Ever heard of this movie that came out a while ago about dreams? Inception, I think it was called...Apparently it did rather well at the box office. I think this Leonardo fellow might have a future in the moving pictures industry...If you didn’t see it, congratulations - You’re one of 9 people worldwide that held out...I myself saw it twice. Good to know that I can be led around by the nose by whatever Hollywood thinks I should watch. But I really dug the movie, and actually mostly for some of the messages that found their way in... Not usually what I find redeeming about the Hollywood oeuvre, but this one had some interesting ideas that rattled around in my head for a while afterwards. In particular, the following lines: “What’s the most resilient parasite? An idea.” “A single idea from the human mind can build cities.” “An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules.” Actually, all of those lines can be found in the trailer, so if you want to pare down the two hours it takes to watch the whole thing, there you have it.
I love this idea, that an idea is a resilient parasite. Typically, of course, a parasite is an organism that has a symbiotic relationship with a host. In other words, it feeds off the host (the host sustains it), and in return, it influences the host. Sometimes for good, and more often, in a negative sense. I think the screenwriters are onto something with this notion...See, the actions we take in life are born in our thought process. Thoughts lead to decisions, which lead to taking action. But just like in a parasitic relationship, much of our thought process is a reaction to circumstance; that is, something happens to us, and we process it, and react. And for more of us than would care to admit (and more of the time), we’re reacting to ideas implanted by people and cultures that aren’t particularly healthy, yet we accept them as reality, and make our decisions based on those ideas. And once those ideas get a foothold in our everyday thought process, it’s pretty darn hard to kick them out. Very resilient, in other words.
All of this got us thinking that it might be really beneficial to do a series at Element about this very thing. What happens when the ideas we allow to take root in our minds are God-birthed ideas, ideas that don’t simply mirror what society says are the norm? Revolutionary ideas...What are the ideas that we’re allowing to shape the actions we take? The bible is replete with dramatically counter-culture ways of living that, if we let them become foundational, permeate our whole lives and introduce a new hope and a new way of life to others. And so we’ve been immersed in this series for the past few weeks and having some incredibly challenging discussions...Specifically about what it means to fully embrace these ideas, and how to identify the first step I need to take, from a practical standpoint, to start down the right road? Even if I already identify myself as a follower of Jesus, what are the areas in which I’m content to stay where I am, or justify going down a road that doesn’t please God? What are the first steps towards changing that?
Week one began with a challenge from the book of James, which is an incredibly practical book on living out God ideas...And the way the whole book starts is fascinating to me. Of all the things he could kick off with in a quest for holy living, he starts with the following verses:
James 1:1-4
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
According to James, we need to understand that we A) Are in need of growing, every one of us. B) Have been given the opportunity to grow by God Himself, and C) Can’t make it happen without a whole new way of thinking. In effect, the journey starts with a revolution of the mind. We can take all the steps we want to, in an attempt to see our relationship with God grow and the things in our lives look like how God intends, but that doesn’t happen until we embrace God’s standard, rather than our own. And that’s really a 180 degree reversal from where the human thought process defaults.
It all boils down to this: When everything gets difficult around me, I ACTIVELY choose to view it as an opportunity to make a God-centered decision. When everyone else around is running, hiding, and otherwise reacting badly to tough situations in life, we have an opportunity to take a simple, but bold, and literally life-changing step. Consciously choose to treat trouble in life as an opportunity for growth. This is no Dr. Phil idea, this is straight from the Word of God. What are you facing right now that seems difficult? What are you going through in life that you wish you weren’t? What are the ideas that you’re letting shape how you react to those situations? Try James 1:1-4 on for size. Realize that, though it seems completely counter-intuitive, it’s God’s plan for you. It’s quite literally a revolution in the face of the business-as-usual thought process of the world. Let’s make it happen...
