The "Un-Confusion Principle"

12/2/2002

Monday Morning, December 2, 2002

Victor Martinez, a world championship competitive athlete, makes this statement:

“I used to do all my training by the book—a certain way and schedule. Then I noticed my progress plateaus quickly. I found that to break through the plateaus, I need to mix things up in my workouts. When I change out of the routine, my condition changes faster than ever. This is known as the ‘Confusion Principle’ of training, but in actuality it is not ‘confusion’ at all. It is the shock of breaking routine that has allowed me to go past my limitations, and to succeed at ridiculous levels.”

I don’t know if you can see it yet or not, but THIS IS ONE OF TWO REASONS WHY JESUS SAID, “You nullify the Word of God by your traditions you have handed down” and the Apostle Peter referred to the empty life “received by tradition from your forefathers.”

Is Jesus trying to rob us of all of our fun and comfort?! NO WAY! That’s not “why” he wants us to bust out of our comfort zones and traditions and trust Him. We’re warned off of always doing stuff the same way, “same bat time, same bat place, same bat way”... because it DESENSITIZES us to REALITY. “Simon says kiss your wife at 3:15 pm every day, and be sure to really mean it every time for the next 50 years.” “Simon says start at nine o’clock sharp, sit down, stand up, raise your hands, shake your neighbor’s hand, put the money in the basket, sit and listen to a speech, swoon to the music, every eye closed, every head bowed.”

SINCE WHEN did Jesus EVER do anything of the kind? Psssst. : ) He still isn’t. : )

If we want to grow Spiritually and get off of that ridiculous plateau? Well, consider busting up your traditions and rituals and popping the bubble around the “show”—and BE LIKE GOD LIVES INSIDE OF YOU! In Him we will sing “a NEW song!” Every day.

Sooooo... What’s the OTHER reason Jesus said, “You nullify the Word of God by your traditions you have handed down” and stuff like that?

Because “Tradition is the last refuge of the scoundrel.” Anyone and everyone can “attend” something, and look and sound spiritual in the process. Anyone can hide in religious ceremony and form and ritual, and even be a LEADER—when they are not even truly Regenerate in some cases! When we build Jesus’ Way (Acts 2:42-47; Lk. 9:57-62; Heb. 3:12-14; Eph. 2:21-22) amazing things happen in our lives, plateaus catapulted and lethal foes held at bay for a lifetime! And Jesus never did rituals, responsive readings, assigned times and places for “Wednesday night bible studies” or hold weakly “Prayer Meetings” or assign an automatic “Worship Leader.” And there’s a reason HE wouldn’t do what comes so natural to the natural man. It robs us of the chance to know Him, to know one another, and to know OURSELVES.

Now, just as an example... you know your Bible. Right? Notice the ONLY New Testament “Meeting” instruction for the “whole church” in the BIBLE, in 1 Corinthians 14:23-40. “When you come together brothers, EVERYONE has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or interpretation. All of these must be done—for the strengthening of the Church.” And this creativity and life and spontaneity God has planted within EACH of His Priesthood of Believers, ruled by His CURRENT Headship of His Church is a beautiful thing—always New. : )

And you know, without predictable rote and form to lean on, we get to find HIM! And, you know it’s tough to “plateau” if we’re always LISTENING and EXPRESSING, each of us, “the PLAN”: “Christ IN you, the hope of Glory!”

It’s not really a “confusion principle” (as sports training may call it)—but for us it is the “Creativity Principle” and the “Submission to the LIVING CHRIST Principle.” We are little more than blind slaves chained to a nose ring for those moments we’re committed to “I always do this, go this way, do these things” or “Our family always does this” or “This is how we always do it”... no matter what the “this” or “it” may be. You can’t be that way—and simultaneously SEE and LISTEN. When we violate His Lordship with our own, “we nullify the very Voice of God with our traditions.”

“The Jesus is ALIVE Principle” and the “Tradition is the last refuge of the scoundrel Principle” are the two main things wrong with falling into form and automatic and ritual and tradition and comfort zones. And that’s all I have to say about THAT. : )

For now. : )