Gravity

Confession: I have always wanted to be a dancer. I wish I could dance like the elf in Rudolf wishes he could be a dentist. But, alas, my awkward clumsiness will always be a hindrance to that dream. So, instead, I indulge in watching other people dance. (Which, I guess, could be another confession of its own.) I would be the first to admit that I know nothing about dance save what they tell me on TV. That being said, one of my favorite performances (on TV) ever would be this one:

I knows it's a little out-dated, but I love this song. I love the emotion it communicates and I love the movements this dance contributes to its message. A portion of the song goes like this:

Oh, you loved me 'cause I'm fragile
When I thought that I was strong.
But you touch me for a little while
And all my fragile strength is gone.

Set me free,
Leave me be.
I don't wanna fall another moment into your gravity
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be.
But you're on to me and all over me.

I get it. I totally identify with these words. But, you know, something I realized as I was listening to the song this week is that, unlike the narrator (speaker? singer?), I do not struggle alone.

What I realized is that, without God, the situation is bleak. The speaker in this song is pleading with her oppressor to let her go while relying on her own will and strength- which, as the song states, is fragile- to break free. What a huge, impossible burden to carry! What I find when I read Scripture, though, is that we who suffer temptation do not suffer alone. We have a Savior sympathetic to our weaknesses and a God powerful enough to completely free us. The promise of freedom is sweet to the ears of any stuck in the "gravity" of sin. But what's the catch? What do we have to do to find such release? I think that Paul gives us an answer in Ephesians 6, when he says:

     Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

My friends, we are not just fighting our own wills; we are fighting powers of darkness! And they are strong! Though we are to arm ourselves, Paul does not say to go swinging your sword in the devil's face. Doing so is like trying to fight off a bouncer with a plastic knife. We may get a few cuts in, but really our efforts are useless. Though Paul does not command us to fight, he does tell us to stand. In fact, he says it twice (which makes it doubley important, right?) We are to stand firm, not in our own strength, as in the song, but in the strength and might of the Lord. That is where freedom is found. The war has been won. Victory belongs to God. He is our refuge, our ever-present help in time of need.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. -1 Corinthians 10:13