Brooding on the truth

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14)

Chambers starts off today’s devotional reading based on this verse with these words: “If you want to know the energy of God (i.e., the resurrection life of Jesus) in your mortal flesh, you must brood on the tragedy of God.”

“Brood” is an interesting word. In context, here it means to think or ponder something, but the main dictionary definition is how a hen or other bird sits on their eggs, keeping them warm until they hatch and new life comes forth.

This image describes how God wants me to ponder what Jesus did on the Cross. He died for me and in Him the world was made dead to me and I died to the world. Do I live that way? Do I boast about that reality? If not, it is because I do not brood about it.

Another image comes to mind. A person just won a great deal of money in a lottery. The first reaction is utter astonishment, yet it the thing seems like a dream; it didn’t really happen. Unless the winner thinks about it and adjusts his mindset to it, he does not feel like a millionaire, talk like a millionaire, or act like a winner.

The world was crucified to me. This is a reality. By the death of Christ, the world has been made dead to me, separated from me. In this context, ‘world’ means the system of sinful living, every person for himself, driven by what I want and by the pride of life. People in the world would never think to boast about the Cross where that world died, but I am to think that way, brood on it, ponder it until I realize this is reality.

I was crucified to the world. That is, God changed my life and my ‘I wants’ so that I’m no longer drawn into worldly things . . .

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

Is this true? God says it is. Do I ponder it, brood about it enough that I begin to act like a person who is dead to the world, separated from fleshy desires, from wanting what I can see, and from being proud about a zillion things? Or do I let the lies of life tell me that I belong here and this world is my home?

God wants me to brood. He wants me to stay with this until the warmth of its truth brings forth His life in me. If I walk away, the eggs or seeds of reality will begin to fade. They will not hatch. I will not perish because God has mercifully saved me, but I could easily miss out on experiencing the great power of God by choosing to run around the coop instead of brooding on the truth.