There is no such thing as automatic doorsjust gentleman ninjas.
Christian? You're a Christian? Get out of here, you're a Christian!
Yes, I am a Christian.
I read the rules before I broke 'em
I broke the chains before they choked me out
Something about Classified's song struck a chord with me today as I listened to "Inner Ninja". O.K. maybe it helped that I had lunch with David Miles after his Canora Arts Council performance, but a few thoughts still hit me. Just changing the word Ninja to Christian stirs something inside.
Like where do we get our inner strength as Christians? Is it easier to face life's bullets? Can I kick my bad habits with my inner strength?
I've had bad habits but I dropped emI've had opponents but I knocked them outI climbed the highest mountainsI Swum the coldest seasThere ain't a thing I've faced that's been too much for me
Yes, my inner strength as a Christian should make me invincible; Man of mystery, you know the history / Get it or forget it a man of mystery. There should be no stoppin' me.
But when it comes to really great contests like failing health, cancer, pain, a juicy temptationit's easy to forget the transforming power of Christ in our lives. Remember how Jesus was transfigured before He went to Jerusalem and his crucifixion? The Father showed us a brief glimpse of the divinity of Jesus.
You and I need to be closer to that divinity in us during our daily encounters with temptations or other challenges of life. We so easily forget where our inner strength lies or even where it comes from. Often our inner ninja stays mysteriously hidden when we most need it.
Sometimes the veil between heaven and earth is thin and we see with better vision that we are so close to the God who wants to be one with us. It is a matter of being disposed.
This week as I drove through the winter landscape everything suddenly looked bright and clear. It was a metaphysical manifestation of sorts. For the moment I knew where I was, where I was going and that, well, as the song would put it:
I find my inner strength and I re-upHere we go, I know I've never been the smartest or wisestBut I realize what it takes
We all got problems, but we deal thoughI'm tryin' to do better now, find my inner peaceLearn my art form, and find my energyWhen my backs on the wall, I don't freeze upNah, I find my inner strengthYeah, it's not so bad bein' a Christian. Most of us need to study the map a little more closely. Learn the code before we hit the road, as the song says. Sometimes we're supposed to lose / It ain't all picture perfect. But we got inner strength.
Yes, our Father looks on us with pride and says, "That's my daughter, that's my son with whom I am well pleased."
No stoppin' me since I've foundMy inner ninja
