Musical Chairs

-

I've never been particularly found of the game Musical Chairs.  It brings out a side of me that is best kept under control—at all times. 

I will admit that occasionally there is a competitive spirit that rises up within me and when this happens, I must quickly bring it back into submission to the Lord.  

The game Musical Chairs is wrong on so many levels.  We march around knowing that one person will be left wanting, but when the music stops, we push and shove to get a seat for ourselves by displacing another.  The whole point of the game is to repeat this over and over until there is only one person left in the winner's seat. 

When you hear Musical Chairs described like this, you may wonder why we ever thought this was fun or willingly participated in such a mean-spirited game.  But, we were kids, and it's was just a game.  We'd never act like that now.  I mean, we're adults.   Right?  

 Or is it possible that my whole Christian life has been nothing more than a two-person game of Musical Chairs?  Me and Jesus going head to head for the honor of sitting in the winner's seat.  Only, Jesus isn't playing the game right.  He won't fight for the chair.  He doesn’t grab it while I’m trying to sit down and laugh when I tumble to the floor.  Nope! Whenever the music stops, He willingly lets me have it.  There's no pushing, no scrabble for control, if I want the seat, He surrenders it to me.  

 “So does that mean I win?” Asked competitive Beverly.

The Message Bible is great at getting right to the heart of it.  Here's what Mark 8:35-37 says... 

 

Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how...What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?"


In the spiritual game of 2-person Musical Chairs, if I don't take the seat, that makes me the winner.  

 Come to think of it, that's how I feel about all games of Musical Chairs.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Waiting Room

-
Image
"Wait!" "Have a seat, I’ll be with you in a minute." "It's going to be a 45 minute wait to be seen." We have all heard these phrases.  Even as I write this, I’m reminded of the cold, hard reality that if I’m left too long in  the waiting room ...it doesn't bring out my best qualities. Waiting has never been my strength and while we’re at it...neither is sharing space or taking turns. A few months ago, I found out that our family is getting new health insurance.  I was not excited about this.   It’s not that I’m overly loyalty to any insurance brand, but my family doctor for the past eight years, has won me over with her promptness in seeing patients within minutes of their appointment time and sometimes even before the scheduled appointment.  I will go so far as to say that she has a “zero” wait time in her office. Now, I'm sure you think I’m exaggerating…and I may be just a bit, but there has been many times in my years with thi
Read more

A Bright Light

-
Image
We have an electrical problem at our house.  If the TV, fireplace and garage lights are all on at the same time, and then I try to blow dry my hair--it's not gonna work.  When this happens, I have to go out to the cold dark garage to find the breaker box.  There have been a few times when I actually went out into the darkness and kept moving in the general direction of the breaker box when I realized, I can't see anything. I'd return to the house and look for my phone to use it as a flashlight.  Once I was in the light, I could find the breaker box and get the lights back on. In Isaiah 9:2, there is an announcement in scripture that a bright light is coming and that  light will shine on all people giving them a way out of the darkness.  The coming of that bright light is what the  story of Christmas is all about. In John 1:4-5 it says,  “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”  There are 1
Read more