There's so many lines that we draw in our lives it's so hard to know which lines are good ones or bad ones. So often it seems that we're taking out our erasers and the canvas of our life is full of smears as we draw and redraw the lines that determine our behavior. And it makes it frustrating as a Christian because it's clear from the Bible that we're supposed to draw lines around our behavior but so often our drawing of lines becomes purely mechanical and lifeless or else it becomes completely based on emotions. I notice a common tendency in myself throughout my life has been that I tend to place my lines into two categories. I'm a super emotional person so my lines are placed into the categories of boring and exciting. I find myself just trying to draw fun lines every day and trying to avoid any other kind of lines. But since I attend church regularly I can't really draw lines like that all the time so I get my eraser out and draw new lines. In this religious mindset, I place my lines into two categories based around what people think. If the lines I draw bring the applause of the other people at church, they are good lines but if they are frowned upon, then those are bad lines and quickly get erased (at least for now). I'm learning though that drawing lines is meant to be refreshing and life-giving. It's meant to both protect out hearts from sickness but also fill them with peace and clarity.
Here's what I mean. In all this erasing and redrawing and seeking the praise of others, our lives become frantic and confused and it's hard to find peace when the painting that represents our lives isn't beautiful but is a mess of smudges and confusion. What you and I really need in the midst of all this is the presence of God. You need to be touched. When someone touches you in the midst of confusion it brings such peace. When someone breathes warmth into your spirit when you've been drawing lines of cold religion, it takes a huge weight off your shoulders. A lot of people won't seek the presence of God though. For some it seems too free-spirited to them and they've heard of people who've lost their way. I'm not saying to walk away from the Word of God and just go seek the presence of God. God's Word and his presence are so clearly linked together but while these "lost free-spirits" have sought the presence of God and forgotten his Word, it is just as silly to cling to be clinging to His Word yet neglecting the seeking of God's presence. You can't separate the two either way. The Word tells us how to draw our lines but it also instructs us to seek his presence. There is a passion for God's presence that fills the Word. There is literally nothing like talking honestly with the Lord and feeling his touch as He calls you his own. You find yourself desiring him and longing to be near to Him. When this happens, there becomes new categories for your behavioral lines. There are lines that bring you closer to Him and there are lines that take you farther away. Sometimes you make mistakes but instead of using your eraser, you seek out God's presence and let his touch erase the smudges and confusion so that you can draw lines as He leads you. Still some will resist or be half-hearted about this because they're afraid they might get lost if they actually take their little sailboat out of its slip into the ocean and hoist their sails in faith. The wind of the Spirit is a powerful and fearful thing but the Spirit is the third person of our God who we're commanded by the Word to walk in. Those who refuse to seek out God's real and personal presence have no choice but to draw lines of religion. They will protest and justify themselves by claiming their lines are drawn according to God's Word but they forget that the Pharisees drew lines in the same way. Yet they never sought God's presence. Jesus called them whitewashed tombs. Some people fall somewhere in between though. They have a genuine love for God's Word but out of love for comfort and safety, they are ignorant the Scripture's passion for God's presence.
Take your sailboat our of its' slip and raise your sails. Show him the smudge-filled canvas of your life and seek out his touch and presence. Don't give a rip what other people think about your lines. Those who seek God's presence as well will love and support you. Include them and seek God's presence with them. God will show you how to draw your lines and he may take you through a vast array of storms and pain and rainbows and beautiful evenings but through it all you will actually grow in the knowledge of Him who loves you. Jesus said it was better that he left us so that God in His Spirit would come. Seek the Spirit. Seek his touch. Seek his presence. He will show you how to draw your lines and he will ultimately help you draw more permanent lines that will define the next season of your life. It is hard to roll the tombstones of your heart away and let Him, the Holy Spirit see and touch those places. Jesus was always taking his disciples to new places of faith and the Spirit will do the same for you. I pray that this will be a new season for all of us: one of seeking the presence of God, the Holy Spirit and letting him see and touch the dead places.
