Playin' Possum

I remember this from many years ago: It’s a question that you’re supposed to ask yourself; “If you were convicted of being a Christian, would the prosecution be able to convict you or would the case be thrown out due to lack of evidence?”

Honestly, these are uncomfortable waters I’m treading. I’m neither judging nor blaming. The work of becoming more adherent to the Word of God is an inward focus, not an outward one. However, because of the eternal ramifications, I’ve changed the way I pick the people that I would have closest to me. The Bible makes it substantially clear how seriously God takes the idea of ‘following Him’; I therefore find it crucial to have people around me who have more of a concern for my spiritual well-being rather than fun friends who I find entertaining.

Have you ever investigated what ‘playing possum’ really is – here’s an excerpt from a website.
A scared possum ‘can go into shock and appear dead. The shock causes the opossum to go into a comatose state in which it lies on its side, its body is limp, its front feet are balled up, and drool comes out of its mouth. The lips are drawn back and teeth are bared, and the eyes close or half close. It may appear that rigor mortis has set in. An opossum can also excrete a green mucus form its anal gland with a smell that makes other animals think the body is decaying. This discourages other animals from feeding on the opossum while it is “playing dead.” The opossum can stay in this state anywhere from 40 minutes to four hours.…When an opossum is in that state, no amount of prodding will elicit a response.’
http://www.andersonwildlifecontrolllc.com/blog/playing-possum/

That’s quite a visual and fitting example.

Everyone you see in your waking day is either dead, or used to be dead. Of course I’m not talking physically, but spiritually. This is an inescapable truth. We often think it an easy thing to identify those who are dead by the myriad of outright heinous acts that litter the news broadcasts on a daily basis; killing people randomly, suicidal bombers, deplorably mistreating children or the elderly, etc.
However, the state of being dead is not confined to extreme, deplorable acts, we know that there's something much more subtle going on. Many of us who were once dead have never done such things, but were still just as dead. So what’s the difference now? Those of us who have been made alive by the Spirit are exhorted to live by the Spirit – evidenced by spiritual fruit.
Sadly, and all too common, many of still find something desirable back there. We have yet to let go of those things we identified with in our former ‘dead’ selves. And even more subtle and disheartening are those who know how to mimic 'abundant life' even when they're struggling in, or perhaps have yet to escape, death's grip....probably another topic for another time.

Here’s The Word:

Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Like I said, this is not about guilt, it’s about inner-reflection. I pray that the evidence that convicts us would be an open and shut case. I pray that our walk would show and shine brighter each day that we've grabbed ahold of life. We all live in a world that we used to be in lock-step with: As dead as any. Yet The Word of God exhorts us to realize the truth. Our old man is dead…and our life is new in Christ. This means then, for us who have been made alive, the only way to continue in (or be a slave to revisiting) our old dead selves is to play possum.


In Him,
Cros