Gateway Drugs

 

   So, I have a question for you: who here still uses Pinterest? Not many? Okay well, I've just showed my age as simultaneously too young and  too old.  XD

If you've frequented Pinterest at any point over the past 5 years or so, you've probably noticed its migration from fancy craft inspo to more of a social networking platform. And with that migration comes a natural consequence: memes. 

    I'll shoot straight with you: I love myself a good meme. I even have a board solely dedicated to them that now has a carefully curated collection of over 600 pins. Is that a little embarrassing? Maybe... But the laughs were absolutely worth it! 

Since my appreciation for memes has been firmly established, there's one meme in particular that had the cogs of my brain turning several weeks ago. And I'd love to share it with you! Here it is:

Isn't it just the cutest?! I love the artistic style, and the saying makes me giggle. It's so true!  I'm pretty sure this graphic/idea originated in the UK ('biscuits' are their word for what we Americans call 'cookies,')  and any tea drinker knows that the ultimate cup of tea absolutely includes a good cookie. Not only that, but tongue-in-cheek, darker humor like this tends to entertain me highly. 

    Now, you might be thinking, "It's cute but, what on earth are you trying to say? Its connotation is a little dark for your 'good Christian girl' persona, especially on a blog where you write about Jesus..." And you'd be quite right to think so! 

Let me explain a bit. 

    Humor like this, when done right, will often encapsulate some poignant grain of truth that sticks around in the corners of the mind for quite some time. It's clever humor, with a small purpose. This meme is a good example of that! 

After I found it, the idea came to me that in the lighter context this perky little graphic presents, lots of things could be defined as "gateway drugs" outside of the traditional, tragic definition. As I followed that train of thinking, I believe I hit on a word picture that just might help us in our daily walk with the Lord! Ready to dig into the Word with me a little? 

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I've often heard it said that the way the Lord interacts with His creation is a lot like the logical laws of nature. An "if this, then that" or "what goes up must come down" principle, if you will. Like this verse in 2 Chronicles 7:14:

"...if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (ESV, emphasis added.)

In this verse, it's obvious that God is completely sovereign and can do whatever He wants, but He requires that we enter into the work with Him. You could say in essence then, that repentance and true pursuit of the Lord as a nation is the 'gateway drug' to reconciliation to a holy God and the healing of a broken land. 

Or consider this one in Philippians: 

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (NIV, emphasis added)

Now, I'd like to dig into this passage a bit slowly, and apply my gateway drug premise to it, like a different camera lens. 

The "order of operations" is a bit convoluted, so bear  with me as we unpack this. See what I did there? ;)

    In this letter, Paul is encouraging the persecuted church in Philippi. This church was under immense pressure from within and without, and in chapter 4:4-7, Paul is teaching them to lean on the Lord for their survival. He highlighted 5 key ways the believer does this: 

• rejoicing in the Lord, or joy,
• the practice of gentleness, 
• waging war against natural anxiety, 
• prayer, and, 
• thankfulness, all five ultimately resulting in peace beyond understanding. 

Not a single one of these things is easy in the best of times, but in days like today or like the days of the early church, it's especially difficult. 

As Thomas Paine put it so eloquently in 1776, "These are the times that try men's souls." 

 

    In studying this passage a bit for this post, I noticed that if you reverse the order, each verb becomes the natural result of the one before it. Like this:

• thankfulness
• prayer
• waging war against natural anxiety,
• gentleness
• joy, or rejoicing in the Lord, all five resulting in peace beyond understanding.

    I know for a fact that intimacy with the Lord (beyond salvation) begins with thankfulness. When I focus on being thankful, I find my prayers are far more frequent, sincere, and fruitful. Do I always get what I ask for? Nope! But I notice a far deeper fellowship with Christ as a result.

    When I am in prayer as a result of thankfulness, my aim becomes to focus on the Lord and His character. I've struggled with certain types of anxiety from a very young age, but when I seek fellowship with the Lord in this way, all these besetting things tend to fade. Are the emotions and occasional chemical "fight or flight" reactions still present? Heck yeah, they are! But I know that I am not alone, and that is enough.

    I'm sure this is true for everyone: it's incredibly hard to be gentle when you are afraid. I know that I've personally said and done some of the most hurtful things in my life as a response to fear. But when we're truly thankful and in regular prayer, fear becomes something that can be overcome. Does it take hard work? Absolutely! But because of the Lord's good work, we've been given the tools to comfort others, shield them, and encourage them on even the darkest of days. We become gentle warriors: used mightily by our Savior to advance His Kingdom.

    Some of the deepest joy on this earth is the knowledge that the Lord is choosing to use you. I don't really even have words to describe it. To know that He delights in His children, and that you get to serve Him all your days is a treasure beyond price. This joy is both an exhilarating and a humbling one: a joy that results in incomparable peace, and thankful praise.

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And this brings me, dear reader, to the thought that birthed this entire post:

Thankfulness is the gateway drug to joy.

    It's true, the days do appear to be growing darker. It seems like every 24 hours there is something new to grieve the heart and trod on the soul. But we have an entire arsenal at our disposal, and a loving God who carries us "as a man carries his son..." (see Deuteronomy 1:31) What a precious gift! 
As we face a new week, may we boldly pursue thankfulness, prayer, the battle against natural anxiety, gentleness, and joy as an addict chases a gateway drug. 
We truly can't operate without them. 

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (emphasis added)