In the 1920's my dad grew up on a 300 acre farm in southwest Georgia that abutted a cypress swamp. Today you would still drive seven miles on a dirt road to get there. His dad was a country doctor and gentleman farmer. Like many in the rural south in the early 20th century crops, hogs, cows, horses, tobacco, chickens, well water, the smokehouse, sowing, reaping, rattlesnakes, all of the characteristics of the country life formed the core of their lives.
One of my father's most vivid childhood memories involved a rooster that loved to intimidate him. If dad came close to the chicken coop this aggressive sharply spurred rooster chased him back into the house. The day came when dad had enough. The next time the rooster charged him dad charged the rooster, kicking him for all he was worth with his hard toed brogan boots. That old rooster, literally kicked 'cockeyed', somersaulted backward over and over, ending that bird's barn yard dominance of my father.
This short narrative reveals an important spiritual principle. In order to prevail in this life we must face what comes after us and go after it. James, the Lord's brother said, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). We must not turn our backs on that which Wisdom dictates we aggresively resist. For many of us its time to kick the rooster!
Thanks, Robin. The exact word I needed on the exact day. Now, where are my boots?
ReplyDeleteThere they are, just under the easy chair. At least I think I see one of them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the response. John Mark speaks well of you and sends his greeting.
Robin
Thank you I really needed this. FOR THE LAST YEAR I HAVE BEEN BACKSLIDING DUE TO BEING HURT IN CHURCH AT TIMES I FEEL DEFEATED .MAYBE ITS TIME I PUT ON SOME BOOTS AND KICK THIS THING
ReplyDeletePut those boots on and kick that thing. The church needs you and you need the church. Overcoming hurts is part of the program and I know you can do it.
ReplyDeleteKick the rooster!, violence never has a happy ending does it. Maybe the rooster found your dad's attitude as threatening as your dad found the roosters so who won in the end, dad he was ( powerfull) much bigger.
ReplyDeleteObviously, I am not an adherent of physical violence. The story about my dad parallels in the natural a spiritual truth, that sometimes we must become aggressive in order to prevail spiritually. Jesus Himself said, "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force" (Mt. 11:12). This verse means that the violent or another definition is 'energetic', are the ones who lay hold of the resources located in the realm of the Kingdom of Heaven. That realm must be taken, not received, layed hold of aggressively, not waited for passively.
ReplyDeleteProfound. Country, but profound.
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ReplyDeleteRobin...I'd be interested in your opinion of the difference between "resisting" and "striving." If our confrontation with the enemy were to pull us out of our place of rest, as it sometimes does with me, would that not be counter-productive?
ReplyDeleteI believe that we need to learn how to resist in and from that place of rest. One aspect of resisting is by aggressively speaking the word of God as a proclamation. Human striving doesn't really help us. It is also important to remember that Jesus told us to abide in Him. That means to stay, inferring that we begin by being in a place in Him that we don't have to earn, work for, or figure out how to 'get in'. Just stay! These are a few short thoughts. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteThanks Robin. I put on my boots and started kicking roosters when I got home from MorningStar.
ReplyDeleteEverytime I rode on a bike path, a gander wanted to attack. He was defending his territory. The bike path was the human territory. i told it to "Be still in Jesus' name", and it never got near me again, although it continued to harrass the other pedestrians.
ReplyDeleteWell, I haven't 'kicked a rooster', but I'm about ready to get out my son's pellet gun and go after those big black birds that are after the 'seed' we've sown! We just moved to Florida from SC and there are some big old cocky crows strutting around in our yard! Thanks for teaching us about chasing them off earlier in the year! We love how you are so 'for real' Robin! It helps all who hear you learn to 'be for real' too! Thanks for letting Jesus be big in you!
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