Pinocchio Puppet Christians?
When we first come to God, we come with strings attached for His approval. Don’t do this, don’t do that, but you must go here, and do this and that…lot’s of rules for God’s acceptance. Then someone tells us of the unconditional love of God and the strings are cut. But still-we’re wooden puppets. That’s because the “new creation” only happens when God becomes touchable and tangible…God in us, us in Him.
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Jaque, when we first come to God to give our life to Him, we come with a “belief system” that only understands results, profits, and accomplishments that are achieved by effort. And…the “reward”, or what we “get out of it”, depends upon the amount of effort we put into the project or relationship. So it is almost impossible for us to have a relationship with God that is not in some way also dependent upon our own efforts…“don’t do this, don’t do that, don’t wear this, don’t go there…but you must do this, wear that, and go here”. …And although we now are trying to live a “good” life, inside we are just wooden puppets with strings attached being emotionally pulled by all we have ever heard would please this distant God.
But then someone begins to explain the grace of God to us, and everything “mentally” starts to change. Our guilt goes away. No shame, no condemnation, no fear. And all because we have learned a new way to approach God. We learn that He loves us unconditionally, will never leave us, nor forsake His commitment to us. We are free! No longer “under the law” to gain God’s acceptance. …THE STRINGS HAVE BEEN CUT!
…YET, although now “mentally” free, (when alone and honest), we still find ourselves struggling to live lives that are not destructive. Never quite living up to who God said we would become. Yes the guilt is gone. But have we really changed? The strings have been cut…but we are STILL JUST WOODEN. …Our hearts are the same. Still we struggle to not live destructively – battling with emotional difficulties – depression, fear, anger, etc, and overcome with secret destructive habits and addictions.
No strings attached…but still wooden? You and I only come alive in the way God promised…when He becomes touchable and tangible. Remember…this is an exchanged life? …God in me, me in Him. God is the constant in this relationship. We are the variable. As a result our heart must change on a daily basis. Now lets not go backwards…this changing of our heart to become “completely” His (II Chron. 16:9) is not done by our efforts. Not at all. So how does it happen? Only as we go to God DAILY to have the Holy Spirit change our heart (Ps 51) to become completely His! …And in the moment that happens…Finally the “strings are cut”, and we are NO LONGER WOODEN! We have hearts that are real! And that have been changed by His touchable and tangible Presence!