.  Everywhere I’d been up to then there had been background noise, chattering voices, things being moved around, and so on.  Here there was nothing – it was as if life itself was suspended.

I am found – There were occasions when there was a click, and light burst briefly into our isolation; there was a rustling, and then all was darkness again.  Then one day in one of these bright intervals, came that same swinging in the air that we had experienced before.  There was gentle, regular movement; the jacket was being worn again.

Tossed away – It was clear we had entered a large building, for every sound we heard was echoing around us; there was talking, music and singing.  All at once we were flying through the air, and with a crash we landed on a big metal plate, amongst lots more money.  Then we were left in peace and were, for the first time it seemed, in bright daylight.  It was quite dazzling.

The voice – From somewhere I thought I heard a voice, but the bright light had made me a bit light-headed; maybe it was just in my mind.  It said, “This poor widow has put in more than all of them.” (St. Luke 21:3.)

You may think yourself unimportant, or of little value to anyone, but just remember how appreciated you are by God!

Close Season

In an earlier article, I revealed my interest in football, particularly that section of the game known as ‘Non-League’.   I’m pleased this year to note that two teams from my native Norfolk have earned promotion to Step 4.  Although this is a significant achievement, it’s still four leagues below N-Power League Two, and even further away from Norwich City in the Barclays Premiership!  There is a complete pyramidal structure of these lower leagues, and I’m fascinated at the end of the season to follow the many play-off sequences, and see which teams will move up through the various levels.  Some teams, however, don’t move the way that their final positions would indicate.  Maybe their ground isn’t up to the required standard, or perhaps their economic situation won’t stand the financial pressures in a higher league.

St Paul knew about sport; in his first letter to the infant church in Corinth he wrote about runners competing in a race, and encouraged his readers to “Run in such a way as to get the prize.”  He also described his own practice, “I don’t run like a man running aimlessly,” he wrote, “I don’t fight like a man beating the air.” (I Cor. 9:24,26.)  Paul emphasised the need to do things positively; with gusto, we might say.  He was anxious that these new believers should not succumb to the many temptations that could overwhelm their fragile faith.  He compared their situation to that of the Israelites wandering in the desert in the time of Moses.  He used the example of those who died there to warn the Corinthians to be strong in their faith, to recognise the dangers and turn aside from tempting distractions before it was too late.

Jesus, too, was tempted.  The story is in St Luke’s Gospel, and at the end of it we can return to the football analogy for, in the King James’ version we read, “... and when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.” (Luke 4:13.)  This wasn’t a football season, of course; nor was it summer, autumn or winter.  The NIV translation explains it: “until an opportune time.”  Such an opportune time might have been the occasion in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus asked, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me” (Luke 22:42.)   The words that follow reveal His strength, “Yet not my will but yours be done.”

Ecclesiastes, the Preacher of the Old Testament, wrote, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1.) The succeeding verses have been made into a popular song, and indicate a variety of activities for which there is an appropriate time or season.  A season is thus an identifiable unit in the great pattern of life.  

One of my favourite hymns is ‘Just as I am, without one plea’;  a phrase from that hymn always brings a catch to my throat as I sing it, and it comes to my mind in this context, too: “Here for a season, then above, O Lamb of God, I come.”  While it puts into perspective how important it is to keep an eye on the opposition, and always play hard to win, it reminds us too that we are playing for the greatest and most forgiving Manager of all time!

So, on the strength of your current form, where will you be playing next season?