When
we settle for the standards of this world we allow the world to raise us as
chickens, we fail to catch a glimpse of the kind of life we have been called to
live , we subject ourselves to bondage—a chicken lifestyle—while we have been
called to live like Eagles. We settle
for a life that does not demonstrate the glory and the power of God and when
others try to tell us that there is a better way to live, we dismiss them
because all we can see is the chicken shed and the feed set before us.
As Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:1-7 in the last
days there will be terrible times “… People will be lovers of themselves,
lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents,
ungrateful, unholy, 3 without
love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the
good, 4 treacherous, rash,
conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- 5 having a form of godliness but
denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. 6 They are the kind who worm their
way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down
with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able
to acknowledge the truth”
The
question is how can people have a form of godliness yet deny the power? I believe
this happens as I said in the beginning when we allow ourselves to be ruled by
the standards, thoughts and patterns of the world and of other people and of the devil. Then we
depict all the characteristics of an eagle but never venture out to live like one. Our lives are laden with unnatural
habits and appetites, poor and warped perception of self, a sinful lifestyle. We roll in sin like pigs
and even invent new ways of sinning.
Whereas the
lifestyle of an Eagle ought to be drastically different from that of a chicken,
if an eagle is raised like a chicken, it will begin to think and act like one.
Hi Eagles, what are you doing among
chickens?
Paul tells believers in Corinth, "… come out from them and be separate, says the
Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to
you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." (2 Cor 6:17-18) Again he urges the Romans to offer their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and
pleasing to God (Rom 12:1-2) and to the Philippians to work out their salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12-16). This is the normal christian life.
The
same way an Eagle doesn’t struggle to soar or beg to be acknowledged in order
to glide it should apply to us. Even if we fail to acknowledge an Eagle’s dexterity
in flying, it will not fail to do its thing. Refusing to glide is to deny its
very own DNA. Brethren
it should be in our Desire, Nature and Ability (DNA) to shine for God, to live godly
lives. Though the world may want to heap
on us chicken feathers or trim our Eagle feathers so we look like chickens or even
give us training to flap our wings like chickens and to behave like them, we
should reach and look deep inside us and sense that we have the heart and make
up of an eagle.
Lets
allow God to lead us by the Spirit to the mountain heights where we can catch a
glimpse of how to live life as an eagle and from there lets stretch our wings, at first it may feel rather awkward and uncomfortable
because we are accustomed to live like chicken, but our body will soon catch up
with the heart and the DNA inside us.
Yes we can do it. We can stretch forth our wings and soar to
freedom. We
can conquer sin, we can break the shackles of bad old habits, and we can follow
our calling and destiny and realize our potential. We can live in freedom.
We don’t
have to be a captive of anyone or anything. We can live
in obedience to God not only when other people are watching, but when we are
alone. We can work out our salvation with fear and trembling, because we reckon
that God is at work from the inside of us making us willing to act according to
his good purpose (Phil 2:13). Like an Eagle when the
going gets tough we expect a renewed strength to mount up high against any opposition to run and not be
weary, to walk and not faint. (Isa 40:30-31)
