An Icarus Identity Crisis
Let me preface this post by stating that I don’t typically spend my leisure time reading Greek Mythology. I am, however, quite familiar with Icarus….a character in Greek Mythology….in fact, I would encourage all of you, if not already, to read the story of Icarus.
Icarus’ story is one in which everyone can identify with at one point or another in their lives!
As the story goes….Icarus is imprisoned with his father, Daedalus, who is an artist. They were imprisoned on the island of Crete, by an evil King. Utilizing his artistic skills to escape their imprisonment, Daedalus constructed wings, with feathers made of wax, so he and Icarus could escape their island imprisonment. Before they took flight, Daedalus instructed Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, because his wax wings would melt and he would surely fall to his death.
After those last words, both father and son flew from their island prison…Finally free from the oppression of the evil king.
Wouldn’t it be nice if the story ended there? But does it ever? For any of us?
No, Icarus felt so free for the first time, that he flew too high, thus eluding his father’s warning, and the sun melted his wings, and Icarus fell to his death.
We all have moments, or even seasons, when we experience times of legitimate pride….However, when that period of legitimate pride is not countered with humility, we can fall into an elapsed sense of bravado. It is during these times of bravado when we lose our bearings and sense true north, and we crash and burn….Often leaving a disastrous crash site that would make any 6:00 pm news report.
The disastrous effects we experience durnig these times or seasons of bravado, often lead us to a sense of complete decimation from our perspective. It is during these times when we must trust God and His Word – Take Isaiah 55:8-9 which states: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Whether you’re soaring in the clouds or suffering through your circumstances….Remember, God’s artistry is not like that of Daedalus’, no, His never fails….God’s Masterpiece of Grace is a Mosaic of His unending love for everyone, anywhere, at anytime!!!
Why Do We have Such Little Faith in Faith?
I’ve been on campus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary all week. I am here taking the required week-long “Dissertation Project Design Workshop” in order to complete my Doctor of Educational Ministry Degree. It has prepared me to conceptualize, develop, implement, and fully document the objectives which I will seek to actualize. Achieving these objectives will provide the engine that will drive the process of my Dissertation Project. The Faculty has helped me to further develop a definitive purpose, along with purposeful and precise goals for my Dissertation Project. I have also learned new methods to qualitatively measure the efficacy to which I will achieve my objectives, my goals, and ultimately the purpose of my Dissertation Project.
Having said that, I have prepared for this workshop diligently, because I believe in finishing well….no matter what the task. However, as I diligently prepared, even having pulled a few all-nighters at almost 39 years old, the process of my preparation for the workshop and the year ahead, in which I have to complete my Dissertation Project, provided much unwanted stress.
Here’s where the rub comes…I know I should have turned it over to God and completely giving it to Him, which would have freed me from the angst that had taken up residence in my mind and body through the long days and short nights preceding the workshop. However, I did not. Instead, I focused on research, reading, writing with the correct style, and my submitting my official “Preliminary Project Proposal”….all packaged in a box stamped “worry,” and wrapped with my commitment to the work and its benefit I believe it will provide the congregation which I serve. However, experiencing angst was not listed on the syllabus as part of the workshop requirements….No; I had taken that upon myself!
That begs the one word question, “Why?”
Due to our depravity, we all have the natural propensity to manipulate our faith in God, and thus we add complexity to faith. “Complex,” however, does not demonstrate an adjective that modifies “faith,” by any means.
In Mathew Chapter 8, Matthew recorded an exchange between a Roman military officer and Jesus. The military officer asked Jesus to heal his servant, in whom he cared for deeply. Jesus replied that he would follow the Roman Officer to his home to heal his servant. However, the soldier served as an officer in the Roman Military, and understood the power of authority as he had many subordinates who followed his orders, and respected his position of authority. When the Roman Military officer explained that to Jesus, he then told Jesus, with much humility, that he was not worthy to have Jesus come to his home.
Here’s the good part. According to The Message paraphrase of God’s Word, In Matthew 8:10 Jesus was taken aback and said this to the Roman Officer: “I’ve yet to come across this kind of simple trust (or faith) in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know all about God and how he works.”
Due to The Officer’s “simple faith,” Jesus did as he requested!
Here’s the gist, faith is truly that simple. In Matthew 18:3-4, Jesus later declared the same axiom. He told His disciples: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child – this one is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven” (NIV)
These two texts clearly define faith as a key and central, yet simple tenet of the Christian life. ….That begs the questions: “Why do we complicate something so simple?” “Why do we worry about things that are beyond our control?” “Why do we live masochistic Christian lives?
“As I mentioned earlier, it’s partly due to our natural depravity, but it’s also stems from a disconnect between us and God. However, we can easily remedy that disconnect, by consistently carving out time, every day, to spend “Time Alone with God.” We accomplish this through prayer, studying God’s Word, and applying its truths to our daily lives. Through consistently practicing these foundational spiritual disciplines, faith becomes and remains, the simple, yet profound principle of living a joy-filled life, at full throttle for God!
