Where Have You Pitched Your Tent?

 

 

Having gone camping twice in my life, I don’t plan on going back anytime soon. Even though I got to sleep in a cabin, it was not a joyful experience for me. There are many people today who enjoy camping to the fullest. They travel around the world to various destinations to experience nature in its purest form. Why I wouldn’t want to do that type of camping is because you have to sleep in a tent. I’m sorry, but I don’t feel comfortable having cotton, nylon and polyester fabric as my only protection at night with the possibility of wild animals roaming nearby. But I guess for those that are, that is one of the reasons why they go. Because of protection, however limited, they (camping enthusiasts) feel comfortable and safe in that environment.

                As followers of Jesus Christ, we may be living in a “spiritual” tent. We may feel comfortable where we are in our lives and don’t feel the need to interrupt the status quo. Why is that? Why are we comfortable with the status quo? Should we be living in a “spiritual” tent? There are some potential dangers and pitfalls with living in a “spiritual” tent. We see what can happen as we look at the story of Abram and Lot. It tells us in Genesis 13:10-12; “And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.”

                We all know the story and life of Lot as he was rescued from the city of Sodom right before it was destroyed. But it is easy to miss what happened before he got there. It not only says that he pitched his tent but that he pitched it toward Sodom. Pitching a tent is considered a temporary abode until a permanent place of residence is established. The fact that Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom signifies where he was headed. Every morning when he woke up and stepped out of his tent, he looked upon Sodom. You’re only going to go where you are facing. So for those of us Christians who are currently living in a “spiritual” tent, which way are you facing? Are you facing Jesus Christ or are you facing the world? When you step out of your “spiritual” tent are you needing to reverse field to head toward Jesus or is it all steam ahead? Before you answer that let me point out that you cannot be halfway between Jesus Christ and the world and be truly surrendered to Him. God does not like Lukewarm (Revelation 3:16).

                The other issue with being halfway between God and the world is the influence you have on others. It is one thing to disobey God by not being fully surrendered to Him, but it’s another thing to not be the proper influence for your children. You see, as parents, we leave an imprint of our lives onto our children. If we’re only halfway between Jesus Christ and the world then our imprint is only half clear. We all know what happens when an already half-clear document gets copied, it becomes more distorted. And after a while the document becomes crooked and then some of the words goes missing off the page. This is how we pass God’s Word onto our children. When they receive it it’s distorted, crooked and missing the truth. Is this the legacy we want to leave our children? Our soul salvation does not transfer to our children; they must accept Jesus Christ as their personal LORD and savior for themselves. Acts 17:30 tells us that, “Truly, these time of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

                So what to do? Well, there is some good news! I mentioned before that a tent is only temporary. So there is still the opportunity to fully surrender our life to Christ. If your “spiritual” tent is currently facing the world, then we must repent and ‘turn away’ from the world and go toward Christ. It tells us in James 1:22 to “But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Once we do that, then we can set up permanent residence in the presence of the LORD.  So where have you pitched your tent? If you answer is ‘I don’t have a tent but rather permanent residence in the presence of the LORD’, then you are in the right place. If your answer is ‘in the plain halfway between the LORD and the world’, then now is the time to change course. The LORD is waiting! And He tells us in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” The LORD is waiting!