Every once in a while I start my day off in a mental stupor. It isn't a bad thing and may be a common occurrence among the non-morning people of the world. For me, it just means that it takes a few minutes for my brain to start firing right.
On those particular mornings I wake up with incomplete and bizarre thoughts. For example, I'll think I have a pet that I have forgotten to feed and the poor thing is either starving or dead due to neglect. When my mind starts to wake up I am relieved to discover that I only have three dogs and they are all well fed and far from being neglected.
I'll also wake to thoughts of a guest in my home that I've completely ignored or a writing project I've forgotten to complete. My disoriented state is only momentary, but it reminds me of the importance of being properly oriented.
I didn't intend for this to become a word study, but my simple search to define "disoriented" turned into an interesting exercise. First, "disorient" is not in the dictionary so I had to break it down into "orient" and the prefix "dis". This is what I found:
Orient - The East; esp., the countries east of the Mediterranean or of Asia generally; sometimes, eastern Asiatic countries. To set right by adjusting to facts or principles; to put (esp. oneself) into correct position or relation; to acquaint (esp. oneself) with the existing situation.
Dis- - Separation orparting from, as indismiss,distribute,dissuade.
Before looking at those definitions I had never made the connection between "The Orient" and the word "orient", but now the naming of that geographic area makes sense because it is considered the cradle of civilization. However, as interesting as that information is, "adjusting to facts and principles" better fits our purposes for this article. Then, by adding "dis" to "orient", we effectively separate "correct position" from a proper understanding, much like when I wake up in the morning thinking I have an extra pet, a forgotten house guest, or an incomplete project.
Practical Christianity relies on a proper orientation to function effectively. When Christians get disoriented, ungodly things happen. Religious cults are extreme examples of that condition; many have some foundation in Christianity, but have effectively lost the true orientation (a correct position in Christ.) One commonly occurring example is their failure to acknowledge Christ's equality with God. Christianity is not Christianity without that important detail (and many others they dismiss). There are multitudes of examples, but you see what I mean.
One infamous cult of my generation was the People's Temple lead by Jim Jones. He led his followers to their deaths by convincing them to drink poisoned kool-aid. (I would have linked to his story but didn't want to lead any readers to any suspicious sites; you can do a personal search if you would like more information.) Not all cults make news like Jim Jones, but all are disoriented in God's sight.
How can we be properly oriented? The American Dictionary of the English Language, 1928, by Noah Webster, defines orient as "The east; the part of the horizon where the sun first appears in the morning." As Christians that definition can inspire us to start our day by looking for the appearance of the Risen Son every morning.
Last summer my family vacationed in Hawaii. Although flying is not one of my favorite activities, the flight home provided one of my more memorable moments from the trip. We left Maui on a ten o'clock night flight and, as we flew east toward California, I watched the sun rise over the world. I actually witnessed the line of darkness as it ran from the morning rays shining from the rising sun; the line stretched across the globe and was an awesome sight I'll never forget. When we are oriented according to Christ, likewise His Light chases the darkness from our lives. Wonderful things happen when we identify with the Light instead of the darkness:
"May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:11-14 NRSV).
Practical Christianity starts each day with proper orientation by greeting the Risen Son! He will provide the right facts and principles for us adjust to and live by. When we start our day with prayer that puts us in direct communication with the Light. When we read the Bible, we shine with a godly perspective. And, if we will prepare for the coming day by dressing ourselves in the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20) our light will shine brighter than the fiery darts the enemy hurls our ways.
All these things (prayer, God's Word, and preparing for spiritual warfare) orient us to God and help us become more effective Christians. So, look to the Risen Son every morning and be ready to operate from a proper spiritual orientation.
Every once in a while I start my day off in a mental stupor. It isn't a bad thing and may be a common occurrence among the non-morning people of the world. For me, it just means that it takes a few minutes for my brain to start firing right.
I'll also wake to thoughts of a guest in my home that I've completely ignored or a writing project I've forgotten to complete. My disoriented state is only momentary, but it reminds me of the importance of being properly oriented.
I didn't intend for this to become a word study, but my simple search to define "disoriented" turned into an interesting exercise. First, "disorient" is not in the dictionary so I had to break it down into "orient" and the prefix "dis". This is what I found:
Orient - The East; esp., the countries east of the Mediterranean or of Asia generally; sometimes, eastern Asiatic countries. To set right by adjusting to facts or principles; to put (esp. oneself) into correct position or relation; to acquaint (esp. oneself) with the existing situation.
Dis- - Separation orparting from, as indismiss,distribute,dissuade.
(Webster, Noah. Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts: G.& C. Merriam Co., 1939)
Before looking at those definitions I had never made the connection between "The Orient" and the word "orient", but now the naming of that geographic area makes sense because it is considered the cradle of civilization. However, as interesting as that information is, "adjusting to facts and principles" better fits our purposes for this article. Then, by adding "dis" to "orient", we effectively separate "correct position" from a proper understanding, much like when I wake up in the morning thinking I have an extra pet, a forgotten house guest, or an incomplete project.
Practical Christianity relies on a proper orientation to function effectively. When Christians get disoriented, ungodly things happen. Religious cults are extreme examples of that condition; many have some foundation in Christianity, but have effectively lost the true orientation (a correct position in Christ.) One commonly occurring example is their failure to acknowledge Christ's equality with God. Christianity is not Christianity without that important detail (and many others they dismiss). There are multitudes of examples, but you see what I mean.
One infamous cult of my generation was the People's Temple lead by Jim Jones. He led his followers to their deaths by convincing them to drink poisoned kool-aid. (I would have linked to his story but didn't want to lead any readers to any suspicious sites; you can do a personal search if you would like more information.) Not all cults make news like Jim Jones, but all are disoriented in God's sight.
How can we be properly oriented? The American Dictionary of the English Language, 1928, by Noah Webster, defines orient as "The east; the part of the horizon where the sun first appears in the morning." As Christians that definition can inspire us to start our day by looking for the appearance of the Risen Son every morning.
Last summer my family vacationed in Hawaii. Although flying is not one of my favorite activities, the flight home provided one of my more memorable moments from the trip. We left Maui on a ten o'clock night flight and, as we flew east toward California, I watched the sun rise over the world. I actually witnessed the line of darkness as it ran from the morning rays shining from the rising sun; the line stretched across the globe and was an awesome sight I'll never forget. When we are oriented according to Christ, likewise His Light chases the darkness from our lives. Wonderful things happen when we identify with the Light instead of the darkness:
"May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:11-14 NRSV).
All these things (prayer, God's Word, and preparing for spiritual warfare) orient us to God and help us become more effective Christians. So, look to the Risen Son every morning and be ready to operate from a proper spiritual orientation.