Haywire

I read somewhere that Haywire is defined as broken and in a state of chaos; not working. That would be a fitting description of much that goes on in this world. We all experience trials, see devastation, things we don’t understand; yet I maintain there is hope. 

My Dad had a plaque he kept in a storage room in our house. He kept it kind of hidden; to keep us kids from seeing it, but kids will be kids and at some point I saw it. As a kid I often wondered what it meant; I was old enough to know that to him it was just a joke, a somewhat cynical view of things. The plaque said; “People are no damn good.” You have to let that sit for a while, let it ferment, let it mature. 

As a Christian, I come to see that plaque as more truth than any of us would like to admit. However, I think that is the key; that as a Christian we must first recognize our true natures; our sin; our personal haywire. Matt Chandler; in his book “The Explicit Gospel”, makes the statement that “if we don’t understand the bad news, we will never grasp the good news.” That is profound to me as we must come to grips with the depths of our brokenness, we must understand the dire straights we are in, we must see our need of rescue in order to be saved. 

We must come to see that with the fall in Genesis 3 all perfection, all harmony was fractured. Sin entered our world and our world groans. Again, there is hope, there is rescue and it comes in the form of God in Flesh; Jesus Christ. 

This particular blog may seem negative or depressing, but not so! Not so, because I truly see and know the hope; I see the light of a new day; a new life; a new way! Romans 8:18­‐28 becomes so clear to me... 

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 

For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. 

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. 

Abba Father, we love you and with creation we wait in eager expectation. We wait patiently in hope for your wonderful, amazing and grace-­filled promises. We thank you for our Lord and Savior; our rescuer and we thank you for the Holy Spirit who helps us in our weakness. 

Grace and Peace!