I love reading books that are rich in description both of setting and character. My mind creates images that often become a part of me as the story unfolds. This might sound lovely, but at times it is not. It seems that images of the unlovely are what stay with me (which is why I've also become very good at skimming as I read!) This has also led me to be rather selective in what I choose to open my mind to, because I know that once something's in there, it's hard to get it out!
The same goes with movies, just on a bit more of an intense level. Because now I'm exposed to images of someone else's making, with the soundtrack to go with it. Not that long ago, I went to a movie with a few other people. The heart of the theme really was redemptive violence. It was horrible and graphic. Even with my eyes squeezed shut and my fingers in my ears for most of the movie, some images still made their way into my mind, and continue to resurface and force me to deal with them.
In Romans 12:2 it says "Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will." (NIV)
In a way that gives me comfort: if one of the patterns of this world is redemptive violence, then being highly sensitive to images and portrayals of that is a way of not accepting that pattern.
That still doesn't get awful images out of my head though. So one afternoon as I was going for a walk and again those images resurfaced and threatened to overtake my rational thinking, I held up some scripture in defense. I began to think through Psalm 23 (one of my meeting places) and I found myself repeating the words "he restores my soul". He restores my soul.
Restores: According to Webster, "to bring back to or put back into a former or original state: renew".
My soul: that part of me that is the essence of myself as God has created me and the place where I am in community with God through the Holy Spirit.
He restores my soul. I have this longing to be brought back to the original state of God's creation of my soul.
What if I asked for him to restore my soul on a daily basis? Or an hourly basis, because I can so quickly get off track? What if we each did that? Could we break the patterns of this world?
He restores my soul.
-Candice
2 comments:
Beautiful! I, too, am haunted by unwanted images from books, trailers, overheard stories... Thank you for reminding me to do more than just ask God to take the images away. We can walk through that restoration with Him.
Our souls are like spiritual sponges. They absorb everything we participate in, both good and evil! It is such a gift that God gives us the power of His restoration through the blood of Jesus, but we must also remember His wisdom which tells us to "flee" from things that defile us!
1 Corinthians 10 says "Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
...Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he? “Everything is permissible” — but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible” — but not everything is constructive." (NIV)
I have recently had the great pleasure of being delivered from demonic spirits, and I can testify that Paul's words are true! The things we participate in give the spiritual realm "fellowship" with our souls, and the right to live through us - manifesting themselves in the visible world as violence behavior, words of accusation, pride and unbelief.
Praise the Lord that "greater is He that is in me then he that is in the world!"
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