Perception vs. reality

Last month I received many “happy birthday” wishes.  I was serenaded at Olive Garden by an impromptu group of our ladies, I received a call from our widows group and received many cards, notes and Facebook posts.  I have tried to give my birthday away so I can remain the same age, but to no avail.  Maybe you are like me.  The calendar says I am one age, but my mind tells me something totally different — actually much, much younger.  So since my mind tells me that I am younger, and my insurance company wants to raise my rates due to my calendar age, I have decided to identify from this day forward as a 28-year-old. 

Now some of you may clap at this idea while others might think I am picking a fight.  Neither is my intention.  I am simply pointing out the reality that if you take a look at me, you know I am not 28, but instead 28 doubled and a few more years tacked on.

Claiming to be 28 would be dishonest about some fixed realities.  I have a birth certificate that clearly establishes my birth date.  There are pictures through the years with those dreaded candles in the middle of birthday cakes.  And most importantly, I would be denying the reality that God set my birth date and will at some future point set my death date.  And saying that, I imagine that there are many who have died that would like to identify as alive, but again, this is being dishonest about reality and cannot really happen.

In our culture today, we are ignoring what our eyes and simple common deductive reasoning show us. I am not 28; in fact, there are a lot of things I am not, and a lot of things I am that can be clearly seen with two eyes.  The idea that my “feeling of being 28 makes me 28” is disputed by the facts.  And if I am honest, there are times when I attempt to do something like a 28-year-old and my body reminds me that 28 is way back in the rearview mirror, especially when I later attempt to get out of the chair.

Judges 17:6 and 21:25 tells us, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”  We once again live openly in a time where “everyone does what is right in his own eyes,” based on feelings and desires.  Why are we here?  Because there is no king — other than ourselves — in our lives.  Each time we assert our feelings as the basis of reality, we declare ourselves “king.”  The problem is that kings need subjects, and not everyone can be king.  There is only one King and He determined my birth date. And it was more than 28 years ago, no matter how I feel.  

Pressing On…

Ron Tipton, Senior Pastor