Lord of the Stings: Return of Your King

Our hearts and Lord of the Ring’s middle earth have a lot in common. Both are the object of a brutal battle for lordship. Both have suffered violently from the relentless jabs of the enemy. In the movie, an epic war is waged and the victory is won…by the good side. It is true of our hearts, as well. The good side has won. So why don’t we feel it? Why aren’t we doing a little jig for joy at the pub like Mr. Frodo Baggins and his tiny little mates? Why does our own middle earth still feel laden down by the casualties of war? Why – even though we know the Bible tells us all things are new in Christ – do we still feel the sting of rejection, abandonment, and betrayal?

Maybe it has something to do with the location of our King. Have we put a crown on His head, yet kept Him wandering around the kingdom checking on peripheral matters? Or have we truly invited Him in to take His rightful throne – the throne of our hearts? The Bible says that is where He longs to be – ruling over the hurts in our hearts.

But do we trust Him?

What will he do with the hurts we are keeping so well hidden? Will He tell us to just get over it – that our hurts don’t really matter and we should simply renew our minds and move onward Christian soldier? Or worse, will He expose our woundedness for all the world to see – making an example of our pain only to demand we endure our tribulation as heroically as Jesus did?

The Bible tells us what He will do:

Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

He heals.

And not only that, He binds up our wounds. In the Hebrew language, bind has a few different meanings. The most obvious is bandaging – literally wrapping the wound tightly. But another more incredible meaning is to govern or rule over. God wants to rule over our wounds? Yes. He wants to take every rejection, every defilement, every devastation and set things straight. He wants to take our abusers off our hands and deal with them for us. He wants to determine the proper treatment plan for our hearts – the one that will not only mend our brokenness but perhaps make us stronger. And He wants to make sure that everything that was stolen from us is returned in full. And then He wants to turn our mourning into dancing (Frodo, here we come!).

He is a good King. I think we should give Him His throne, don’t you?

An Important New Year’s Apology from our Society

What if the “voices” of nearly every magazine cover, movie screen, billboard, and network program combined into one voice and said this directly to you: I have worked very hard to demean you from your earliest days.  It has been my utmost desire to see you defeated, hopeless, and longing for sparkly things that I’ve claimed would make you happy.  I have called you fat, ugly, poor, unwanted, and rejected.  I have flaunted images before  you that you cannot erase from your mind – that torment you even in your dreams.  I have hoped that you would be dissatisfied with everything you have…your home, your car, your furniture, your life, and especially your God.  I admit I have been ruthless in my attempts.  I have been relentless in my attack on your very soul.

My platform has been based upon lies.

Will you forgive me?

Forgive me for calling you fat and ugly.  Truth is you’re more beautiful than anything I could muster up.  Forgive me for rejecting what you have to offer – your gifts and talents are over-the-top amazing.  Forgive me for telling you that a brand new car or a trip to the tropics will melt your cares away – they really won’t.  Forgive me for attacking your morals – for tempting you to question the straight and narrow way which leads to life.  I’ve been hoping you would die.  And most importantly of all…forgive me for belittling your God.  He is the only True God, and I know it.

What would it be like if you received that apology today? Would it possibly set you free from the lies that keep you bound and broken?  What would you do differently this year?  Do you think you’d feel released to be you – the you God intended?

I’m pretty sure society’s apology won’t come this side of heaven, but I know it’s one we’re all owed.  So, when I see airbrushed models on magazine covers, scantily clad women on prime time programming, or any other image that tries to tear me down, I’m going to imagine them all crying out from behind their prison bars: “Forgive me.  I know not what I do.” 

And then I’m going to walk on with my head held high as befitting the daughter of the King…into my true destiny.  Won’t you join me?

1 Corinthians 3:19: For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.