KITES AND STRINGS

I once read a poem about a little kite that dreamed about being set free from the string that held it to the ground. Part of the poem goes like this "Were I but free, I'd take a flight; and pierce the clouds beyond their sight. But ah! Like a poor pris'ner bound, my string confines me near the ground". The poor little kite didn't realize that the resistance from the string was the very thing that made flight possible! The poem goes on to tell about how one day the string broke, and instead of soaring above the clouds, the kite fell from the sky and crashed into the ocean!

This reminded me of some followers of Jesus who think that if they could just break free from what they consider to be "confining" circumstances in their life, they too like the little kite, would then be able to soar into the heavenlies. These strings in a believer's life might be, vows, promises, commitments, responsibilities etc. Although these things may seem to be restricting our spiritual progress, they are actually what helps us mature in our spiritual life! "Humility" could be one of these strings that are most important in our lives. Read (James 4:10) to see what he has to say about this very thing. In the NLT it reads "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor". Before cutting any strings in your life, be sure it's not one that the Lord is using to hold you up like the string on a kite! Pride is the opposite of humility, and often comes before a fall. The title of the poem was "The Kite, or Pride, Must Have a Fall"! Pride was actually the original sin that was introduced to our universe by Lucifer (Isa 14:12-14), who then used it to cause Adam and Eve to fall, and introduce sin into the human race, (Rom 5:12). Satan is still our avowed enemy and will use any trick he can to keep us from serving God. If he can't pull us back into some sin we have been delivered from, then he will try to make us feel more spiritual than we really are, which is "spiritual pride"! This is one the worst sins going, and unfortunately he is able to deceive many Christians into thinking they have been given some "new revelation", that even though it may not quite line up with scripture, it feels right. We need to beware of deception in these last days, (Matt 24:24) and not be misled in our thinking like the little kite was in our poem!

"Though I am His sheep, I'm still prone to stray.

So Jesus in love sends afflictions my way:

The lessons that come in the school of deep pain,

Will teach me to follow my Lord once again!"---Bosch

Sincerely submitted

Gramp