Paradise Lost


WHAT IS WRONG WITH US?!?!

At the end of the 1600's, John Milton wrote a long poem called Paradise Lost.  "The poem is a retelling of the story of Adam and Eve from the biblical book of Genesis which describes the creation of Heaven and Earth and of Adam and Eve.  It fleshes out the story and imagines the couples reactions to the events that led to them being expelled from the Garden of Eden (Paradise)". (Loughborough University)

I woke up in a bit of a panic this morning.

I thought, if we could reject paradise on Earth, why couldn't we do the same in Heaven?  Is there a chance that when we get there, we could once again choose to go our own way and leave God?  Satan did…

And heck, the ENTIRE Bible is story after story about God working to gather His people to redeem them, only for them to rebel and go their own way...

He gave us FREE WILL, and it is that freedom which causes us (over and over again) to search for other gods, or to make OURSELVES our own god.

So how do we change it?  Because I want nothing more than to give my will over to His, to allow Him to be the leader of my life.  

If it was a switch I'd flip it.  But it's not, my transformation is a process, and over and over, I fall short.

So - I Googled it - and here are some suggestions to help keep us on the right path.

1.  Surrender to God through prayer - "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." - James 1:5

2.  Be mindful of your thoughts - "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things." - Philippians 4:8

3.  Have faith and trust completely in God - "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation." - Isaiah 12:2

4.  Let go of the need to control - "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans." - Proverbs 16:3

5.  Spend time in nature - "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." - Psalm 19:1

6.  Journal your journey - "Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgements he pronounced." - 1 Chronicles 16:2

7.  Seek spiritual guidance - "Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.  Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." - Psalm 25:4-5

The following is a prayer I wrote over a decade ago.  It is my heartsong, and I want God to hear it, because I mean every word.

Lord - I surrender.  Send me anywhere, only go with me.  Give me any task, only strengthen me.  Cut any tie except that which binds my life to your will.  In Jesus' name I pray.  Amen.

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