Did you know there are two primary ways of thinking? What do they mean? Which way do you think? And is there one better than the other?
Let me take a minute to explain.
This summer, I was hit with a powerful revelation. It came through my friends, Lynn and Holly Lapka. They have been long time pastors in the state of Montana and God has given them a really powerful ministry of helping people to see the fullness and richness of Scripture through opening up insight into the cultural aspects of Judaism. They have a very unique and beautiful message. They speak in churches and lead trips to Israel and other biblical lands. We had opportunity to travel with them to Israel right at the beginning of 2020, and it was life-changing. Shameless plug here, but if you are interested in learning more about what they do, check out www.dustofemmaus.com.
But back to the revelation. Lynn was sharing in our Bible hour for family camp at Glacier Bible Camp. And there was something that he said that really caught my attention. I am paraphrasing here now, but these were my notes. He said that we need to be careful about "learning beyond our obedience." Immediately, I sensed the Holy Spirit wanting to speak something to me through this, as sometimes He will cause our spirits to rise to attention.
He then went on to say that the Hebrew way of thinking is circular. To continue to go back to the old truth until it becomes a part of my lifestyle. They consider that you haven't learned a truth until you are walking it out. In contrast, a Western mindset is linear. We are always wanting to learn something new - to go onto the next thing.
Well, as soon as the words came out of his mouth, I knew where I fit on the scale and I also knew what God was calling me to. I definitely have, many times, fallen prey to wanting to learn something new. I figure that somehow, if I know something more or different, it will help the truth to stick in my life. But the Holy Spirit was pointing to a different way.
Have you been there? For me it looks something like this. Let's start with something spiritual. I know and believe that it is important for me to spend time in God's Word, but I struggle with it. So instead of being intentional about just putting it into my schedule and beginning to practice it, I go online searching for a better method of Bible study. Maybe chronological Bible reading will do the trick, or the SOAP method of journaling, or maybe I should do a video driven course - always trying to learn something new to implement.
And then I find myself in a performance trap. If I could just perform correctly, consistently or with the right method, maybe I would measure up. None of the things that I am doing are inherently bad, but they are focused more on the method than on the heart of the matter. All the while, the Father is not interested in our performance, but our heart. It doesn't much matter to Him how we do it. He just wants us to spend time in His Word so that we get to know Him more and understand His ways.
Or how about emotional health. I find myself in a cycle of stress. So I go looking for all of the ways to relieve it. Maybe I need to go on vacation or I look on Pinterest for all of the self-care ideas. The truth of the matter is that peace is not a matter of the lack of conflict or the right method of self-care -- again, not that those things are bad. But peace is the presence of a Person in our lives. And the enemy can get us running on the linear track of thinking, always looking for something new to help us sustain peace, when all the while, all we needed to do was circle back and spend some time in His presence.
And finally an example of our physical health. Every symptom becomes an opportunity to run to Google for more information. And that information, while sometimes helpful, more often than not, gives way to anxiety and fear. And maybe from that place we do ask the Lord for wisdom and He gives us a step of obedience to take. How often in the middle of the process of obedience does another symptom surface and we find ourselves running back to the doctor or seeking another way, rather than trusting the word He gave to us.
It's time to circle back.
This struggle reminds me of the verse in Jeremiah 6:16
Thus says the LORD: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
Isn't this what we do? While we may start on the ways of the ancient path, the path that leads to the heart of the Father, we often become sidetracked, looking for another piece of information or method of doing things. But if we circle back and come back to His heart and the walk in the old paths, we will find rest for our souls. That is the promise.
So now I guess the choice is ours. Do we continue in the Western mindset, always looking for something new and better to fill the hole or meet the need that we find ourselves currently facing? Or do we run back to the heart of the Father and return to the old paths - the places where He has already spoken? Will we continue "learning beyond our obedience?" Or will we stay the course, trusting the process God has us in, and above all trusting His heart for us in the process?
It's the moment of decision. Let Him take you back and build His heart and His ways into the very fiber of who you are.
What are some areas where you need to circle back and return the ancient paths? I would love to hear what God is speaking to you!
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