I was chatting with God the other day when I asked him, "What do you want from me?" It wasn't in a whiney way, but it was an honest question because I really was looking for some guidance in a tough situation. His answer surprised me. Not because it was something I have never heard of, but because, apparently, God has seen the Notebook. After I asked, I immediately thought of the scene in the Notebook where Noah is trying to determine if Allie will stay with him or go back to her fiance and give the speech that every love-sap probably knows by heart. (Don't worry, I had to look up the actual quote).
"So it's not going to be easy. It's going to be really hard. And we're going to have to work at this every day but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, every day, you and me."
I think people love this quote because he didn't just tell her it would be sunshine and rainbows. Yet, in spite of the difficulties, this love would be worth it.
The same is true of our relationship with God. God wants all of me. And he wants all of you too. He did the work on the cross and now we need to work at it every day in order to follow him. I just finished a book called Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman, and it is a book that is devoted to figuring out what it means to be a truly committed follower of Jesus. Often times when Jesus was speaking to a crowd, he didn't give them a commercial. Jesus' message wasn't all about how great following him would be, but how hard. He didn't sugarcoat it to gain followers, he laid it all on the line and basically told them to take it or leave it. And many left it. After one of his harder teachings, John 6:66 says, "From this time on many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."
Following Jesus isn't a walk in the park because he does in fact want all of us. This is one of my greatest struggles. In some parts of my life, I have no trouble realizing just how much I need God, but there are areas where I think, "Why don't you just take a seat on the sideline, God, I've got this one." I enjoy control and I always have, but I cannot have control and have God. I cannot have both my will and his because they contradict one another. That is why Paul made it so clear to the early churches that they must die to themselves (1 Corinthians 5:15).
Please don't forget this. Jesus does not simply ask for a piece of your heart. He wants the whole thing. You cannot allow him into part of your life and keep other parts for yourself. You cannot live for yourself and live for him. By no means is this easy. It goes against our sinful nature. It goes against our pride and love for control. It goes against our desire for independence and our selfishness. But if we look to Christ as our example, we know just how difficult it is. He died a gruesome death on a cross and told his disciples to do the same. He said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23).
It will go against every fiber of your being to deny yourself. And trust me, you cannot do it without the work of the Holy Spirit. Without the help of God, you cannot deny yourself. But with his grace and his guidance, you can. He wants all of you and will settle for nothing less. So how can you die to yourself today? It is going to be really hard, but the prize is worth it. Because I promise you, once you die to yourself and live for Christ, you will wonder how you ever thought you were alive before.
Maybe you've read the book "The Five Love Languages." I think I only read bits and pieces of it, but I did read enough to know that in the book, Gary Chapman, claims there are five different ways people give and receive love. The way a person most experiences love is what Chapman calls their "love language." If you haven't read it, check it out, it will really help you to understand your relationships with people. Anyway, the five languages Chapman lists are these: words of affirmation, giving gifts, acts of service, quality time and touch. Most people I've met who have read this book find it to be quite true and revolutionary in helping them to better love their spouses and to feel more loved in return.
The other day I was dwelling on God being the embodiment of love and I thought of this book. My line of thinking then took me to wonder this: if God is love, and assuming these five love languages are true, did God express them through his son Jesus and, if so, how? I started to look into it and the answer was pretty cool. So today, I want to take you on the journey of God showing his love in ways that all personalities will understand it. The best part is that Jesus expressed all five forms of love during the Last Supper. It was the last chance he would have with his disciples before his death, and how amazing that he took the time to show his love to them in five different languages? So we're going to look at each "language" and find where in the Last Supper Christ shows this.
Words of Affirmation
In John 14:31-38, Jesus tries to tell his disciples that he will only be with them a while longer. In his speech he states: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (vs. 34). Jesus doesn't beat around the bush, he states openly his love for his friends. It doesn't stop there, look at the Bible, it is his love letter to you. For those who feel loved by words of affirmation, look to all the times God speaks of his love for us. He calls us his children (Romans 8:16) and his chosen people (1 Peter 2:9).
Gifts
If you grew up in church, you have probably heard this verse quoted lots of times. It is when Jesus breaks the bread and hands it to his disciples to eat that he says, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). If you feel loved by receiving gifts, please know that the God of all creation gave you the greatest gift that could ever be offered. He gave himself. Maybe this is why John 3:16 is so popular, because it is a reminder of just how loved we are by God that he would offer his only son. Dwell on that and drink that in today. You are so loved that the very God who made you would give you the gift of his Son.
Acts of Service
We are back to the Gospel of John for this one and in John 13, just before the Passover Feast, we see perhaps the greatest example of an act of service by Jesus. John 13:3 says that Jesus, "having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love" and he did that by taking on the role of a slave. Jesus took off his outer garments knelt before the feet of his disciples and washed them (John 13:4,5). This was the job for the lowest slave in the house, yet the Master of all things took it upon himself to serve his people. Please don't miss this: he washed the feet of Judas Iscariot, the man who would hand him over to be killed within 24 hours. He served his betrayer along with his other disciples. What kind of love is this, but one that serves?
Quality Time
This one isn't too hard to figure out. Jesus offered quality time to the disciples simply by eating with them. Look at how he puts it when he tells the disciples how to ask for a place to eat. He says, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house'" (Matthew 26:18). Did you catch the word celebrate? Jesus wanted to spend time enjoying an evening with his disciples and close friends. How beautiful? Not only that, but he has given us the beautiful gift of prayer in which we can constantly and intimately spend time with him. He loves you enough to give you his time and I honestly believe he enjoys the time you spend with him.
Touch
This one is probably the most difficult to describe now, but first, let's look to the Passover. In John, Jesus makes it a point to say that one of the disciples is going to betray him. After this declaration look at what John does: "Leaning back against Jesus, he asked, 'Lord, who is it?" (John 13:25). Can you imagine casually leaning back against Jesus? How incredible is it that we are allowed to touch God? This may seem far off now, but God still touches us. The Psalmist often talks about resting in the "shadow of [his] wings" (Psalm 17:8). He presents a picture of a mother bird closing her wings around her young in an act of both protection and love. Not only this, but God touches us through people. It may be a little more abstract than the other love languages, but can't you hardly contain your excitement for when you reach heaven and Christ has his arms open for you to run into a big hug?
Whatever form of love speaks to you the most, please realize that God will use it. He is the embodiment of love, how could he not? So please, feel loved today. Be reassured of the depth of love your Maker has for you and thank him for it. Then, show it back in whatever way you do best and live your life in love today.
So I've been put on this really intense diet for the remainder of my pregnancy and it has certainly given me a new respect for your dieters out there. Until now, thanks to great genes and a whole lot of sports, I have never had to go on a diet or, in all honesty, even pay attention to what I eat. Until now, I have laughed to myself at dieters who complain. No longer; I get it now. Because, even though I know how important it is for my health and the health of my child, sometimes a piece of candy or a cupcake sounds too good to pass up. It's obviously absurd if you think about it. I have less than ten weeks left in my pregnancy and if I keep to this diet I will have way better chances of delivering a healthy baby and being healthy myself. Yet I still want the chocolate. I trade health for chocolate; a life for ten weeks. Sound silly? Or does it sound like your lifestyle?
I saw a video of a speech (or sermon, or something like that) where Francis Chan, author of Crazy Love, explained why he had given up much of his time and life savings to working with the homeless. His reason came with an illustration that went something like this:
Imagine a rope that extends from this stage to the back of the sanctuary and imagine it represents your eternal life. On the rope is a highlighted part about six inches in length, and this part, in comparison to the rest of the rope, illustrates your life on earth. Many people think it's crazy to give up something within the highlighted part in order to make a difference in the rest of the rope. But doesn't that seem twisted? They have focused on the small highlighted portion and missed the rest of the rope. They have focused on this life and missed out on living for the eternal life.
Yikes. This is something that is so easy to do. We forget about eternity and focus only on building up our future. If we lived in the moment, all the while remembering the impact our choices have on the eternal, we would become so much more effective in the world.
The Israelites had this problem of nearsightedness. After Moses led them out of Egypt and they were traipsing their way through the desert, they complained, "If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death!" (Exodus 16:3). Please notice their anger! They had just been delivered from slavery by miracle upon miracle. Not only that, but they were actually heading to the "Promised Land" to live in safety and establish their people. Yet at the first sign of trouble, the Promised land suddenly seemed far off while the memories of Egypt didn't seem so bad.
Jesus understood how difficult this would be and he gave hard instructions to point out just how important it is to live for the eternal. He said, "If your hand or foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into eternal fire" (Matthew 18:8). Then in John, Jesus says, "Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (John 12:25). I wouldn't say this means you need to hate your life in the way we think of it. Rather, in comparison to your love for God and following his will, your life should mean nothing. Do you love God that much? Or is there something in your life that you would refuse to give up to follow his call?
So what takes your
eyes off the promised land? Sin seems so appealing when we forget the
reason for which we should resist temptation. In our culture of instant
gratification, eternity seems a long way off. But we are told to run from anything that
causes us to forget about God and eternity. Are you having a hard time giving up something for your figurative ten weeks while health and life stand in the balance? Cut it out and surrender it and turn your focus back to God and the eternal. Only when you do that can you truly live.
These days, a lot of people buy into the principle of relativism. Be it cultural, ethical or moral, people like to think the world is a relative place. Cultural relativism suggests that morality, laws and politics believed to be true within one society or culture, may not be true for another. Cultural relativism also takes the view that because the truth is subjective to a specific culture, it cannot be determined as better or worse than the truths of another culture. Ethical relativism is not far from cultural relativism, but on a more personal level. In ethical relativism, there is no objective right or wrong, it simply depends on the individual. Moral relativism is pretty much the same as ethical relativism (philosophers and apologetics would disagree, but I would say they are splitting hairs), and is best summed up by Friedrich Nietzsche who wrote, “You have your way, I have my way. As for the right way, it does not exist.”
Sorry, I know that was heavy and you weren't counting on school today, but I needed to throw the basics out there. Essentially, I see these three thoughts or principles boiling down to truth. Does the responsibility to define truth belong to individuals and greater society as a whole, or is there a truth that is absolute? Right now the biggest defense against those who oppose homosexuality, or any mainstream cultural revolution, is usually summed up by what Macklemore and Ryan Lewis sing in their song Same Love: "We paraphrase a book written 3500 years ago." And if relativism is to be believed, than they are correct. If relativism is absolutely true (which is can't be because the principle itself refuses to acknowledge the possibility of absolute truth), than there is no possible way that an historical book can teach and dictate that way life is lived today.
But to relativists out there, I ask: if what is true for me is true for me, and what is true for you is true for you (the basic principle of relativism), then where are we left if my truth says that yours is false? Either my truth cannot be considered true or your truth is false. Either option negates the one "truth" of relativism. You see? Relativism contradicts itself, and truth cannot be self-contradictory. Now, there are some "truths" that are relative. I believe it true that Moose Tracks ice cream is by far the greatest ice cream ever invented. You may believe it is Strawberry (Ew. you're wrong, but anyway). Therefore some truths are relative, but our culture has lost the ability to determine which truths are absolute and which are relative. Both Islam and Christianity cannot lead to heaven as they contradict one another, so which do we believe?
In all honesty, that is a question you should search out for yourself. Let me tell you why I believe in Christianity. Aside from the historical evidence that has been found (prophecies fulfilled, artifacts, etc.), I want to take a look at the life of Jesus, the center point of Christianity.
If you believe Jesus to be a "great moral philosopher" then you must accept him as the only way to heaven. Many people regard him as a great moral teacher but refuse to recognize him as the Son of God. However, you cannot do one without the other. You see, Jesus, amidst all his teachings, claimed to be the Son of God. If that were not true, then you could not consider him good or moral because he lied to thousands of people, resulting in the death of many of his followers. What is good and moral about that? He was either a lunatic or the Son of God. You must make the decision. You cannot, however, believe some of his teachings while refusing to recognize the teaching on which he placed the greatest emphasis about himself and his power. Jesus claimed, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). Either he is the way, the only way, or he is crazy. If you determine he is the truth, then you must follow his teachings. All of them.
And one of those teachings goes against relativism. Jesus said:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The
rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against
that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the
rock. But
everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into
practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash" Matthew 7:24-27
If Jesus and his teachings are our foundation, if we base our faith and knowledge in Jesus that he is the absolute truth, then we are granted a firm foundation. If not, if we base our truth on culture or anything but the truth of his teachings, we base them on shifting sands. Look at those who believed in and practiced segregation. Cultural relativism would have to say that segregation was okay. It was part of the culture, so there can be nothing wrong with it. Yet if we look to God's word on how we are supposed to treat one another, we see the fault in our past ways. Our understandings and opinions change, God does not.
Isn't that more appealing anyway? To know that there is a God in whom we can fully trust? Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever." And in a world that is constantly changing, I would say that is one of my greatest comforts. Does it comfort you? Search it out. Look into it and "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). What I love about God is that he is big enough for our questions, our doubts, our concerns. Bring them to him. Ask him for an answer, and be open to what it is. If you search deeply and honestly for the truth, Christ will reveal himself to you, "then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32).
We got deep today, I know. I am no philosopher by any means and I hope I didn't completely confuse you. Check this stuff out for yourself and you'll find papers by actual writers and philosophers that may make a whole lot more sense.
Well, if you sit on the edge of your seat for this blog every Monday and Thursday (unlikely), yesterday you would've been disappointed. And the reason was unusual for me. It wasn't that I didn't have time, it was that I didn't have the words. Typically, I have ideas and thoughts lined up for weeks on end. I can usually pick and choose from different ideas over what to write about. And yesterday, every time I thought about writing, writer's block ensued. This was even stranger, though, because I had formed several ideas between Monday and now. I had at least three things I was really excited to write about but for the life of me, I can't remember what they were. As I was thinking about this today and wondering why I couldn't remember them and what I could possibly write about, these are the thoughts that came to mind.
This week was one for the books. On Monday, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes which came as a bit of a shock. I also dealt with some hurtful words from people who should probably know better and Jason left for three weeks of military training. None of these things were a life crisis by any means, but through the stress of learning a new diet of tree bark, broccoli and anything green along with working through difficulties in relationships while my husband took off, life became a little crazy. And through that craziness, I forgot some of the things Christ had revealed to me.
Sound familiar? I was still in God's word, I was praying, I was talking with others, yet I was forgetful of what he had taught me. And this is something I find common in everyone. When the daily stresses and situations in life happen, we tend to forget God's teachings and his promises-- even if we don't specifically forget him. Personally, if something completely awful and out of my control happens, I can give that to God. But if it is a small heel-biter problem, I have a tendency to try with all my might to control and fix the situation before I realize that I can't do it on my own. Tsunamis I can give to God, rain storms I like to keep for myself. But how much do we miss out on when we forget his promises? How much do we miss out on when we try to control our own lives? So today I offer you what I was reminded of this morning: the teachings and promises of God. We often forget them, but they are constant; they are true.
So if you are struggling with remembering his promises, let me make it simple for you. Take a minute to read through some of my favorites. Find your own and cling to them. Whether your world is hanging upside down or you're simply a little jostled by the hustle and bustle of life, look to these and remember. Remember them in your prayers and remember them throughout the day. Recognize that you are not in control, but Someone is and he has a lot more experience and a perfect record to boast.
- And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age. -Matthew 28:20
- Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. -Deuteronomy 31:6
- You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. -Isaiah 26:3
- Even in the darkness, light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. -Psalm 112:4
- Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. -Matthew 5:4
- Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. -Matthew 5:8
- For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their prayers but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. -1 Peter 3:12
- If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. -1 John 1:9
- But the Lord is faithful and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. -2 Thessalonians 3:3
- He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weal. -Isaiah 40:29
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the way; walk in it." - Isaiah 30:21
-
- And my God will meet all you needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:19
- So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. -Isaiah 41:10
Last night I faced one of the benefits of being married to a man in the Army. As he woke up at 5 am to go to work, I got up as well and went outside. I pulled up the lawn chair and craned my neck toward the sky because last night was the best viewing night for the annual Perseid Meteor Shower. It also happened that the best time for viewing was just before dawn and within five minutes I saw three shooting stars. Thanks to the hub-ster for that one! I certainly love stars and have talked about them before, but during this meteor shower God taught me something new and it seems worth sharing.
I did some research on the Perseid Meteor Shower and it turns out that the reason we have this shower every August is because, in 1992, the comet Swift-Tuttle blazed a path in a part of the atmosphere through which the Earth passes. Because it had recently been heated up from the sun, the comet left debris in its path. Around every August, the Earth's orbit crosses the orbital path that Swift-Tuttle took in 1992, thus we see the debris left over in what I call shooting stars. The comet won't complete this orbit again until July of 2126 (133 years later), but we are still seeing debris from the comet's orbit in 1992. Amazing, right?
Perhaps I can be so bold as to use the very imperfect analogy that I thought of while watching this shower. Consider for a moment that Christ's appearance on earth was like that of the comet Swift-Tuttle. The comet left remnants of itself in the orbital path that crosses the atmosphere of the earth, just as Jesus left witnesses and believers to showcase the path of his salvation to all the earth by proclaiming the good news (Matthew 28:18-20). His remnant, however, was not burning debris in the sky, but light and knowledge in our hearts. Check it out: "For God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6).
The beauty of where the analogy fails is this: Swift-Tuttle
only comes about every 130 years, whereas Jesus ascended back to heaven, but the Father sent the Holy Spirit to guide
us. When Jesus was teaching he promised, "But the
Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom my Father will send in my name, will
teach you all things, and will remind you of everything I have said to
you" (John 14:26). The knowledge and light he has granted us have been given through the work of the Holy Spirit. And with this knowledge, we are meant to light up the darkness around us. The book of Daniel puts it beautifully when is says: "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever" (12:3).
Does your wisdom shine to others? Are you leading many to righteousness? This has really been on my heart lately. I'm not the best at personal evangelism. I can write on here all day and teach in groups, but one-on-one stuff is my nemesis. So my prayer for myself and for you is that we will be overcome with boldness for Christ. That we would not blend in with the night but would shine as stars in the universe. As Christians, we have been influenced by the God of light himself and it is our duty to shine that light to others because "you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, live as children of the light (Ephesians 5:6). So be a bright and beautiful star today as you cross the paths of others, and let your wisdom lead many to righteousness.
Ahh, more cartoons. Yep, this one is about Despicable Me and not even the movie, just the title. My parents visited the other week and they, my husband and I went to see Despicable Me 2 in theaters. When I asked for four tickets, the man asked how many were for children and I had to laugh at the face he made when I said none. Yeah, be jealous. Anyway, the title of the movie got me thinking the other day. The first one was all about Gru, a notorious villain turning his life around to raise three daughters and the second one was of him saving the world from villains like his former self.
As I thought about the title, I wondered if any of us realize just how despicable we are. You see, until we own up to our "despicable-ness" we truly can't come to recognize our need for a Savior. In order to need a Savior, we need to get to the root of all evil. Better yet, we need to get to the root of our evil. C.S. Lewis (if you haven't figured it out yet, he is my favorite theologian), finds this to be one of the most difficult parts in spreading the Good News of God's salvation. Take a look at some excerpts from his essay God in the Dock:
"The early Christian preachers could assume in their hearers... a sense of guilt.... Thus the Christian message was in those days unmistakably the Evangelium, the Good News. It promised healing to those who knew they were sick. We have to convince our hearers of the unwelcome diagnosis before we can expect them to welcome the news of the remedy.... My own experience suggests that if we can awake the conscience of our hearers at all, we must do so in quite different directions [from drunkenness and premarital sex, as most don't find those sins any longer]. We must talk of conceit, spite, jealousy, cowardice, meanness, etc."
Paul says to the Romans, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (3:23) but do we really believe that? I don't think we do. Look at that list again. Conceit, spite, jealousy, cowardice and meanness. We have all fallen prey to those feelings numerous times. Yet, I think our society has come to agree with the philosopher John Locke that we are born with a blank slate and learn to be either good or bad. But on issues concerning human nature, I side more with Thomas Hobbes' view who claims we are not born good, but are born particularly selfish. People are not naturally good. Have you ever babysat a one-year-old? Oh my, they can be monsters! But we have swept that under the rug. How often do we say, "She is a good person"? And we allow ourselves to say that because we our comparisons involve people. However, God calls us to compare ourselves to him. The only way to enter heaven is to be stainless as he is. So unless anyone has that recipe up their sleeve, we need to look to Christ and his sacrifice to create us as spotless.
No one is good. We must not forget that. The only way to be good is to be infused with the love of Christ. It is God and God alone who can chisel away at our evil, selfish natures to truly complete us. And once we have that, we must find a way to convince others who have not been saved by the love and dedication of Christ to realize they too are inherently bad and thus need him. It probably isn't the best idea to scream that in random passers-by faces, but as we grow in relationships with others, we can speak openly with them. In these talks we, as Christians, must never forget how bad we were before knowing Christ, and how much work we still need done. Then, we can offer humble life examples and help to those who become shocked by the diagnosis that they aren't truly good people, that, in fact, no one is.
We have all played the villain in life. We have all been influenced by sin and temptation. We have all fallen short of perfection. But when we come to know Christ, he removes our sin and begins a changing work in us. He begins to turn us around. Only once we have called ourselves "Despicable Me" in his presence, can we take on the role of Gru in the sequel and begin to bring the other villains of this world, the ones we used to walk alongside, to the loving justice and mercy that is Christ.
So the other day I was reading Isaiah, which has never been a favorite book of mine. Most people love it, but I struggle with the prophetic books. Nevertheless, I have been wanting to read it so my husband and I embarked on the journey together. After many chapters discussing the destruction of nations, we were a little discouraged. If you know some background on Isaiah, you might know the authorship of the book is debated. Some say it was three authors, while others claim Isaiah, son of Amoz, wrote the whole thing. Regardless, chapters 1-39 basically record the destruction that will set itself upon Judah because of their lifestyles and how they had turned from God. This would take place in the form of exile to Babylon. But chapters 40-55 were prophetic of what would happen during the exile and how God would call them back. It is the beauty of chapter 44 that I want to be the focus for today, check it out:
"But now listen, Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen. This is what the Lord says-- he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: 'Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, Jeshurn, whom I have chosen. For I will pour out water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. Some will say, 'I belong to the Lord'; others will call themselves by the name of Jacob; still others will write on their hand, 'The Lord's,' and will take the name Israel'" (Isaiah 44:1-5).
Whew! Can I first point out how amazing of a poet God is? He's quite the wordsmith! Anyway, the point I most want to make is how often God calls this nation that has completely turned from him, his chosen people. They screw up constantly, but he still claims them.
Now here comes the comparison. For some reason, as disappointed as I am with myself for this, I thought of the Bachelorette throughout all this. The season finale is happening or just happened and I couldn't help but think that if God were the Bachelor, his final rose would be for Israel. I know it's bad but bear with me. The people of Israel are God's chosen people. And when you become a Christian and accept Jesus as your savior, you become heirs with Israel (Ephesians 3:6).
Take a second and breathe that in, would you? How does that feel? As people, we want to feel chosen. Why does the child cry when he is picked last for the team on the playground? Why do we work so hard to fit into social settings? Why do the men cry and moan when the bachelorette sends them home? We humans long to be chosen. The psychologist Abraham Maslow diagrammed in his hierarchy of needs this desire to be chosen. Only the physiological needs (breathing, food, water, etc.) and the need for safety (security, family, health) top this need for acceptance. Until we reach it, we can't move on. Until we feel accepted, we cannot live our lives as we truly were meant to live them.
The beauty of it all is that God, the one who made the clouds, the trees, and the sun, longs to meet that need in you. You don't need to be picked for the sports team or try to win the heart and rose of a woman on national TV, you only need to accept Christ. Let Christ meet this need (and all others for that matter) and know what it truly means to be fulfilled. Never felt good enough? You are chosen by God. Always come in second to the sibling your parents love more? You are chosen by God. Have a boss that never seems to notice or appreciate the work you do? You are chosen by God. Live in that acceptance. Breathe it in. Feel it. Cherish it. God accepts you and loves you. He has chosen you. He has offered you the final rose. But, as with the show, He asks if you'll accept it. He will not force you to accept his rose of salvation. You are free to refuse to be his chosen. He will simply offer his full love and acceptance for you to take or deny. So how about you? Will you accept this rose?
The other day I was faced with a conflict. I am involved in a group at my church that meets weekly. It is an incredible time and I always walk away feeling blessed and refreshed. This group is a commitment I have made, and have so far kept quite diligently. The other day, however, I was asked to help someone in need during the time of the group meeting. A family needed a sitter for their baby at the last minute and were desperate. I was faced with what I am going to dub "The Pharisee Conflict."
In situations that revolve around The Pharisee Conflict, a person has to choose between two good things. It is good to have community with other believers and to commit and grow as a group. It is also good to help people in need. With both being good, I reverted back to my old Nineties fad and asked myself, "What would Jesus do?"
If this question is taken seriously, it should bother a lot of religious people. Many Christians, if presented with an opportunity to help out a family on a Sunday would choose to go to church instead, because good Christians go to church. This is similar to the dilemma I was encountering. But Jesus turns this around completely. Check out the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. Jesus tells a story of how three men passed by a man who had been robbed, beaten, and left for dead. Two of the men were religious leaders, the other was a Samaritan. For those that don't know, a Samaritan was a half-breed in the eyes of the Jews, someone who had disregarded the laws of the Torah and was considered pretty worthless. The religious leaders, the supposed "good guys" didn't stop to help, but the Samaritan did.
Please know that it may not have been because the religious leaders were "bad" people. They had just come from Jerusalem, meaning they had just finished their work in the Temple and had probably been away from their families for a very long time. The Priest and Levite both would have know that they were not supposed to touch or even be near a dead body (Leviticus 21:1-4), and they may not have been able to tell whether the man was dead or alive. Had they helped the man left to die, and he turned out to actually be dead, they would have been considered unclean and required to go through the process of becoming clean again which would take at least seven days. This would mean more time away from their families, and had they any priestly duties to accomplish on the trip home from the Temple, they would not be allowed to complete them due to their uncleanness. Helping this man risked their reputation in the church and risked other potential duties to be completed, so they chose to stay clean.
We cringe when we read that they passed by, but how often do our own efforts of being the "good Christian" render us incapable of truly showing the love we profess? Jesus refused to take this route and was read the riot act by the Pharisees and teachers of the law often. When Jesus healed on the Sabbath, the church people were disgusted. So much so, that after this healing is when they begin to plot to kill Jesus (Mark 3:1-6). Please don't misunderstand me, the law is a good thing. Jesus himself said he didn't "come to abolish the Law or the Prophets... but to fulfill them" (Matthew 5:17). The law is a good thing. Should we obey the Sabbath? Yes. Should we go about the work God called us to? Yes. But should we become so intent upon following the rules that we miss a chance to show Jesus to someone else and serve along the way? No.
To hit the point home, look at what Jesus said to the Pharisees (again, these are some of the higher-ups in the church):
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more
important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel" (Matthew 23:23-24).
Sometimes, we become so intent upon the rules that we forget about the relationship the rules are trying to preserve.
I struggled with the decision, but I chose to help out the family that needed a sitter. The whole day I fretted about how I would look to the people at church. I should point out that no one in the group minded and they were fully behind me, but not all churches would respond this way. Ask yourself what Jesus would do. Do not choose to look the part of the devoted follower, take on the actual role. People may frown, religious leaders may become angry, but you will have built a relationship. You will have opened a door to share the word of God. You will have avoided the attitude of a Pharisee.
Go to church and be involved where you can, this is not an excuse to stand on the sidelines. God calls us to righteousness and he calls us to community with other believers. He gave us a law for a reason, and we are meant to live by it. Just try to remember that the law was given to help us live in relationship with God and with others, not to keep us from relationship with them. So build those relationships with both believers and nonbelievers, because it is "not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick" (Matthew 9:12). Jesus ate with those that were sick-- he healed them, he loved them, he served them, whether the religious leaders liked it or not. Who are we to do anything but follow his example?
