RISE ABOVE IT

006 – FEBRUARY 2004

RISE ABOVE IT

JN 4:35 “SAY NOT YE, THERE ARE YET FOUR MONTHS, AND THEN COMETH THE HARVEST? BEHOLD, I SAY UNTO YOU, LIFT UP YOUR EYES, AND LOOK ON THE FIELDS; FOR THEY ARE WHITE, ALREADY TO HARVEST.”

HAVE YOU EVER RECEIVED ADVICE TO “JUST RISE ABOVE IT!” IT SHOULD CERTAINLY BE INCLUDED IN A LIST OF QUICK FIX SOLUTIONS THAT WELL INTENDED ADVISORS OFFER. THIS TYPE OF INSTRUCTION SUGGESTS THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO DO, TO ENTIRELY ELIMINATE THE SITUATION, IS TO “PICK YOURSELF UP BY THE BOOTSTRAPS AND MOVE ON.” “JUST TAKE A DEEP BREATH.” “BE BIGGER AND BETTER THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF.” “IT’S QUITE EASY! … JUST DO IT! … RISE ABOVE IT!”
SOMETIMES THOSE TYPES OF ENCOURAGING ADVICE FROM A FRIEND CAN GIVE YOU A SHORT TERM ATTACK AT THE SITUATION. MOSTLY, THOUGH, IT JUST GETS YOU UPSET WITH THE PERSON FOR THINKING THAT THE PROBLEM IS SO EASY TO FIX. HELPFUL TIP: IF YOU ARE AN ADVICE GIVER - THE WORD “JUST” NEVER HELPS WHEN YOU GIVE YOUR INSTRUCTIONS.

HAVING SAID THAT, IF YOU STUDY THE EXPRESSION YOU WILL FIND THAT IT IS NOT A BAD COUNSEL. WHAT IF “RISE ABOVE IT” MEANS TO LIFT YOUR SELF UP INTO THE AIR AND TO LOOK AT THINGS FROM A DISTANCE. BACK OFF A BIT. ASCEND TO THE SKY AND LOOK AT YOUR SITUATION AMIDST THE WHOLE OF THINGS. MOST TIMES, YOUR PLIGHT IS A MOLEHILL SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAINS. YOU ARE STUCK IN THE CONFUSION OF A MOLEHILL AND THINK IT’S A MOUNTAIN. YOU ARE A BUG ON A LEAF AND CAN’T SEE THE TREE … OR THE FOREST. IF YOU COULD RISE HIGH ABOVE THE MOLEHILL, YOU WOULD SEE JUST HOW SMALL THE THING REALLY IS. IF YOU WOULD LIFT OFF THAT INSIGNIFICANT LEAF, YOU WOULD GET A HIGHER AND BROADER VIEW OF THINGS.
IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE CAPTURED IN YOUR PRIVATE LITTLE WORLD. STRANGLED AND CHOKING IN THE “ME-BOX” YOU’VE MADE FOR YOURSELF. DON’T GET ALL JAILED UP. GET OUT FROM BEHIND THOSE BARS. DON’T FORGET YOUR PURPOSE TO SERVE. SET YOURSELF FREE WITH A WIDE ANGLE VIEW OF LIFE … AND YOU WILL DISCOVER THAT IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU ANYHOW.
JUST YESTERDAY, I GOT IN A YANK ABOUT SOME LITTLE MATTER THAT DIDN’T EVEN SCRATCH THE SCALE OF IMPORTANT THINGS. THE THOUGHT “WHAT WILL IT MATTER 10 YEARS FROM NOW?” WALTZED THROUGH MY MIND. I MEDITATED ON ETERNITY. I COMPARED THE “THING” TO WEIGHTIER MATTERS SUCH AS FAITH, FRIENDS, HEALTH AND THE GOSPEL. I WAS EMBARRASSED THAT I HAD MADE A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL AND QUICKLY CALLED MY WIFE TO APOLOGIZE. I TOLD HER THAT IT DIDN’T REALLY MATTER. NOTE: PAT WAS RIGHT ANYHOW … AGAIN.
JESUS, SAID TO LIFT UP YOUR EYES AND SEE THE HARVEST THAT IS READY. MOST TIMES, THE SITUATION THAT WE HAVE TO RISE ABOVE IS A TRIVIAL SELF-CENTERED THING. WE HAVE OUR EYES LOOKING DOWN … SO GLUED TO OUR PITY PARTIES AND DEMANDS THAT WE CAN’T SEE THE HARVEST. WE ARE UNABLE TO LOOK UP TO SEE THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE ANNOYED OR BAFFLED OR UPSET … YOU CAN “RISE ABOVE” IT ALL. SOAR AS HIGH AS YOU CAN AND BACK OFF TO TAKE A WORLDVIEW OF IT ALL. TAKE A HEAVENLY LOOK. YOU WILL SEE THAT, BY COMPARISON, IT’S JUST NOT THAT IMPORTANT. AND THE NEXT TIME SOMEONE SAYS TO “JUST RISE ABOVE IT.” … DON’T RECOIL SO QUICKLY. IT COULD BE GOOD ADVICE. JUST DO IT!

“TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS – LOOK FULL IN HIS WONDERFUL FACE – AND THE THINGS OF EARTH WILL LOOK STRANGELY DIM – IN THE LIGHT OF HIS GLORY AND GRACE.”

MT 16:26 “FOR WHAT IS A MAN PROFITED, IF HE GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD, AND LOSE HIS OWN SOUL? OR WHAT SHALL A MAN GIVE IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS SOUL?”