Human?

Now why did she have to say that...

Concert, Belton, TX. One of my dearest friends gets up to do the introduction. I'm feeling good, top of my game! Got it together musically, know what I want to say....

She gets up and says (paraphrasing), "I've known Brad for a long time. He's an awesome man of God, he listens to the Spirit. I know he's just human... but God uses him to do great things."

I think I'm going to write that down and put it up everywhere I go. Actually, I think I'll write a song about it. Remind myself! God already knows that I am human. He made me that way. He's been here and knows that the flesh wars against the spirit. Or in other words, the humanity in me wars against the divinity in placed in me by Him.

I forget that. For some reason, I think my flesh is always supposed to enjoy obeying God. That I'm supposed to just line up with everything He says without a word of complaint. And when I don't, I seem to be surprised. We all do. Why? One minister used to pray, "God, you know that I will fall to Your enemy if I do not stay by Your side. So let Your rod and Your staff be brought to bear on my life." That was a paraphrase too. I understand. Great Shepherd, I keep wandering off like a sheep... You already know that sheep have tendency to be led astray. We are easily distracted. That's why you have the rod and staff in the first place..."

Wait! I went from being human to being a sheep. Did I lose anyone? Maybe because it only works as an analogy. We, like sheep, have gone astray. But they are animals... we are not. They are victims of their own instincts, we are not. As humans, through the light of God, we have the ability to choose to walk in the spirit and rise above the basest parts of our nature, and follow God. As humans, we can choose to hear and obey or not. I am not an animal. I am a human being.

No, I am not some animal that is easily led astray, unless I allow myself to be. I have the law of God written on my heart and the power of God available to help me live a life of holiness. But it is a choice to follow God. I, as a human, must make that choice. And when my choice is to follow God, then God sends the Holy Spirit to help me walk the road I have chosen. The road that He has prepared for me to walk. He walks on ahead, and I follow... or not.

So, no excuses then. God does know that I am human and I may fall. I know that too. But I can't relax and say, well that's the way it is. Go figure. No. Because I am human, and infused with the Holy Spirit, I must choose sides in the battle between the flesh and the spirit. I must cling to one master and let the other one go. And when my first master tries to return, he must be seen as an invader, the enemy, the wolf. I cannot pat him on the head and smile as he seeks to deceive me again. I know his nature already. I must recognize that the longing for his old ways are based on habit and convenience, and he will use any trick he can to regain control over me. He wants me back under his sway.

I must say, "I have renounced you! You are no longer my master. I do not belong to you." I will drag him to the cross of Christ and remind him that he is powerless to stop what God is doing in me. Then I must drag him and me to the altar of God and stay there until only one of us rises. And I guarantee you, it will not be him. That's the weight of being human that many try to avoid by saying we're just animals. There is no choice to make. But being human, I must make choices daily, sometimes several times a day, if I am ever to reach the full potential of my humanity as designed by my Creator. And what is that full potential? Tell them Magdaly...

"I know he's just human... but God uses him to do great things."

Yeah... Well done thy good and faithful servant! Well done!