We Need Rescue

What a woeful week on so many levels. I am so tired but at night in the still and quiet I finally have a chance to think and attempt to process what I have seen and heard. Tonight I can’t stop thinking about an analogy.

Did you know that if you put a rat in water, it will drown within minutes?

But if you pick him up every few minutes he will swim for HOURS because he has HOPE that he will be rescued.

We can and should be so ANGRY and SAD and TIRED at every form of evil we see OUTSIDE of ourselves in the world.

AND also… WITHIN ourselves.

We, as humans, can also persevere and keep going if we have hope of rescue.

There are many things to turn to to create EXTERNAL rescue and we absolutely SHOULD take action and think well and DO what can be done.

As a simple example, we used antibiotics for a kiddo this week to stop an infection. That’s external rescue.

But we even though we can swim we ALSO desperately need to be lifted out and rescued.

You know what is required to be rescued?

Need.

You need to know that you are drowning.

If you fight to be rescued while drowning, you will not be able to be rescued.

We desperately need the humility that we don’t have what it takes for full rescue in the human spirit alone.

You know how I know? We all die. Not one of us can escape death. It’s coming for each of us and we can’t even pick which day it arrives.

We can each do HEROIC things for the world and we SHOULD but what we ultimately cannot do is rescue ourselves from the evil that exists INSIDE each one of us.

Yes, I do mean that. We are ALL TAINTED by the core sin of PRIDE. Which leads to all types of evil.

Pride that we know the best way.

Pride that we can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps.

Pride that we are so much smarter than the person who disagrees with us.

Pride that we will wake up tomorrow.

Pride that we deserve a raise, perfect health, successful kids.

Pride that we should be able to do whatever we want, whatever is “right for us” as long as WE think it doesn’t hurt anyone or it feels good.

Pride to demand “me time”.

By the way these are ALL examples from my own life TODAY.

And in case you are worried I am being too hard on myself, I can look at myself and take an honest appraisal because I know my RESCUER knew ALL of that about me and still did not hesitate to rescue me.

When you are fully known AND fully loved? That is the dream. For me, it is the reality.

Please consider this week that everything you want to find rescue in — politics, activism, success, solutions, health, relationships, escapism, caring for the earth etc.—all of which are extremely GOOD THINGS— will never ever rescue your soul or heal what is broken in you.

Only Jesus offers that.

And if you aren’t restless or searching now, I do hope  and literally pray that someday you will stop swimming and look up for rescue.

Before it is too late.

I always prefer a conversation over a social media monologue so I’d love to talk more.

Romans 15:13

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him.”