Will I Ever Ever Ever Get Over It?

Soul Asylum

Not too many songs left in our quest to pull God out of Soul Asylum's Grave Dancer's Union album... Here's the next one: (Click on the link to hear the song.)

Growing Into You

You never grow out of mischief making
You never grow out of taking
You never grow out of complicating
When simple things are waiting
I'm growing into you
I'm growing into you

There's one thing that I know
That's perfectly clear
You never grow out of fear
You never grow out of fear

You never grow out of contemplating
When it ain't worth debating
You never grow out of mistake making
You never grow out of faking
But I'm growing into you
I'm growing into you

There's one thing that I know
That's perfectly clear
You never grow out of fear
You never grow out of fear

I'm growing into you
I'm growing into you
There's one thing that I know
That's perfectly clear
You never grow out of fear
You never grow out of fear

You never grow out of fear
You never grow out of fear
You never, never grow out of fear
And will I ever, ever, ever

Get over it, get over it

***

This heavy (but fascinating)
tomewill tell you about
process spirituality.

Well, this one's pretty straightforward, really… I probably don't even have to lay it out for you, right? I will anyway, though, because that's why we're here, right?

It's simply about what I've Ken Boa calls in his book Conformed to His Image "process spirituality." That is, when we are saved, we are saved right away… and completely. But we don't suddenly become perfect and sinless, as I am sure you have observed. No, instead we spend the rest of our lives sort of growing into who we already are in Christ… So while we still might make mischief and mistakes and complicate simple truths, we are also growing into God... It's a done deal, but it's also a process.

Who's the most spiritual
person you know of? That
Gideon at the State Fair?

It's a great song, full of truth... I have to wonder, though, about the singer's assertion that one never grows out of fear. I myself am the owner of many fine fears… but I do wonder if it's possible to be so trusting, and so constantly "in the Spirit" that fear has no place in one's life. Maybe not… I mean, I'm pretty sure one never stops SINNING… hence one's need for grace. So, maybe the guy's right. 

Pat Jacoway?

I mean, think of the oldest, most spiritually developed Christian you know of… Who is it? Billy Graham? Your grandma? That 90-year-old guy who sits just down the pew from you? The elderly Gideon who handed you the tiny Bible at the State Fair? Pat Jacoway? I assure you that this person – who ever he or she is – is NOT sinless. And they KNOW it. Old people go to church NOT because they're perfect… but because (besides the fact it's probably part of their raisin') they are intensely aware of their need for grace.

Remember that story about Jesus and the woman caught in adultery? 

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. 

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” (John 8)

My point in mentioning this lovely story is that it was the OLDER dudes who knew they didn't have it together. Likewise, the older I get, the more aware I am of my crappiness. BUT my heightened awareness of my crappiness also increases my tendency (and need) to acknowledge God's grace. I am forced to TRUST Him to be the righteousness that I lack. 

Not scared of these anymore...

And you know what trust is? The opposite of fear. And while I am still plenty afraid, I have noticed some of my fears waning with as I age. Such as my fear of french fries (ie. getting fat). Yeah, that's gone. In fact, I am totally the opposite of afraid of french fries. On the other hand, I do have new fears like, "What if I ruin my kid?" or "What if my business stops being lucrative?" My head knows that the remedy for these kinds of fears … just happens to be trust… trusting God with my kid and my business. But my heart knows that this is easier said than done. That's why you gotta kinda grow into it. 

I do sometimes fear I'll
ruin this guy, though!

But can you grow so far into it that you grow out of fear? John says "Perfect love casts out fear." (1 John 4:18) Maybe if you so completely understand God's love for you... you stop being afraid? 

As you can see, I'm just puzzling this out as I type. In my interpretation, the singer of this song asserts that he is growing into God, but he is sure fear will be his lifelong companion… or will it? He still wonders in the end… "And will I ever, ever, ever get over it?" And my thought is…  that my life in God is a PROCESS… I just have to keep growing into Him… As John the Baptist said, "He must become greater; I must become less." (John 3:30) The end result is up to God.