In my quiet time today I came across these verses from Proverbs 23, "Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless, for their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause against you."
At first I was confused. How am I supposed to learn anything from this? What does that part about the landmark even mean? Also, it almost sounds like it's saying to NOT help out orphans and widows, even though in other places in the Bible it clearly instructs us to do this (like James 1:27). Instead this verse sounds like it's telling us to keep our distance from them because God is their Redeemer, and He doesn't want you to try to help.
This is where it started making a little more sense. My understanding of these verses isn't that we should ignore the helpless and expect God to do all the work -- if there's anything I've learned throughout the years in my relationship with God, it's that we both have our part to do. God is always faithful in His part, but the question is, will we be faithful in ours?
That's where the truth made itself known to me in the midst of this seemingly confusing passage. It's not telling us to do nothing -- it is telling us to do our part, but the emphasis is on "our." We are to do our own part, not God's. What is God's part? He is the Redeemer. We are not. Don't in your ignorance think you know what's best for the world. Do not try to be someone else's Savior, for they already have a Redeemer, and you will be held responsible for trying to take His place.
The most helpful thing I got out of these verses are questions I am still mulling over. It has really given me a lot to think about and take in prayer to the Lord. Am I trying to be someone's Savior? Am I trying to be my own Savior? With whom do I feel, "If only they would take my advice, everything would work out," or, "If only they saw things my way, they'd be much better off"? How do you love someone without trying to take God's place in their life?
We are not called to be someone else's Savior, and there is great comfort and peace in that. Personally, I let out a sigh of relief upon this realization. I don't have to be perfect. This is a burden I can cast on Christ instead, because He can carry it. My part is obedience to God, and to trust Him to do His part. In the meantime, Lord, teach us how to love others with You, not in place of You.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Friday, November 9, 2012
On Life and Love
About a week ago, I read a few articles on the Internet about God that really struck me. One was about the incredible weakness (or vulnerability) of God, that He came to us as a baby that grew up to be a man to be crucified on the cross. He was essentially born as a human sacrifice. It compared Him to a lamb, the way John the Baptist does ("Behold, the Lamb of God!"), but it also pointed out the actual behavior of lambs when they are led to the slaughter. They stretch out their neck and nuzzle the hand of the one that is going to kill them. They show love and affection in the face of death. Not fear, not anger.
Before I move onto the next (and main) point of this blog, I just want to point out that Jesus never counted His emotions as a reason to defend Himself. He never used the way He was feeling to justify His actions (His actions were always based in Truth, not emotion). In the face of killers that spat at Him and mocked Him, hurting Him emotionally as well as physically, He never harbored bitterness or resentment against them. If somebody offends you, or makes you feel bad, or hurts you emotionally, that's no excuse to harbor bitterness or resentment or anger against them. Do not count it as an offense. You are still called to love them. (Besides, feelings go up and down all the time; such is their nature. Don't worry if the reason they are going down happens to be because of another person.)
The second article I read was on the suffering of love. Love sweats blood, it said. The first blood that was ever spilled from the Crucifix came from the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus was praying out of love for you. Love pours itself out for others.
Something very simple came to me the other day, something that I knew but didn't really KNOW until it pierced me through the heart: Love of self is not love. Love, by nature, must be other-oriented. This is why God is Triune. His love was first oriented at the other persons in Himself, then at us as well (when we came along). Since love is always other-oriented, that is why He created life: to invite others up into His perfect love. Love always looks for others to extend itself to (for example, a marriage between two people will eventually become a family of three or more). So God extended His love to Adam and Eve, to the Jews (His chosen people), and finally to the Gentiles as well. What is our calling as Christians? To extend His love even further, to all we meet. Love must permeate the entire universe.
The devil's perversion of this love is love of self. He twists the original direction of its orientation (toward others) and back around (toward self) so it is no longer even love, but a mockery of it. It cannot survive like this. It collapses back onto itself in a fit of destruction when it is oriented in this way. It is no longer love; it does not extend itself to others, but pushes them away. Love encourages life -- God's love created life. Selfishness encourages death -- the devil's twisting of love brought death into the world.
This is why abortion exists. The physical act of love, when oriented toward the beloved, encourages life to arise. It procreates another being so it can extend even further to others, as is its nature. This same physical act of love, when oriented toward self (done for your own pleasure, not for the good of the beloved), steals life. It invites death into the relationship -- emotional death (premarital sex drains the love out of relationships), spiritual death (separation from God due to dwelling in sin), and sometimes even physical death (the spread of STDs, and unwanted pregnancies that result in abortions). Love of self... love of your time, your money, your health, all those excuses you listed as not wanting a baby... is not love. And it results in death.
To truly be love, it must be willing to extend to others, and continually extend. Love cannot be content to ever stop extending. It cannot say, "I will extend to you, but no further." It must be willing to go to the ends of the earth; in Christ's case, it must be willing to go to hell and back. Why? Because, by nature, love is infinite. Should it ever stop extending, should it ever stop reaching to the lowest places to lift up those it finds there, it would not be infinite, and it would not be love.
We are desperate for love, and yet we die because we feast on the counterfeit "love" that the devil feeds us. We are starving ourselves from the life-giving love of God. God's love is life. It filled Jesus Christ, it gave Him life and raised Him from the dead. His was the ultimate sacrifice, and the ultimate life-giving love.
Before I move onto the next (and main) point of this blog, I just want to point out that Jesus never counted His emotions as a reason to defend Himself. He never used the way He was feeling to justify His actions (His actions were always based in Truth, not emotion). In the face of killers that spat at Him and mocked Him, hurting Him emotionally as well as physically, He never harbored bitterness or resentment against them. If somebody offends you, or makes you feel bad, or hurts you emotionally, that's no excuse to harbor bitterness or resentment or anger against them. Do not count it as an offense. You are still called to love them. (Besides, feelings go up and down all the time; such is their nature. Don't worry if the reason they are going down happens to be because of another person.)
The second article I read was on the suffering of love. Love sweats blood, it said. The first blood that was ever spilled from the Crucifix came from the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus was praying out of love for you. Love pours itself out for others.
Something very simple came to me the other day, something that I knew but didn't really KNOW until it pierced me through the heart: Love of self is not love. Love, by nature, must be other-oriented. This is why God is Triune. His love was first oriented at the other persons in Himself, then at us as well (when we came along). Since love is always other-oriented, that is why He created life: to invite others up into His perfect love. Love always looks for others to extend itself to (for example, a marriage between two people will eventually become a family of three or more). So God extended His love to Adam and Eve, to the Jews (His chosen people), and finally to the Gentiles as well. What is our calling as Christians? To extend His love even further, to all we meet. Love must permeate the entire universe.
The devil's perversion of this love is love of self. He twists the original direction of its orientation (toward others) and back around (toward self) so it is no longer even love, but a mockery of it. It cannot survive like this. It collapses back onto itself in a fit of destruction when it is oriented in this way. It is no longer love; it does not extend itself to others, but pushes them away. Love encourages life -- God's love created life. Selfishness encourages death -- the devil's twisting of love brought death into the world.
This is why abortion exists. The physical act of love, when oriented toward the beloved, encourages life to arise. It procreates another being so it can extend even further to others, as is its nature. This same physical act of love, when oriented toward self (done for your own pleasure, not for the good of the beloved), steals life. It invites death into the relationship -- emotional death (premarital sex drains the love out of relationships), spiritual death (separation from God due to dwelling in sin), and sometimes even physical death (the spread of STDs, and unwanted pregnancies that result in abortions). Love of self... love of your time, your money, your health, all those excuses you listed as not wanting a baby... is not love. And it results in death.
To truly be love, it must be willing to extend to others, and continually extend. Love cannot be content to ever stop extending. It cannot say, "I will extend to you, but no further." It must be willing to go to the ends of the earth; in Christ's case, it must be willing to go to hell and back. Why? Because, by nature, love is infinite. Should it ever stop extending, should it ever stop reaching to the lowest places to lift up those it finds there, it would not be infinite, and it would not be love.
We are desperate for love, and yet we die because we feast on the counterfeit "love" that the devil feeds us. We are starving ourselves from the life-giving love of God. God's love is life. It filled Jesus Christ, it gave Him life and raised Him from the dead. His was the ultimate sacrifice, and the ultimate life-giving love.
Friday, December 23, 2011
The Hard Way
2011 has been a difficult year.
This is what I've learned, the hard way, in the form of letters to my cousin.
January 21st, 2011
This joy that I am feeling that is from God – it’s not out loud. It’s not a rollercoaster or a firework or jumping headfirst into a pool and feeling the cool water explode around you. It’s not dancing to your favorite Christian rap song or collapsing into a fit of laughter on the floor. It’s not running through an open field and feeling the freedom all around you. But you know what it is? It’s a cup of warm tea as you snuggle into bed at night with a good book. It’s a hot bath after a long, stressful day. It’s a slow dance to an old song from another decade. It’s falling asleep with the comforter snuggled up to your neck and a smile on your face.
That’s what I realized a few nights ago. Even though I don’t feel like I’m doing much on my end of the deal, God has continued to teach me about Joy and how to experience it in this lifetime. True Joy comes from Him, and if you attempt to find it in other areas of life, it does the exact opposite of what you were hoping for and sucks everything out of you instead. But the joy from God, especially the kind experienced during trials, is not the “fast-paced, living life out loud, screaming from the mountaintops” kind of joy. It doesn’t come in the earthquake or the fire or the great wind, but in the tiny, nearly undetectable whisper from the mouth of God. It’s the quiet kind of joy, like the ripples in a lake gently lapping against the sandy shoreline, that feeds you soothing words in the midst of suffering. It’s the kind of joy that calms your beating heart and wraps you up in a blanket of warmth when you’re afraid of freezing in the cold night. It doesn’t take your problems away, but it protects you from being damaged by them. Because when you’re in the hand of God, nothing can touch you. In His joy, you are aware of what’s going on around you – you’re not oblivious to reality. But you’re safe and can genuinely smile anyway. That’s what He’s doing for me this semester, and I absolutely love it.
Joy is a deep, steadfast contentedness in all areas of life, no matter what your circumstances are.
February 2nd, 2011
You know, people focus entirely too much on guarding their own hearts, like they have to keep it locked away in some little box to keep it from ever experiencing pain. I think that it is with our own hearts that we are the absolute worst; we give it away far too easily. Instead, you should give your heart to God for Him to guard, and then you spend the rest of your time looking out for other peoples’ hearts, making sure you are acting in such a way that does not damage them. Because that’s what love is really all about – looking out for other people, not looking out for yourself.
Love moves outwards, toward others, and away from yourself.
April 18th, 2011
I wonder how many people enter a relationship with God and stay in the “just friends” zone, though? I wonder how many people listen to the reservations of the world and stay back, attempting to put one foot in sin and one foot in with God, hoping that that will be enough to get by? I wonder how many people realize the things that God is calling them to give up in order to pursue a deeper love with Him, and therefore don’t answer that tug on their heartstrings that is whispering, “Know me. Know me intimately. Don’t you want to experience this crazy insane love for which you were created?” Maybe this is just the way I was created – with a big old hole in my heart and the weird desire to be a part of something bigger than myself – but how could anyone want to deny such an enticing invitation? How could anyone say no to such a request? Imagine getting a wedding proposal from the God of the universe. “Marry Me. Know Me. Come away with Me. Experience eternal life with Me. I want to lavish My love upon you!” How could you, why would you say no?
But the things of this world are enticing, and we already have them in our hands. While God is whispering to the quiet depths of our heart, Satan is yelling in our ears, trying to distract us from this wonderful gift God has waiting for us in His outstretched palms. We are told, “No, it’s too hard. You’ll suffer too much. Why bother going after that which is unattainable, anyway? You already have something really good right here. Okay, maybe it’s not quite what God is offering you, but it’s close enough, right? Just love God as a friend and still entertain yourself with the pleasures of this world. That’s enough to get into Heaven, isn’t it? You don’t have to go ‘all out’ for Him like those crazy fanatics… just have a nice, neat little love in the suburbs with a white picket fence and go to church on Sundays and every other day of the week can be about you and whatever else you want!”
Hm. I don’t know. I don’t want a nice, neat little love in the suburbs with a white picket fence and church on Sundays. I want a crazy, passionate love. The kind where we start out exploring the jungles of God’s heart and then kayaking through the white water rapids of His love. He is so big and so infinite and His love is so dynamic and yet unchanging at the same time – I want to explore this paradox! He knows how I am and how I work inside and out – I want to know His heart and understand how He works, too. Even if I never can… even if I can never love You quite the same way You love me, I want to try. Dear God, I want to try! Can I just spend eternity discovering more and more of who You are?
God is after your heart, not your works.
April 24th, 2011
Personally, I like thunderstorms. I’ve never been in a major natural disaster (except maybe those hurricanes that came through when I was younger), so I probably don’t have the fear of it that I should. But I don’t know; they’re just really cool… very powerful… they remind me of God, I think. I stand in awe of them. They are beautiful and destructive.
Oh, there’s the rain.
All this from the God who loves me. He is so powerful, so worthy of awe. Yet I don’t think that I treat Him with the reverence that He deserves. What is it about God that makes Him as powerful as a hurricane, as fear-inducing as a thunderstorm, as forceful as a tornado, yet as attractive as a light is to a moth? Why do we stand in the midst of the rain and the wind and the thunder and the lightning just to hear His voice speak directly to our hearts? Why do we endure the hardships, the storms that He allows to happen around us, just so that we can experience His mighty love at work in our lives? What is it about Him that encourages us to stand in the rain, to look up at the lightning, and want it to touch us, even though it is dangerous and could kill us with a sideways glance? I feel God is the same way. So powerful, so very much in control of our tiny lives, and yet… we are drawn to Him. We go to Him and desire to experience this crazy love that He has for us. We are willing, by His grace, to risk all the hardship and the persecution and the storms just to hear His voice, just to hear His whisper against the rolls of thunder. He calls us to Him, and He is irresistible.
You were made to be with Him.
August 19th, 2011
I want to praise God with my words, but somehow, it always feels so inadequate. Nothing I ever say will capture quite the way I feel, or exactly how big He is, or the beauty of who He is. It’s frustrating in a way, but it’s also wonderful… a feeling, an emotion, a sense of God that I cannot capture entirely. It keeps me from caging Him.
He's bigger than you and always will be, so stop acting like you can put Him in a box. Not even words can capture Him.
September 27th, 2011
I realized something today while spending time with God, though. Just like our ministry is an overflow of how well we know the Father, so is our burden for the lost. The more intimately we know God, the more sweet we believe Him to be and the more we see how much we need Him, the more we’ll be burdened for those that don’t know Him. The more we experience the joy of knowing Him, the more we will want others to experience that joy as well. Everything goes back to being intimate with the Father. Everything goes back to your own personal relationship with Him. It is from that vital lifeline that everything else flows.
Relationship-centered, yet again... not works-centered.
Some more realizations that I can't copy and paste from letters:
1) Jesus has laughing eyes. The joy is so evident that it radiates from His very face. He's in love.
2) He is always, always, always with you, even when you don't feel Him.
3) God answers prayers in His own way and His own time, even those that you prayed once a long time ago and forget about the next day.
4) Put your identity in Christ and Christ alone. But seriously. Do it.
5) Love is always worth it. No exceptions. (Also, it always hurts... no exceptions. If it doesn't hurt, it isn't love.)
And for the love of God, if you love God, then please love God. Not the world.
(Guilty, yes. Passionate... also yes.)
Jesus' #1 problem with the Pharisees is that they were hypocrites. They followed all the rules and lived the "right" life, but had no heart for God. They were inauthentic, fake, and liars. God, please cleanse this hypocrisy from our hearts and our lives.
2012 is going to be magical.
This is what I've learned, the hard way, in the form of letters to my cousin.
January 21st, 2011
This joy that I am feeling that is from God – it’s not out loud. It’s not a rollercoaster or a firework or jumping headfirst into a pool and feeling the cool water explode around you. It’s not dancing to your favorite Christian rap song or collapsing into a fit of laughter on the floor. It’s not running through an open field and feeling the freedom all around you. But you know what it is? It’s a cup of warm tea as you snuggle into bed at night with a good book. It’s a hot bath after a long, stressful day. It’s a slow dance to an old song from another decade. It’s falling asleep with the comforter snuggled up to your neck and a smile on your face.
That’s what I realized a few nights ago. Even though I don’t feel like I’m doing much on my end of the deal, God has continued to teach me about Joy and how to experience it in this lifetime. True Joy comes from Him, and if you attempt to find it in other areas of life, it does the exact opposite of what you were hoping for and sucks everything out of you instead. But the joy from God, especially the kind experienced during trials, is not the “fast-paced, living life out loud, screaming from the mountaintops” kind of joy. It doesn’t come in the earthquake or the fire or the great wind, but in the tiny, nearly undetectable whisper from the mouth of God. It’s the quiet kind of joy, like the ripples in a lake gently lapping against the sandy shoreline, that feeds you soothing words in the midst of suffering. It’s the kind of joy that calms your beating heart and wraps you up in a blanket of warmth when you’re afraid of freezing in the cold night. It doesn’t take your problems away, but it protects you from being damaged by them. Because when you’re in the hand of God, nothing can touch you. In His joy, you are aware of what’s going on around you – you’re not oblivious to reality. But you’re safe and can genuinely smile anyway. That’s what He’s doing for me this semester, and I absolutely love it.
Joy is a deep, steadfast contentedness in all areas of life, no matter what your circumstances are.
February 2nd, 2011
You know, people focus entirely too much on guarding their own hearts, like they have to keep it locked away in some little box to keep it from ever experiencing pain. I think that it is with our own hearts that we are the absolute worst; we give it away far too easily. Instead, you should give your heart to God for Him to guard, and then you spend the rest of your time looking out for other peoples’ hearts, making sure you are acting in such a way that does not damage them. Because that’s what love is really all about – looking out for other people, not looking out for yourself.
Love moves outwards, toward others, and away from yourself.
April 18th, 2011
I wonder how many people enter a relationship with God and stay in the “just friends” zone, though? I wonder how many people listen to the reservations of the world and stay back, attempting to put one foot in sin and one foot in with God, hoping that that will be enough to get by? I wonder how many people realize the things that God is calling them to give up in order to pursue a deeper love with Him, and therefore don’t answer that tug on their heartstrings that is whispering, “Know me. Know me intimately. Don’t you want to experience this crazy insane love for which you were created?” Maybe this is just the way I was created – with a big old hole in my heart and the weird desire to be a part of something bigger than myself – but how could anyone want to deny such an enticing invitation? How could anyone say no to such a request? Imagine getting a wedding proposal from the God of the universe. “Marry Me. Know Me. Come away with Me. Experience eternal life with Me. I want to lavish My love upon you!” How could you, why would you say no?
But the things of this world are enticing, and we already have them in our hands. While God is whispering to the quiet depths of our heart, Satan is yelling in our ears, trying to distract us from this wonderful gift God has waiting for us in His outstretched palms. We are told, “No, it’s too hard. You’ll suffer too much. Why bother going after that which is unattainable, anyway? You already have something really good right here. Okay, maybe it’s not quite what God is offering you, but it’s close enough, right? Just love God as a friend and still entertain yourself with the pleasures of this world. That’s enough to get into Heaven, isn’t it? You don’t have to go ‘all out’ for Him like those crazy fanatics… just have a nice, neat little love in the suburbs with a white picket fence and go to church on Sundays and every other day of the week can be about you and whatever else you want!”
Hm. I don’t know. I don’t want a nice, neat little love in the suburbs with a white picket fence and church on Sundays. I want a crazy, passionate love. The kind where we start out exploring the jungles of God’s heart and then kayaking through the white water rapids of His love. He is so big and so infinite and His love is so dynamic and yet unchanging at the same time – I want to explore this paradox! He knows how I am and how I work inside and out – I want to know His heart and understand how He works, too. Even if I never can… even if I can never love You quite the same way You love me, I want to try. Dear God, I want to try! Can I just spend eternity discovering more and more of who You are?
God is after your heart, not your works.
April 24th, 2011
Personally, I like thunderstorms. I’ve never been in a major natural disaster (except maybe those hurricanes that came through when I was younger), so I probably don’t have the fear of it that I should. But I don’t know; they’re just really cool… very powerful… they remind me of God, I think. I stand in awe of them. They are beautiful and destructive.
Oh, there’s the rain.
All this from the God who loves me. He is so powerful, so worthy of awe. Yet I don’t think that I treat Him with the reverence that He deserves. What is it about God that makes Him as powerful as a hurricane, as fear-inducing as a thunderstorm, as forceful as a tornado, yet as attractive as a light is to a moth? Why do we stand in the midst of the rain and the wind and the thunder and the lightning just to hear His voice speak directly to our hearts? Why do we endure the hardships, the storms that He allows to happen around us, just so that we can experience His mighty love at work in our lives? What is it about Him that encourages us to stand in the rain, to look up at the lightning, and want it to touch us, even though it is dangerous and could kill us with a sideways glance? I feel God is the same way. So powerful, so very much in control of our tiny lives, and yet… we are drawn to Him. We go to Him and desire to experience this crazy love that He has for us. We are willing, by His grace, to risk all the hardship and the persecution and the storms just to hear His voice, just to hear His whisper against the rolls of thunder. He calls us to Him, and He is irresistible.
You were made to be with Him.
August 19th, 2011
I want to praise God with my words, but somehow, it always feels so inadequate. Nothing I ever say will capture quite the way I feel, or exactly how big He is, or the beauty of who He is. It’s frustrating in a way, but it’s also wonderful… a feeling, an emotion, a sense of God that I cannot capture entirely. It keeps me from caging Him.
He's bigger than you and always will be, so stop acting like you can put Him in a box. Not even words can capture Him.
September 27th, 2011
I realized something today while spending time with God, though. Just like our ministry is an overflow of how well we know the Father, so is our burden for the lost. The more intimately we know God, the more sweet we believe Him to be and the more we see how much we need Him, the more we’ll be burdened for those that don’t know Him. The more we experience the joy of knowing Him, the more we will want others to experience that joy as well. Everything goes back to being intimate with the Father. Everything goes back to your own personal relationship with Him. It is from that vital lifeline that everything else flows.
Relationship-centered, yet again... not works-centered.
Some more realizations that I can't copy and paste from letters:
1) Jesus has laughing eyes. The joy is so evident that it radiates from His very face. He's in love.
2) He is always, always, always with you, even when you don't feel Him.
3) God answers prayers in His own way and His own time, even those that you prayed once a long time ago and forget about the next day.
4) Put your identity in Christ and Christ alone. But seriously. Do it.
5) Love is always worth it. No exceptions. (Also, it always hurts... no exceptions. If it doesn't hurt, it isn't love.)
And for the love of God, if you love God, then please love God. Not the world.
(Guilty, yes. Passionate... also yes.)
Jesus' #1 problem with the Pharisees is that they were hypocrites. They followed all the rules and lived the "right" life, but had no heart for God. They were inauthentic, fake, and liars. God, please cleanse this hypocrisy from our hearts and our lives.
2012 is going to be magical.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Unconditional Love
Unconditional love. A lesson that takes a lifetime of learning.
We've all heard that the love of God is what changes you. But have you ever sat back and thought about why it is that His love is a love that changes? I don't know if I have the full answer, but I realized today that I've been experiencing the way love changes a person for years -- before I was even a Christian -- and didn't notice it until today.
It blew my mind when it hit me.
I have a temper that sometimes gets the better of me. If you find that statement outlandish or unbelievable upon reading it, then you really don't know me very well.
This temper is usually easy to control around strangers or acquaintances or even friends that I see on a regular basis but aren't terribly close to. But if you've been let into the innermost part of my heart, chances are you'll see it arise a few times more than you'd like. Why is that the case? I'm not really sure. For whatever reason, we are sometimes the most careless with the ones we love the deepest. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that when I open up and am vulnerable with you, you're bound to see some not-so-pretty things.
Family, for instance, has seen all sorts of sinful habits of mine. My parents especially. I will never get over the fact that my parents put up with me for as long as they did, that they still do today, and that they've loved me better than anyone else on this planet through it all. It almost makes me scared to have kids because I don't think I could ever live up to how they have raised me and my siblings.
My dad in particular is an amazing picture of unconditional love. He has been the victim of my temper for years now. It has gotten a lot better in the past year or so (for reasons I am about to explain), but there was a time when almost every time he tried to hold a conversation with me, I would lash out at him for no justifiable reason. The temper would just flare up and I didn't have a very tight reign on it.
Do you know what he would do? Keep talking to me as if we were having a normal conversation. Either that, or end the conversation gracefully and walk away. The next time we spoke, there was no evidence of sin between us at all. It was as if the fault had never existed. Not that he ignored the problem, but he had already forgiven me in his heart for what I did to him.
He didn't hold a grudge. He didn't give me the silent treatment. He didn't respond with a snappy comeback or harsh words of his own. He didn't punish me in any way. He didn't sit me down and say, "Look. What you did was unwarranted. It hurt me. You need to watch what you say and how you say it. There was no reason for you to lash out like that." He certainly didn't say, "I know you have insecurities. I know you have a problem, but you need to fix it." He simply forgave me and continued to love me the way I was, regardless of the hurt it caused him.
Why? Because I am his daughter, and nothing I do is going to make him love me any less.
Not all fathers on earth are perfect. I've been blessed with an earthly father that is, in most cases, a picture of my Heavenly Father. He is someone I can look to and see the truth and light of God shining through him, whether he realizes it or not.
I realized one day after a conversation on the phone with my father (where I lashed out at him, as usual), that I lost my temper too easily while talking to him. And for no reason at all! He had done absolutely nothing to deserve my anger in the first place, but even more so, he had taken it with a grace and love that definitely should not have been the typical response. I asked myself, why do I get angry with him so easily? I couldn't find a single reason. From that day on, I've found it much easier to talk to him without losing my temper. I still mess up occasionally, of course, but he continues to love me anyway, just as he always has.
How is this a picture of God and His love?
My father's love prompted me to change. I was convicted upon noticing that he didn't respond to my anger with anger of his own. Instead, he responded with love. Anger doesn't drive anger out. It only intensifies it. It was only and ultimately through unconditional love that my father would touch me in such a way that would make me want to change for the better, and stay changed forever.
Love never fails.
When I sin against God, and I see Him respond to my sin with love, it makes me want to change because I recognize that He doesn't deserve to be sinned against, and that I don't deserve the love He is giving me. It's the Gospel all over again: God taking something He doesn't deserve on Himself, and giving something in return to an undeserving people. When God loves me unconditionally exactly the way I am, the response is paradoxical -- I don't want to stay exactly the way I am, I want to be made into somebody that is actually deserving of that love!
1 Corinthians 13 is a cliche passage about love. I think, because it's referenced so much, some of the power of it is lost on people. There are just a few things I want to point out in this passage:
Verse 5 says, "[Love] is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."
Verse 10 says, "But when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears."
When perfection (love, keeping no record of wrongs) comes, the imperfect (easily angered, temper) disappears. So why do we think that responding to imperfection with more imperfection, sin with more sin, sin with routines and legalism, sin with judgement or condemnation, is going to change anyone -- others and ourselves included? Imperfection can't cast out imperfection. We can't change people. We can't even change ourselves. It takes the perfect love of God.
To quote a Jesus Culture song, "The love of God changes us. We're never the same after we encounter the love of God." If you desire to change, keep meeting with Him. Keep going deeper and deeper in your relationship with Him. His love will change you.
We've all heard that the love of God is what changes you. But have you ever sat back and thought about why it is that His love is a love that changes? I don't know if I have the full answer, but I realized today that I've been experiencing the way love changes a person for years -- before I was even a Christian -- and didn't notice it until today.
It blew my mind when it hit me.
I have a temper that sometimes gets the better of me. If you find that statement outlandish or unbelievable upon reading it, then you really don't know me very well.
This temper is usually easy to control around strangers or acquaintances or even friends that I see on a regular basis but aren't terribly close to. But if you've been let into the innermost part of my heart, chances are you'll see it arise a few times more than you'd like. Why is that the case? I'm not really sure. For whatever reason, we are sometimes the most careless with the ones we love the deepest. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that when I open up and am vulnerable with you, you're bound to see some not-so-pretty things.
Family, for instance, has seen all sorts of sinful habits of mine. My parents especially. I will never get over the fact that my parents put up with me for as long as they did, that they still do today, and that they've loved me better than anyone else on this planet through it all. It almost makes me scared to have kids because I don't think I could ever live up to how they have raised me and my siblings.
My dad in particular is an amazing picture of unconditional love. He has been the victim of my temper for years now. It has gotten a lot better in the past year or so (for reasons I am about to explain), but there was a time when almost every time he tried to hold a conversation with me, I would lash out at him for no justifiable reason. The temper would just flare up and I didn't have a very tight reign on it.
Do you know what he would do? Keep talking to me as if we were having a normal conversation. Either that, or end the conversation gracefully and walk away. The next time we spoke, there was no evidence of sin between us at all. It was as if the fault had never existed. Not that he ignored the problem, but he had already forgiven me in his heart for what I did to him.
He didn't hold a grudge. He didn't give me the silent treatment. He didn't respond with a snappy comeback or harsh words of his own. He didn't punish me in any way. He didn't sit me down and say, "Look. What you did was unwarranted. It hurt me. You need to watch what you say and how you say it. There was no reason for you to lash out like that." He certainly didn't say, "I know you have insecurities. I know you have a problem, but you need to fix it." He simply forgave me and continued to love me the way I was, regardless of the hurt it caused him.
Why? Because I am his daughter, and nothing I do is going to make him love me any less.
Not all fathers on earth are perfect. I've been blessed with an earthly father that is, in most cases, a picture of my Heavenly Father. He is someone I can look to and see the truth and light of God shining through him, whether he realizes it or not.
I realized one day after a conversation on the phone with my father (where I lashed out at him, as usual), that I lost my temper too easily while talking to him. And for no reason at all! He had done absolutely nothing to deserve my anger in the first place, but even more so, he had taken it with a grace and love that definitely should not have been the typical response. I asked myself, why do I get angry with him so easily? I couldn't find a single reason. From that day on, I've found it much easier to talk to him without losing my temper. I still mess up occasionally, of course, but he continues to love me anyway, just as he always has.
How is this a picture of God and His love?
My father's love prompted me to change. I was convicted upon noticing that he didn't respond to my anger with anger of his own. Instead, he responded with love. Anger doesn't drive anger out. It only intensifies it. It was only and ultimately through unconditional love that my father would touch me in such a way that would make me want to change for the better, and stay changed forever.
Love never fails.
When I sin against God, and I see Him respond to my sin with love, it makes me want to change because I recognize that He doesn't deserve to be sinned against, and that I don't deserve the love He is giving me. It's the Gospel all over again: God taking something He doesn't deserve on Himself, and giving something in return to an undeserving people. When God loves me unconditionally exactly the way I am, the response is paradoxical -- I don't want to stay exactly the way I am, I want to be made into somebody that is actually deserving of that love!
1 Corinthians 13 is a cliche passage about love. I think, because it's referenced so much, some of the power of it is lost on people. There are just a few things I want to point out in this passage:
Verse 5 says, "[Love] is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."
Verse 10 says, "But when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears."
When perfection (love, keeping no record of wrongs) comes, the imperfect (easily angered, temper) disappears. So why do we think that responding to imperfection with more imperfection, sin with more sin, sin with routines and legalism, sin with judgement or condemnation, is going to change anyone -- others and ourselves included? Imperfection can't cast out imperfection. We can't change people. We can't even change ourselves. It takes the perfect love of God.
To quote a Jesus Culture song, "The love of God changes us. We're never the same after we encounter the love of God." If you desire to change, keep meeting with Him. Keep going deeper and deeper in your relationship with Him. His love will change you.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Courage and the Word
In the book of Joshua, specifically the first chapter, God says quite a few times to "be strong and have courage" and frequently reminds Joshua and his men that He will be with them always. In the midst of these exhortations, He also says (with clear instruction) to study the law, meditate on the law, know the law, obey the law, and you will be successful and prosperous.
With Jesus, of course, we know that we have fulfilled the law through Him. Not that we ourselves have lived up to the expectations God sets forth in the law, but Jesus did, and through Him, we are seen as righteous. Does that mean that God's commands to obey and respect and know and live by the law are pointless? Not at all. Take notice of what God says in Joshua 1:7-9 --- "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
Just three verses, and so many wonderful things to get out of them.
For the sake of this study, when I say "the law," I am using the language used in Joshua, but am referring to (for our application), the Word. The Holy Bible. For every word that comes out of the mouth of God is law, is it not? It is to be obeyed and taken seriously. He is truth, His word is Truth, and what is Truth is our reality. We live immersed in it and it affects every area of our lives, whether we are conscious of this or not. He commands our reality, so we must take note of what He says. How could we live effectively (especially for Him) without it, without knowing what He says about Himself, ourselves, and the world around us?
First off, I couldn't help but notice that God's exhortations to His people to be "strong and courageous" are immediately followed by instructions on how to do so (obey the law, meditate on the law) and a promise to extract fear or hesitation from us -- He will be with us wherever we go. That means that having strength and courage are directly tied to the Word and our ability to believe His promises -- to believe the truth. But I'll get back to that later.
Before, I posed this question: if Jesus fulfilled the law, then are we not bound to obey it anymore? No. We still should. God specifically says to be "careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left," but the big difference is that in obeying the law (or the Word of God), we are not earning our salvation or favor with God, but displaying our love for God. Everything we do, we do for God in hopes that we might put His glory on display. This is shown in the fact that God says "do not turn from it to the right or to the left." We are to neither take advantage of the grace given to us and use it as an excuse to do whatever we want (straying to the left, or toward abuse of grace), but neither should we understand strict obedience to the law as the means by which we are saved or sanctified (straying to the right, or toward legalism). Balance is needed; walking that thin line in between abuse of grace and legalism is necessary. What is needed to stay on that narrow road? I'm not entirely sure, but I'd guess a lot of grace and a lot of repentance.
Next, I noticed that God talks a lot about strength and courage, obeying the law, and being comforted in the fact that He is with us. But how are all of these tied together? By what you believe. By what you are feeding yourself and, as a result, what you see as Truth.
For some reason, I'm not entirely sure why, I took French in high school. I don't remember too much from it, but when looking at the word "courageous," I couldn't help but notice that the beginning is awfully similar to the French word for "heart," which is "coeur." (Which, the pronunciation reminds me of the English word "core," which is very interesting as well, but I digress.) I decided to look up the original meaning of the word, or at least the change in its definition over time, and sure enough, it comes from the old French word corage (which has since evolved into the word courage), meaning "heart, innermost feelings; temper." Courage, therefore, is seen as being drawn from the heart. Makes sense.
Continuing in the evolution of the word, though, I thought it interesting that in Middle English, the word (or a variation of it) was used to mean "what is in one's mind or thoughts." Whoa. Mind = blown. So... how are strength and courage connected to meditating on the Word? Because true strength, true courage, is only gained by reading and meditating on the Word of God, on Truth. Pour the Word into your heart and your mind, and it will give you strength and courage.
Think about it... if you don't know the Truth, you're likely to believe any lie that the devil throws at you. How can you become strong, courageous, steadfast, firm, unyielding in your faith? By knowing the Truth. By meditating on the Word of God. Courage comes not only from what is in your heart, but what is on your mind. What you think about. What you believe. And what you believe affects the way you act.
The last part of this three-way connection includes God's promise of His presence no matter where they go. It is in believing this promise that the Israelites, and we, can learn that the strength and courage we draw from the Word is ultimately not our own, but God's. We are not confident in our own abilities, in our own strength and courage, but in the strength and courage of God. How do we gain this confidence in Him? Once again, by knowing Him, seeing Him in the light of His Truth, and understanding that He is who He says He is. We can be confident in the strength and courage of God when we understand and believe that He is always with us. We can understand and believe that He is always with us when we read His Word and see that He tells us this.
Moses led the Israelites almost to the Promised Land, but not quite. Through Moses, God delivered His people from captivity. But it was through Joshua that God gave them the ultimate fulfillment (for a time) of that which He promised them -- the Promised Land. Courage and strength drawn from the law, or the Word of God, led them to believe truth (God will always be with them, and it is His strength and courage, not their own, that leads them to success), which led them to action, which led them to experiencing the fulfillment of and the fullness of God's promises.
The Word...
- offers courage
- gives strength
- exposes Truth
- reinforces promises
- assures victory
Believing in the Truth of the Word and acting upon it...
- allows change to take place
- brings us to new levels of intimacy with God
- takes us to new places in our spiritual walk with Him, opening new doors and new opportunities
- opens you up for further use by the Father
- allows you to be a leader for God's people
- paves the way for new spiritual growth in your community
- allows you to enter into the fullness of God's promises
And last, but not least...
- allows you to know God more intimately and make Him more intimately known to those around you
All this. From three verses. In the Word. How important is the Word of God in our lives!? Look at what meditating on His Word, His Truth, His character, can do. It's amazing. It's mind blowing. It makes me want more. The Truth transforms the way you see the world (it gives you a more accurate view of it), and transforms the way you act.
It makes you new. He makes you new. His Word makes you new. See Romans 12:2.
When you believe the lies of the enemy about a certain topic, you are subsequently rejecting all other possible "truths" regarding that topic. For instance, if you believe the world is round, you are implying that you reject the notion that it is flat, or triangular, or any other shape. If you believe that God is good, you are rejecting the notion that He is bad, or evil, or corrupt. If you believe the lies of the devil, you are rejecting those notions which God explicitly states are true. So, knowing what God says is Truth is essential in combatting the lies of the enemy. (It's what Jesus did when He was tempted by Satan, after all. Matthew 4:1-11)
That being said, don't ever believe the lie that the Word can't or won't help you in a rough situation or in a spiritual dry spell. It keeps you from hearing the Truth when you need it most.
With Jesus, of course, we know that we have fulfilled the law through Him. Not that we ourselves have lived up to the expectations God sets forth in the law, but Jesus did, and through Him, we are seen as righteous. Does that mean that God's commands to obey and respect and know and live by the law are pointless? Not at all. Take notice of what God says in Joshua 1:7-9 --- "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
Just three verses, and so many wonderful things to get out of them.
For the sake of this study, when I say "the law," I am using the language used in Joshua, but am referring to (for our application), the Word. The Holy Bible. For every word that comes out of the mouth of God is law, is it not? It is to be obeyed and taken seriously. He is truth, His word is Truth, and what is Truth is our reality. We live immersed in it and it affects every area of our lives, whether we are conscious of this or not. He commands our reality, so we must take note of what He says. How could we live effectively (especially for Him) without it, without knowing what He says about Himself, ourselves, and the world around us?
First off, I couldn't help but notice that God's exhortations to His people to be "strong and courageous" are immediately followed by instructions on how to do so (obey the law, meditate on the law) and a promise to extract fear or hesitation from us -- He will be with us wherever we go. That means that having strength and courage are directly tied to the Word and our ability to believe His promises -- to believe the truth. But I'll get back to that later.
Before, I posed this question: if Jesus fulfilled the law, then are we not bound to obey it anymore? No. We still should. God specifically says to be "careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left," but the big difference is that in obeying the law (or the Word of God), we are not earning our salvation or favor with God, but displaying our love for God. Everything we do, we do for God in hopes that we might put His glory on display. This is shown in the fact that God says "do not turn from it to the right or to the left." We are to neither take advantage of the grace given to us and use it as an excuse to do whatever we want (straying to the left, or toward abuse of grace), but neither should we understand strict obedience to the law as the means by which we are saved or sanctified (straying to the right, or toward legalism). Balance is needed; walking that thin line in between abuse of grace and legalism is necessary. What is needed to stay on that narrow road? I'm not entirely sure, but I'd guess a lot of grace and a lot of repentance.
Next, I noticed that God talks a lot about strength and courage, obeying the law, and being comforted in the fact that He is with us. But how are all of these tied together? By what you believe. By what you are feeding yourself and, as a result, what you see as Truth.
For some reason, I'm not entirely sure why, I took French in high school. I don't remember too much from it, but when looking at the word "courageous," I couldn't help but notice that the beginning is awfully similar to the French word for "heart," which is "coeur." (Which, the pronunciation reminds me of the English word "core," which is very interesting as well, but I digress.) I decided to look up the original meaning of the word, or at least the change in its definition over time, and sure enough, it comes from the old French word corage (which has since evolved into the word courage), meaning "heart, innermost feelings; temper." Courage, therefore, is seen as being drawn from the heart. Makes sense.
Continuing in the evolution of the word, though, I thought it interesting that in Middle English, the word (or a variation of it) was used to mean "what is in one's mind or thoughts." Whoa. Mind = blown. So... how are strength and courage connected to meditating on the Word? Because true strength, true courage, is only gained by reading and meditating on the Word of God, on Truth. Pour the Word into your heart and your mind, and it will give you strength and courage.
Think about it... if you don't know the Truth, you're likely to believe any lie that the devil throws at you. How can you become strong, courageous, steadfast, firm, unyielding in your faith? By knowing the Truth. By meditating on the Word of God. Courage comes not only from what is in your heart, but what is on your mind. What you think about. What you believe. And what you believe affects the way you act.
The last part of this three-way connection includes God's promise of His presence no matter where they go. It is in believing this promise that the Israelites, and we, can learn that the strength and courage we draw from the Word is ultimately not our own, but God's. We are not confident in our own abilities, in our own strength and courage, but in the strength and courage of God. How do we gain this confidence in Him? Once again, by knowing Him, seeing Him in the light of His Truth, and understanding that He is who He says He is. We can be confident in the strength and courage of God when we understand and believe that He is always with us. We can understand and believe that He is always with us when we read His Word and see that He tells us this.
Moses led the Israelites almost to the Promised Land, but not quite. Through Moses, God delivered His people from captivity. But it was through Joshua that God gave them the ultimate fulfillment (for a time) of that which He promised them -- the Promised Land. Courage and strength drawn from the law, or the Word of God, led them to believe truth (God will always be with them, and it is His strength and courage, not their own, that leads them to success), which led them to action, which led them to experiencing the fulfillment of and the fullness of God's promises.
The Word...
- offers courage
- gives strength
- exposes Truth
- reinforces promises
- assures victory
Believing in the Truth of the Word and acting upon it...
- allows change to take place
- brings us to new levels of intimacy with God
- takes us to new places in our spiritual walk with Him, opening new doors and new opportunities
- opens you up for further use by the Father
- allows you to be a leader for God's people
- paves the way for new spiritual growth in your community
- allows you to enter into the fullness of God's promises
And last, but not least...
- allows you to know God more intimately and make Him more intimately known to those around you
All this. From three verses. In the Word. How important is the Word of God in our lives!? Look at what meditating on His Word, His Truth, His character, can do. It's amazing. It's mind blowing. It makes me want more. The Truth transforms the way you see the world (it gives you a more accurate view of it), and transforms the way you act.
It makes you new. He makes you new. His Word makes you new. See Romans 12:2.
When you believe the lies of the enemy about a certain topic, you are subsequently rejecting all other possible "truths" regarding that topic. For instance, if you believe the world is round, you are implying that you reject the notion that it is flat, or triangular, or any other shape. If you believe that God is good, you are rejecting the notion that He is bad, or evil, or corrupt. If you believe the lies of the devil, you are rejecting those notions which God explicitly states are true. So, knowing what God says is Truth is essential in combatting the lies of the enemy. (It's what Jesus did when He was tempted by Satan, after all. Matthew 4:1-11)
That being said, don't ever believe the lie that the Word can't or won't help you in a rough situation or in a spiritual dry spell. It keeps you from hearing the Truth when you need it most.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Passion
How is a life in Christ lived without passion any different from spiritual deadness?
Jesus, let my relationship with You be continually reaching new depths. Let this intimacy with You ignite a burning fire in my heart for You. Do not let me waste a single moment You have given me on this earth, for it is all a gift, a gift I do not deserve.
Paul was a passionate man. He was passionate for Christ and the Gospel. He was also passionate before he became a Christian. For the wrong things, yes, but passionate nonetheless. The Lord will spit out those who are lukewarm. What is more pathetic, more pitiable, than a lukewarm Christian? You have CHRIST! How are you NOT passionately, wildly in love with Him!?
Oh Jesus. I have no words. I am engulfed by thirst for You. Please satisfy me daily. Have mercy on me for my lack of desire for You.
Your sacrifice on the cross is called "The Passion" for a reason.
Jesus, let my relationship with You be continually reaching new depths. Let this intimacy with You ignite a burning fire in my heart for You. Do not let me waste a single moment You have given me on this earth, for it is all a gift, a gift I do not deserve.
Paul was a passionate man. He was passionate for Christ and the Gospel. He was also passionate before he became a Christian. For the wrong things, yes, but passionate nonetheless. The Lord will spit out those who are lukewarm. What is more pathetic, more pitiable, than a lukewarm Christian? You have CHRIST! How are you NOT passionately, wildly in love with Him!?
Oh Jesus. I have no words. I am engulfed by thirst for You. Please satisfy me daily. Have mercy on me for my lack of desire for You.
Your sacrifice on the cross is called "The Passion" for a reason.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Perspective
most of our hearts think like this:
"when i find him/her, then he/she will make me happy."
when in reality, God wants to program our hearts to think like this:
"if he/she ever enters my life, i want to do everything i can to make him/her happy."
imagine the difference between these two relationships:
- one where each person is trying to get what happiness they can out of the other
vs.
- one where each person is trying their hardest to make the other happy without expecting anything in return.
sacrifice is at the heart of love.
and no one knows it better than He does. (Eph. 5:1-2)
in the mean time... will you:
1) spend time worrying about the future, worrying if he/she will ever come, when he/she will come, what he/she will look like, how well you'll go together, if God even has someone in store for you at all
or
2) make the most of what you have now before it's gone and you can't get it back
Jesus, i choose to live with passion.
i don't want to do anything half-way.
You have given me so, so much... You make my heart sing.
awh, now i'm grinning like an idiot. hah. :)
love You.
"when i find him/her, then he/she will make me happy."
when in reality, God wants to program our hearts to think like this:
"if he/she ever enters my life, i want to do everything i can to make him/her happy."
imagine the difference between these two relationships:
- one where each person is trying to get what happiness they can out of the other
vs.
- one where each person is trying their hardest to make the other happy without expecting anything in return.
sacrifice is at the heart of love.
and no one knows it better than He does. (Eph. 5:1-2)
in the mean time... will you:
1) spend time worrying about the future, worrying if he/she will ever come, when he/she will come, what he/she will look like, how well you'll go together, if God even has someone in store for you at all
or
2) make the most of what you have now before it's gone and you can't get it back
Jesus, i choose to live with passion.
i don't want to do anything half-way.
You have given me so, so much... You make my heart sing.
awh, now i'm grinning like an idiot. hah. :)
love You.
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