Flying Your Kite on Borrowed Wind

Every once in a while you will hear the phrase, "You are flying your kite on borrowed wind." Though the phrase has many different applications, I found myself pondering its spiritual applications as my kids and I were flying a kite at the beach this weekend.

Spiritually there is quite a bit of truth to that statement. Many times we are prone to thoughts of autonomy and independence. As if somehow we are actually in control of many of the blessing we experience in this life. If our health is good, we may think it was do to our good eating habits or exercise routine, or if we are successful in academics we may think it is because of our study habits. Even though there are means of grace and certainly activities and habits we should be cultivating which are important for all of us to focus on, the very fact that we know to cultivate them or even have the heath and ability to do them is a gift from God. Jesus was clear to point out that, "apart from Him we can do nothing." Our entire life is in His hand and "all good things come from Him."

In philosophy, starting even with the pre-Socratics, three questions were quite frequently discussed. They were, where does life come from, where does motion come from, and where does personhood, or consciousness, come from? In fact, many people still ask these questions today. Why is there life instead of non-life? Why are there things like plants and animals instead of just things like rocks and dirt? Second, If all motion has a mover, what was the unmoved mover that started all motion? And Third, how did persons come to exist? Why is it that beings exist that can think, know, reason, and relate to each other?

Many people have attempted to answer these questions from many different worldviews. But Paul, when he was at the Areopagus speaking to several Greeks in Athens who had most likely pondered these questions, gives one of the most philosophical statements in all of Scripture. He says,

"For in him (God) we live, and move, and have our being;" Acts 17:28

In one small statement Paul answers all three questions. It is God that gives life, it is God who is the unmoved mover, and being and personhood comes from the great "I Am", the very definition of existence. Our dependence upon God goes to the very core of everything we are and do. We are truly flying our kites our borrowed wind. As Christians let us live like we know this is true, and offer the praise and worship due to our great God.

Doug