The anti-chameleon

The chameleon is famed for blending in: “Hold still and blend in; no one will see me.”

There is a creature that does the exact opposite. It is living and active. No matter what background you lay it against, it stands out. It is never still, silent or passive. In fact, it deliberately draws its surroundings in its direction.

It is the Word of God. I wonder how I can be sure that I have eternal life. I worry and fret and wonder if I am doing enough. Philippians 2:12 tells me to work out my salvation with fear and trembling. Trembling, I pray that I have worked enough. I slip toward the color called, “motivated to be certain of my salvation.”

Then I read a John 5:24 which tells me to rest assured, I have “crossed over from death to life”. So I take a deep breath and heave a sigh of relief. Trusting in God’s Word, I move toward the opposite color, “sure of my salvation.”

But then I read Philippians 3:10-12 which tells me that even the chosen Apostle Paul did not consider his resurrection from the dead a sure thing. Who am I to rest assured that I will be resurrected? The Bible pulls me back toward, “motivated to be certain.”

Whichever side I slip toward, it pulls me back. Whichever color I begin to focus on, the Bible shows up in the other. It is the anti-chameleon.

Donna Douglass