It’s no secret that I love The Lord of the Rings.  I’m a fan of the epic and everything about it.

However, the whole journey would have been made a lot simpler if it would have ended this way.  (Thanks to Chris and the guys over at Soul Food Offering for the link.)

Now I could go into all the philosophical and theological implications and jumping off points about why it is a better analogy for life that it didn’t happen this way, but it’s Saturday, and I’m tired. :)

More movie endings like this at howitshouldhaveended.com

This might sound funny, but God and I had a conversation today through the song “Best of You” by Foo Fighters.

The Scene

I’ve been having a very stressful week for a number of reasons, most of them revolving around work. (Not a bad stress, it’s a lot of good things happening, just a lot of weight and responsibility that come with such things.) Along with this stress and weight has come very powerful… I don’t know how else to put it… spiritual attack.

Mostly in the form of temptation to sin; a very powerful urge to screw up and compromise principles and convictions I hold to be very important. I had been contemplating (more like wrestling, or fighting a losing battle) screwing up (accidentally on purpose). That isn’t exactly an accurate description. It’s more along the lines of a realization that if I don’t do something (aka, actively resist) I’m going to fall. It’s just that actively resisting seemed futile, or extremely difficult to impossible.

I was listening to a local Clear Channel radio station (which I tend to do) and the song Animals by Nickleback came on. The song describes what amounts to plain immoral behavior. Somethingg clicked at that point. And my heart started to mourn for people who actually live that life. Which is odd, because according to the world’s system, if you are living the life described in that song, you are living it up, yet for some reason, I felt saddness.

Cut to the Chase

The Foo Fighters “Best of You” came on. And the conversation ensued thusly: (apologies to David Grohl and other Foo Fighters for me completely hijacking whatever meaning or inspiration you may have behind these lyrics. I can’t help it that God usurped them to speak to my soul.)

God: Were you born to resist, or be abused?
Me: well… obviouslly…
God: Is someone getting the best of you?
Me: My Heart is under arrest again.
Me/God: But I’ll break loose.
Me: My head is giving me life or death, but I can’t choose.
Me/God: I swear I’ll never give in, I refuse.
God: Is someone getting the best of you?
God: Has someone taken your faith?
Me: well… no…
God: It’s real, this pain you feel…
God: And what about your trust? You know you’ll have to confess…
God: Is someone getting the best of you?
Me: It feels like it.
God: What about The life, the love you’d die to heal, the hope that starts the broken hearts?
(translated for the less poetic: The reason you live is to help other people heal from the pain that results from living the life you are contemplating visitin for a moment!)
God: What about your trust, you know you must Confess.
Me: I’m tired of starting over again, and again, and again
God: Were you born to resist? Or be abused?
Me: I swear I’ll never give in! I refuse!
God: Is someone getting the best of you?
Me: Never.

It was a healing moment.

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God… …But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you… …Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

James 5:4,6-8,10

Check out “Best of You” on iTunes

Full Lyrics:

Foo Fighters – Best of You

I’ve got another confession to make: I’m your fool
Everyone’s got their chains to break: Holdin’ you
Were you born to resist or be abused?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Or are you gone and onto someone new?

I needed somewhere to hang my head without your noose
You gave me something that I didn’t have, but had no use
I was too weak to give in, too strong to lose
My heart is under arrest again, but I’ll break loose
My head is giving me life or death, but I can’t choose
I swear I’ll never give in, I refuse

Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?

Has someone taken your faith?
Its real, the pain you feel
Your trust, you must confess
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?

Has someone taken your faith?
It’s real, the pain you feel
The life, the love you’d die to heal
The hope that starts the broken hearts
Your trust, you must Confess

Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?

I’ve got another confession my friend: I’m no fool
I’m getting tired of starting again Somewhere new

Were you born to resist or be abused?
I swear I’ll never give in, I refuse

Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?

Has someone taken your faith?
It’s real, the pain you feel
Your trust, you must confess
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?

If I may toot my own horn for a moment (toot toot!), Godbit, a site I contribute to from (rare) time to time was recently inducted into the 9rules network*.  There was even a nice write-up about Godbit on their blog by 9rules’s man, Shawn Anthony.

If the Christian faith ever needed a handful of post-modern, technological prophets, it is now, and Godbit is chock full of them (Andy Knight, Cody Lindley, David Hemphill, Jeremy Flint, Justin Thorp, Matt Heerema, Nathan Logan, Nathan Smith, Ray Williams, Robert Evans, Rob Soulé, Ryan Hargrave, Ryan Heneise, Tim Bednar, Yannick Lyn Fatt, and their many readers).

Thanks guys.

*for the unitiated, 9rules is a fairly high-profile network of blogs/web sites that consistently produce high quality content.  From their about page:

The 9rules Network is a community of the best weblogs in the world on a variety of topics. We started 9rules to give passionate writers more exposure and to help readers find great blogs on their favorite subjects. It’s difficult to find sites worth returning to, so 9rules brings together the very best of the independent web all under one roof.