Heart Tracks - Maze Runners

 "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives." Galatians 5:24-25

There's a popular book and movie series out called, I believe, "The Maze Runner." I know little or nothing of the book or movie, but I think I know a good bit about Mazes. I've been running them for a large part of my Christian life. I think it's a good bet that maybe you have as well.

I was with a friend recently and his words, soaked in the Spirit, gave me the leading for what I write today. He said that so much of the church is trapped in running a maze. We are constantly looking for something that "will work." We go up this aisle, hoping that we've found a route that will get us to the result, the goal that we have in our mind and heart. Almost always, we end up running into a dead end. When that happens, we go down a new aisle, also one that we think will get us to where we want to be. Bam! Another dead end. And then another aisle.... and then another aisle, and then......Even if the aisle does get us to where we want to be, the final result will still be a dead end. Why? Because as my friend put it, when we're results and goal oriented, we are not Source oriented. And when that is where we're living, even if we get what we want, we are not getting the fullness of Him. If we're getting Him at all. That is the ultimate dead end.

When we have locked our eyes on the results we want to achieve, the goal we want to reach, they are not set upon Him. So spiritually, we keep running in a maze, always trying to get out of it, but continually running into one dead end wall after another. There is a simple yet mighty solution, but with all of our focus on the result and the goal, we never see it. The solution is to get our eyes off what we foolishly believed is the prize, and upon Him who alone is the Prize above all else. Christ. We stop looking at the walls of the maze, and look up into the face of Him who is right there. Why is it that we find that so impossible to do? Could it be that we cannot, will not willingly nail all those "desires", good though they may be, to the cross? Leaving them there. Trusting Him with them. All of them. Then, and only then, will we fully hear His voice, sense His Spirit, and follow His lead. No more running into walls. No more slavish pursuit of results and goals, but a full hearted pursuit of Him. We no longer live for the reaching of the result, which is almost always tied up in what is really just appearance. We live for the Person and for the appearance of this Person and His purpose for our lives.

This is all foolishness to the flesh, and it's why the flesh will always be more comfortable chasing about in the maze. The heart and life that is crucified with Him will run after Him alone. And that life will never "hit the wall." It will just go on getting deeper, wider, higher in Him. We are no longer maze runners. We run with Christ. Where and with who do we run today? In a maze race we can never win? Or, racing with Him, knowing we will never lose? No one who runs with and in Him can ever lose.

Blessings,
Pastor O