Intern Update: Mr. Seymour (Part 2 of 2)
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The last month has been absolutely amazing in so many ways and God has truly shown that He works in the lives of those who love Him and are called to His work.
I’ve spent the last few weeks trying to wrap my head around international human rights law. The more I wrap the further I discover that I need to stretch. Much occurs that needs to be made right and many are the ways in which that right can be seen—or in many cases out of sight. What do you do when you see a problem so large that the more you look at it the more it appears too big to solve?
Often this thought has occurred to me. Surprisingly, the answer is much simpler than it seems. We have to look away from ourselves and turn our focus to Him. My father-in-law has a great term for the tendency we all have to focus on ourselves in life. He calls it “navel gazing.”
Inherent in thoughts of how we can’t solve an overwhelmingly large problem in this world is that the power to do so might somehow be vested in the individual, or in some cases a multitude of men. The focus, the power, the strength is then the source of man and not of Him. How do we break the tendency to “navel gaze” when overwhelmed with sin in this world that crushes the heart, that makes us feel it, I mean really feel it?
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Cor. 15:56-58).
“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Cor. 16:13-14).
Maybe the fix for this feeling of helplessness in the face of such sin is to remember that our Lord has called us to the FIGHT, the VICTORY He has already given to us. The problem isn’t always ours to solve, but ours to labor with, our opportunity to remain steadfast and immovable while we abound in the work of our Lord—work that will never be in vain. Maybe it’s our chance to reconcile Romans and James. Remember that, because the enemy will take every chance he can to steal it from you.
Embrace the thought of VICTORY. Learn to love the fight. What good would victory be if we didn’t feel a little bit of what it takes to taste it? It has to be real for us. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be worth anything. Stand firm and be strong. The next time you feel like the mountain is too much to scale, remember that we’re already at the top. What we’re seeing now, what we’re feeling now, is a first-person view of the ascent.
PS. This is the part where I tell everyone how awesome my wife is and how much I love her. She’s amazing, just saying.
– Mr. Seymour, 7/23/12