Out of context

I remember reading somewhere (and I can't remember who wrote it), that as important as it is to study the text that is the word of God, we need to equally study the text of life. If we're to be in touch with God, and in tune with the heart of God, then we need to be in touch with the world because God's heart is for the world.
We often talk about the importance of reading the word of God 'in context'. It really is quite easy to think about how we're feeling, to find a single verse of scripture that says something we like the sound of, and then to spend however long it takes to make that scripture speak to our circumstance and justify our current state of mind (otherwise known as isogesis). We need to be reminded to ensure that what we read and what we take from the word is true and consistant with the full tenor of scripture (and therefore the charachter of God). But how often do we view the text of our own life 'in context'? I'm not just talking about piecing together different circumstances to get a full picture, i'm not just talking about connecting a feeling with an event that took place 15 years ago in order to understand it, but i'm talking about reading the text of life within the context of who we are in Christ. As i began to pray this morning, i found myself speaking these words; 'Lord, i feel out of context'.
However, today's revelation is this; whether i'm in context or out of context has nothing to do with my emotions, my state of mind, my circumstance or my station in society, but it has everything to do with knowing who I am in Christ. If in know that, and if i'm secure in that, then no matter where I am, how I feel or what i think, I'm in context.
'But our citizenship is in heaven' (Philippians 3:20).
'But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy' (1 Peter 2:9-10).

So now I'm in context.