Snakebites

This post originally appeared on March 8, 2014. 

She sat at my kitchen table, tears pooling in her big brown eyes, and then silently slipping into the Diet Coke she was trying to choke down.  Her heart was broken. I cried with her. 

Her story felt unique to her, but sadly, I knew it wasn't.  The refrain of "I can't believe this happened to me.  I know better" has been sung too many times before. Ignoring the signs that warn "danger".  Climbing over the rails put there to protect. Lingering long in the dwelling place of snakes can eventually lead to snakebite.

I live in a college town and I've watched this scene way more times than I'd like to say.  Sweet kid leaves home.  Seems to "have it all together".  But underneath that smiling exterior is a heart that leaps at this chance to "be free".  A heart that sees the restrictions and rules as unnecessary for the wanna-be adult inside. A heart that disbelieves that the warning signs and guardrails are protective but rather a barrier to fun.

So the migration begins.  Little things, at first.  Things that seem to be "personal preference", nothing that seems consequential.  Choice of friends.  Of places to be.  Appearance.  Activities.  It feels so fun and feels far from harmful.

Then stuff happens.  Things never planned or desired.  Things that cannot be undone.  And often, there comes a scene at somebody's kitchen table, in tears and disbelief.

Things can be repaired, though.  And I told her that.  We talked about new beginnings and forgiveness and restoration.  To address her amazement that "this" had happened to her, I gently pointed out that if you poke around a lot in the habitat of snakes, you're probably gonna get bitten.

If you've gotten bitten, I want you to know with all my heart that there is a chance to begin again.  There is grace enough to cover all mistakes of every kind.  And there can be beauty from ashes, mourning can be turned into joy.  It's gonna take some work and some time but I've seen it happen.  I know that it can happen for you.

But please listen to this next line:
If you're not yet bitten but you are frequenting places where snakebites happen, I beg you to pull away.  Guardrails are there for protection, not to prevent fun.  What you look at, listen to, and long for matters.  Who you have fun with matters.  It all matters.  And if you disregard the guardrails and the signs of warning and remain in the territory of snakebites.....

Whether you're in college or long past it.


After she left my table, I spilled tears into my own Diet Coke.  For her.  Not so much for what's happened but mostly because she didn't seem convinced that the guardrails are necessary.  I fear she won't stay away from the terrain of the snakes.  First bites are bad enough but it's really really really hard to recover from subsequent ones.

This post originally appeared on March 8, 2014.  It bears repeating.

 

What's the difference between our soul and our spirit?

There is a phrase in I Thessalonians that offers some cool insight into us humans. It’s easy to glide right past but one day I really saw it and from there, the Lord clarified some truths for me. Chater 5, verse 23 - Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Truth be told, there is a whole lot of divine treasure in that one little verse!!!! But we are just looking at one little phrase - “spirit and soul and body”.

I grew up hearing the words “soul” and “spirit” used interchangeably and for a long time, never pondered if there was any difference between them. But one day, I got to wondering :)

So I investigated. What I learned was helpful to me so I want to pass it along to you in case you get to wondering too :)

Everyone has a body (sometimes we don’t like the one we’ve been given but that’s another post!). That part of “who we are” is easy to grasp. One day, these bodies of ours will each one cease to exist in this form and those of us in Christ will receive a new body. (Hallelujah!) One that is imperishable, will not die, incorruptible, incapable of sin, and eternal. (I Corinthians 15:35-58 tells us about this glorious truth!) But we know that we are not merely physical bodies. Our bodies are not the essence of “who we are”.

That is where “soul” comes in. Everyone has a soul. (Christians and non-Christians alike). This is the essence of “who we are” - our minds, emotions, wills, personalities, etc. Like the body, the soul is created by God. It will survive our physical death and pass into either Heaven or Hell. As George MacDonald said, “You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.”

What about the spirit?

It’s like three concentric circles that we see on a target. The outer circle represents the body, which we can see. The middle circle represents the soul. And the very inner circle symbolizes the spirit. Before we are in Christ, we do not have this circle. Scripture says we are dead in our sin - no spirit. But when Jesus comes to live within us, in the form of the Holy Spirit, we then have this third circle! The presence of the Holy Spirit within us is what works to sanctify our soul and will one day transform our mortal bodies into immortal ones. That is the distinction between our soul and our spirit.

That is what I Thessalonians 5:23 is talking about. And Philippians 2:12,13 which exhorts us to work OUT our salvation, for it is God who is at work within us, changing our will and our ways to please Him. The work of the Spirit within us to transform our souls is what Scripture means by “sanctification”.