Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret - it leads only to evil. (Psalm 37:1-8)
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Sometimes I feel like I am the weird guy walking around in a bunny suit...Yep, a bunny suit.
I am just there - strutting along - limited by what I can do, see, and experience... while all around me are the giggles and smirks at my fluffiness; my "cute-ness;" my goodness. While they live "freely," I am in a stuffy, bunny suit.
And this feeling started when I was 14... There she was, my first real girlfriend. In my mind, everything was going great. The relationship was fun, innocent, and completely enjoyable.
Then it hit me hard.
I received a folded letter after lunch from one of her friends. In it were the words: "I really like you and you're very funny. But I think we should break up...you're just too nice."
And instantly, I realized the curse of being the good guy; the bunny guy.
And this realization just grew as I got older. Friends began "having fun" on the weekends without me. People began dodging certain conversations when I got close. And envy crept inside me during my times of loneliness.
You see, in our world, it is plain weird to be a follower of Christ. And this is not just in "high school" culture.
The world labels "odd" our do's, our don'ts, our likes, our dislikes, our hobbies, our passions, and our identities. And while others live "freely" in their ways, we can get caught up with believing that their "freedom" exceeds our own.
Maybe you have felt like this recently...
But trust me when I say this: Though I sometimes feel like the weird guy in a limiting bunny suit - though you sometimes feel like the weird one in a limiting bunny suit - our lives are anything but limiting.
King David writes this to you and me: "Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away... But delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn..."
Yes, the world's way of living looks glamorous, free, and fun; it looks more delightful, more providing, and more enjoyable. But the life of sin is like green, luscious grass that instantly dries out and dies away. Though it looks pleasant for a short while, it's color and life will soon fade.
So in our "weirdness," David calls us to delight ourselves in the Lord; to literally choose to find delight in Him. Because when we do, the desires of our heart will not be for the temporary pleasures all around us, but for the eternal pleasures and experiences that the Lord will give to us.
The truth is, we are different. But what you and I sometimes refer to as a "bunny suit," God refers to as His shining righteousness. We are different because we have been made righteous; made new.
Though we feel limited, we must realize how unlimited - how eternal - our lives really are. All that the world can "freely" do...is sin. Think about it. The world cannot help but be sinful. But we, as children of God, can experience true freedom in our life apart from that sin.
We are the free ones.
This realization, however, takes time to believe.
But do as David writes and "wait patiently" for the Lord and His blessings. Do what you know to be right, regardless of what others are doing. And refrain from envy, anger, fear, and comparison.
Let us all realize that this "bunny curse" is nothing but a righteous blessing that we have been given.
Have a great day and join us tomorrow. And we would love to know, how has God transformed the way that you see yourself over the years?
Blessings,
Greg, Declare Glory
