A Dangerous Trap

Did you ever try to purge toys from your children’s room while they were present? Typically, the things they never play with suddenly become something they couldn’t possibly live without. That’s why we do it when they are not home. We aren’t much different, though. We really don’t like to give things up. We hang on to clothes we don’t wear and tools we don’t use. The doctor tells us to give up certain foods and suddenly we are craving them like never before. There is just something about being told we must surrender that makes us want to hang on.

When Jesus told the disciples of his imminent crucifixion He was ready to surrender. Then one of the disciples rushes in and tells Jesus that’s a bad plan. Jesus response? He realized that he had to stop that nonsense of man’s plan verses God’s plan and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it” (Matthew 16:23-25).

It seems ridiculous to think that a decent parent would choose for their child to follow the way of Satan over the way of Jesus, BUT as you look at what Jesus is saying, he isn’t talking about some heinous, vulgar, disgusting demonic way of life that is the way of Satan. He is saying that Satan’s trap is purely the “human point of view.” We must realize that our own thinking is often self-centered, self-righteous and self-absorbed so that we can say as Jesus said, “get behind me Satan” and move toward the selfless, God-centered life. If we are not willing to take that step, we are basically – albeit unintentionally, inviting our children to the path Satan wants us all to follow… seeking what we want without consideration of what God wants.

These are tough words to write. Tough words to read. Tough words to live by. But since when is taking up the cross of Christ, symbolizing failure to the world, easy? Just remember; what the world sees as failure, heaven sees as victory. By whom will you be defined?

I pray that you will choose to surround yourself with godly friends that will call you out when you are living life with a “human point of view” and direct you back to the surrender that leads to a godly way of thinking and living. Your friends who are not serving the Lord Jesus may help you make good choices, but they will never be able to point you to taking up the cross Jesus speaks of if they haven’t done the same. Choose your friends wisely. Your children’s faith may very well depend on it.

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."   Jim Elliot