Acoustic Story time with Jason Gray, Part 2

Some time back, I listened to this radio show called Acoustic Story Time with Jason Gray.  In fact, I wrote about it. Here is a paragraph or so repeated…

“The second part involved one of the revised group members (some of the original members decided to leave the group to spend more time with their families) who was an author as well (remember I’m driving, so my primary attention is on the road). I didn’t catch the name of the book he had written but the example he described was running late to an appointment in Dallas, missing the exit ending up being an extra 1/2 hour late to the appointment.  He told himself he was a loser for missing the exit.  He was an idiot and so forth and so on for the entire 30 minutes it took him to get back to the exit. He told the person that he was meeting with that he had been beating himself up for the last half an hour for missing that exit.  The person he met with asked him how many minutes of that kind of treatment would it take to be considered abuse if it was done to another person?”

He parlayed this into the general question of who is behind the voice in your head?”

It was playing again this morning on my way to the Men’s Breakfast.  I got most of the details correct. However, the artist used that as his inspiration for his song and was quoting from a book he had read from a more famous author (who I still didn’t catch his name).  The other difference was that I was able to listen to the song the artist sang (actually him and Jason Gray both had a song that fit the story).  The songs were inspirational too.

The general themes of both songs was why should we be so hard on ourselves when God has already forgiven the Christian for all his sins.  It wove in the familiar theme of being a new creation after being born again and therefore their past life is gone.

“But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” - Ephesians 4:20-24 ESV

This made me think of my smart phone updates.  Every time I find out that my smart phone needs an update, I’m enthusiastic about that update happening.  I’m not naive enough to think it’s going to fix all my shortcomings with my phone but I believe that the creator company wants me to have a good or better experience (so I’ll buy the latest phone when it comes out or at least from time to time) and to fix any unexpected problems that crept into the software due to its complexity.

Most of the time, the software update is this latter type.  Something that was introduced in a previous update is causing some or all of their users problems and the company wants to fix the flaw (or vulnerability since there are bad, sinful people out there) that was unintentionally introduced.  These kind of updates are the ones I’m especially anxious to incorporate.

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.” - Psalm 119:9-16 ESV

The second kind of update is important too but in a different way.  Usually, I figure out a way to do what I want to do and can be reluctant to change without a clear indication of an improved experience.  If we are talking about the things I do with my smart phone, I think that is a prudent course.  New features or changes to the formatting can be positive in the long run but can be frustrating as you try to relearn how you do things with the different flow.

For example, the last major software update for my phone included a feature that allowed my phone to listen (and make me aware) of noises like broken glass or smoke detectors.  I must have turned it on as I was trying to look at the changes.  The problem was that I have a tuner app (as in tune your instrument app) on my phone that stopped working.  I didn’t think that the phone can’t listen for glass breaking and to tell me if my instrument is in tune at the same time.

God’s changes in our life are always for our long term good.

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” - Ephesians 3:14-21

God help me to focus on you and not on me and especially not on my past sins.  You have made me a new creation and I desire to serve you.