"It may be possible for each to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbour.
The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor's glory should be laid on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken.
It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare.
All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or the other of these destinations.
It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics.
There are no ordinary people.
You have never talked to a mere mortal.
Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat.
But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit--immortal horrors or everlasting splendours.
This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously--no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption.
And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner--no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment.
Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbour is the holiest object presented to your senses.
If he is your Christian neighbor, he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ vere latitat--the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden."
~From C.S. Lewis's The Weight of Glory
Just how true is this to us?
Is it constantly at the forefront of our minds, influencing our every decision, our every action, our every word, our every relationship, our every moment of our every day?
I doubt it.
Or maybe I'm just weird and entirely disconnected from the normal human experience (which may be true anyways but is besides the point entirely...).
Should it?
Do we Love like this?
Do these thoughts inspire the kind of urgency and passion that is of a hope so gloriously incredible that we cannot hope to contain it, the kind of desperate love that is so unfailingly and relentlessly lavished on us that it would unceasingly overflow from any and every part of our being it can?
This is our joy. And sometimes our shame.
Though this life is barely a flicker, a shimmer, a breath, the severity of its potential consequence cannot be taken lightly. I'm as guilty of it as anyone, if not more so. The reality that our reality is not this temporal existence can seem to be insanity. But the reality is, we cannot ignore this reality, however disconnected from it we are amazed to constantly find ourselves.
In other words, we must open our eyes to the connection that Love has given us to eternity. Because if we can't, or won't, see it, then who will?
We cannot afford to be disconnected from our reality. And neither can those around us afford for us to be so.
We live in a temporal world brimming with immortals. And if we choose to ignore this, we miss the whole point.
At least as far as Love is concerned.
And of course, it does concern anything and everything. Intense.
Love chose this infinitely minuscule portion of eternity to reveal itself. And to give us a chance to have it, to hold it, to show it, to share it. Can we really afford to let life run its course as mere bystanders? Or are we to be the hopeless romantics, the warriors of the Great Romance, the purveyors of a reality that is so much more than the here and now, than what we may have planned for tomorrow but inevitably will crash and burn if we let it. Of a Love so much more than this life can contain.
And it's a great thought to recognize and nod our heads at and say, "Yeah, yeah that's really good," and be moved and excited about for like five minutes and then go on and have totally discarded the notion in less than 24 hours if that. Yeah, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Hey, I'll probably barely remember having written this by the time I wake up in a few hours.
And yet, this is our reality.
How will it shape us?
How will it shape our Love?
"But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit--immortal horrors or everlasting splendours."
Dive Deep.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
What's In a Name
What is "Christianity"?
"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." C.S. Lewis
I recently posted the script of Not Without Love (The Benediction) from Jimmy Needham's newest album, Not Without Love. And I would first like to say that, like many of the songs on this album, these words alone though brilliant are even more incredible when you hear the passion and urgency woven into the track itself and so I would highly recommend it for your listening pleasure. And while I may very well eventually begin to dissect the spectacular messages behind the words, for now I wish to tackle this single thought, though one of nearly unparalleled importance...
What is "Christianity"?
When you hear that word, when someone calls themselves a "Christian", or even when you call yourself one, what does it even mean, if it has any real meaning at all? What connotations does that title hold, if it really can hold any, and what do you care?
"...I used to be 'gay.' In fact, if I had been published twenty years ago at the height of my gayness, I might have been branded 'The Gay Author.'
"Then things changed. I didn’t change, my happy self remained constant, as did all of what made me merry and carefree and thus I remained quite… well, gay. But the word 'gay; itself began to change until one day it no longer meant happy, but rather 'homosexual.' And once being gay, which only meant 'happy,' I was no longer gay because I am now and always have been happily heterosexual.
"No matter how much anyone might want the term gay to mean what it once did, it’s the hearer of a word, as much as the speaker, who determines any terms real meaning. That’s how words and communication works.
"So the real challenge of being gay today is that I’m not. Although I was at one time and still am quite happy and carefree."
This is a small excerpt from a blog written by author Ted Dekker entitled "The Challenge of Being Gay." And since reading it I have found myself tossing around the idea he presents:
What is Christianity? Really.
Just how much has the term "Christian" changed over the almost two thousand years since it was coined, even in the minds of those who claim it as their own?
Does it still mean "little christs," describing those who though so hopelessly human are filled with such a passion and joy over the incredible things Jesus of Nazareth did when He rocked eternity and turned the world upside down, who would do anything, even die, to follow Him with all they have, all they are, and to show those around them just how awesome His Love is?
Is it an outline of a certain political affiliation or agenda, a level of fanaticism, bigotry, or even straight out insanity?
Is it an illustration of lives so deeply and radically impacted by the Love of a most incredibly awesome God that they will sacrifice so much in life in order to give that life for His brilliant plan, His brilliant Love?
Is it a group of people who never have any fun? Who never really get to experience life and all of it's pleasures? Aren't they just denying their basic humanity, and really what sense does that make?
Or is it simply useful for letting others know what we do on Sunday mornings every once in a while? Maybe even a "Get Out of Hell Free" card.
How have you allowed your conception of Christians and Christianity to form? On how and where you grew up, on who you've known, on what you've heard, read, seen, on what others say? Have you ever delved into the true nature of these notions? Do you even know where to start?
And all those different types of Christianity? Catholic, Protestant, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Assemblies of God, Pentecostal, Episcopal, Presbyterian...the list goes on and on...and what does it all mean? Are they even really at any level the same Church they are called and called to be in their Bible?
Is this word really any more than just another word to be tossed around?
More than "all zeal but no joy."
More than a list of do's and don'ts, than a resume of good deeds.
Rest in eternal security.
Hope in a God truly big enough.
Or is the whole thing just insanity?
Is it a title that those who truly consider themselves to be followers of Jesus can be wholly proud of? One they can have hope in because of its meaning?
Because really, if anything, this thing should mean hope, shouldn't it?
Because really, shouldn't it begin and end with Jesus?
Not with the people we've know, or the experiences we've had.
Not because of what our parents or some preacher has said or done, all of whom are just as human as we are.
Not because some man felt it his duty to stand on his soap box proclaiming that you must choose to either believe or burn in Hell.
But because of the one from who this whole thing came about in the first place.
Jesus.
And what an incredible hope that would be. What joy. What Love!
Because really, it's all about Love. And Love is not a four-letter word.
So what do you think? Is this name something the followers of Jesus can have hope and joy in? Something they can be proud of?
Or do we need to come up with something new, something we don't have to cringe over every time it's mentioned out in the real world?
What is "Christianity"? Really.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Dive Deep.
"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." C.S. Lewis
I recently posted the script of Not Without Love (The Benediction) from Jimmy Needham's newest album, Not Without Love. And I would first like to say that, like many of the songs on this album, these words alone though brilliant are even more incredible when you hear the passion and urgency woven into the track itself and so I would highly recommend it for your listening pleasure. And while I may very well eventually begin to dissect the spectacular messages behind the words, for now I wish to tackle this single thought, though one of nearly unparalleled importance...
What is "Christianity"?
When you hear that word, when someone calls themselves a "Christian", or even when you call yourself one, what does it even mean, if it has any real meaning at all? What connotations does that title hold, if it really can hold any, and what do you care?
"...I used to be 'gay.' In fact, if I had been published twenty years ago at the height of my gayness, I might have been branded 'The Gay Author.'
"Then things changed. I didn’t change, my happy self remained constant, as did all of what made me merry and carefree and thus I remained quite… well, gay. But the word 'gay; itself began to change until one day it no longer meant happy, but rather 'homosexual.' And once being gay, which only meant 'happy,' I was no longer gay because I am now and always have been happily heterosexual.
"No matter how much anyone might want the term gay to mean what it once did, it’s the hearer of a word, as much as the speaker, who determines any terms real meaning. That’s how words and communication works.
"So the real challenge of being gay today is that I’m not. Although I was at one time and still am quite happy and carefree."
This is a small excerpt from a blog written by author Ted Dekker entitled "The Challenge of Being Gay." And since reading it I have found myself tossing around the idea he presents:
What is Christianity? Really.
Just how much has the term "Christian" changed over the almost two thousand years since it was coined, even in the minds of those who claim it as their own?
Does it still mean "little christs," describing those who though so hopelessly human are filled with such a passion and joy over the incredible things Jesus of Nazareth did when He rocked eternity and turned the world upside down, who would do anything, even die, to follow Him with all they have, all they are, and to show those around them just how awesome His Love is?
Is it an outline of a certain political affiliation or agenda, a level of fanaticism, bigotry, or even straight out insanity?
Is it an illustration of lives so deeply and radically impacted by the Love of a most incredibly awesome God that they will sacrifice so much in life in order to give that life for His brilliant plan, His brilliant Love?
Is it a group of people who never have any fun? Who never really get to experience life and all of it's pleasures? Aren't they just denying their basic humanity, and really what sense does that make?
Or is it simply useful for letting others know what we do on Sunday mornings every once in a while? Maybe even a "Get Out of Hell Free" card.
How have you allowed your conception of Christians and Christianity to form? On how and where you grew up, on who you've known, on what you've heard, read, seen, on what others say? Have you ever delved into the true nature of these notions? Do you even know where to start?
And all those different types of Christianity? Catholic, Protestant, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Assemblies of God, Pentecostal, Episcopal, Presbyterian...the list goes on and on...and what does it all mean? Are they even really at any level the same Church they are called and called to be in their Bible?
Is this word really any more than just another word to be tossed around?
More than "all zeal but no joy."
More than a list of do's and don'ts, than a resume of good deeds.
Rest in eternal security.
Hope in a God truly big enough.
Or is the whole thing just insanity?
Is it a title that those who truly consider themselves to be followers of Jesus can be wholly proud of? One they can have hope in because of its meaning?
Because really, if anything, this thing should mean hope, shouldn't it?
Because really, shouldn't it begin and end with Jesus?
Not with the people we've know, or the experiences we've had.
Not because of what our parents or some preacher has said or done, all of whom are just as human as we are.
Not because some man felt it his duty to stand on his soap box proclaiming that you must choose to either believe or burn in Hell.
But because of the one from who this whole thing came about in the first place.
Jesus.
And what an incredible hope that would be. What joy. What Love!
Because really, it's all about Love. And Love is not a four-letter word.
So what do you think? Is this name something the followers of Jesus can have hope and joy in? Something they can be proud of?
Or do we need to come up with something new, something we don't have to cringe over every time it's mentioned out in the real world?
What is "Christianity"? Really.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Dive Deep.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Not Without Love
I tried Lord...
I tried Lord...
I tried hard to be Your good little boy
Chin up, head high
All zeal but no joy
Thinking all my good deeds could please Jesus
Boy, was I wrong
Though I knew the right songs, all my cymbals and gongs played the melodies wrong
And it wasn’t long ‘til I saw my disease
A life spent wanting to please
On hands and knees
To make right, to appease
God help me please
This can’t be Christianity,
It can’t be
The whole thing’s like insanity
Where’s the rest of eternal security?
Where’s the hope of a God big enough to cope with all my hang-ups and insecurities?
Certainly this isn’t breathing
My chest burning and heaving
It’s like my, my pulse is ceasing
Like my heart quits beating...
Yet this I recall to mind and therefore I have hope:
You died, Lord...
You died, Lord.
Assuredly, like the coming of the dawn, the Father’s love song goes on
Drowning out my bitter songs
And breaking through walls and barriers
Christ swoops in,
Removes sin,
Picks up His bride and carries her
So I can sing in agreement with the King this thing:
There’s only one thing that pleases the Father
The God-man on the tree
In the midst of the scoffers
Now I finally see
That Christ is
What Christ offers
And I’m finally free
In the love of the Father
Not Without Love (The Benediction)- Jimmy Needham
Dive Deep.
I tried Lord...
I tried hard to be Your good little boy
Chin up, head high
All zeal but no joy
Thinking all my good deeds could please Jesus
Boy, was I wrong
Though I knew the right songs, all my cymbals and gongs played the melodies wrong
And it wasn’t long ‘til I saw my disease
A life spent wanting to please
On hands and knees
To make right, to appease
God help me please
This can’t be Christianity,
It can’t be
The whole thing’s like insanity
Where’s the rest of eternal security?
Where’s the hope of a God big enough to cope with all my hang-ups and insecurities?
Certainly this isn’t breathing
My chest burning and heaving
It’s like my, my pulse is ceasing
Like my heart quits beating...
Yet this I recall to mind and therefore I have hope:
You died, Lord...
You died, Lord.
Assuredly, like the coming of the dawn, the Father’s love song goes on
Drowning out my bitter songs
And breaking through walls and barriers
Christ swoops in,
Removes sin,
Picks up His bride and carries her
So I can sing in agreement with the King this thing:
There’s only one thing that pleases the Father
The God-man on the tree
In the midst of the scoffers
Now I finally see
That Christ is
What Christ offers
And I’m finally free
In the love of the Father
Not Without Love (The Benediction)- Jimmy Needham
Dive Deep.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Oh to Joy
"Each heart knows its own bitterness..."
This world sucks.
Why can't life just be easy? Why can't things just go right? Why does it seem like any time we finally to a point in our day to day experience where find happiness, joy, love, where things finally start looking like they're going to be amazing for once, there just has to be some sort of balance where life completely and utterly reeks. One week of joy, one month of pain and misery and frustration. And endless cycle that just absolutely sucks.
Sound familiar?
Have you ever stopped to think about the concept of darkness? What it truly is, its nature, the hows and ifs and whys. I find it interesting that we have developed the phrase, "swallowed up by the darkness," as if darkness itself had the power to overthrow the light. But I now present an interesting concept...the fact that darkness has no such power whatsoever. In reality, how is it we measure darkness but by the absence of light? For that is exactly what the dark is: the absence of light. Likewise, what is evil but an absence and utter abandonment of good? What makes a demon a demon, compared to an angel? Are they not, or at least were they not, exactly the same creature, one choosing to wholly reject the love of its creator and the other fully embracing it? The list goes on and on...I could probably write a book on such concepts...but really I'm just babbling.
This is not really my point.
How many of us have felt burden, hardship, abandonment, despair, pain that makes you wish you could simply reach in and rip your heart to shreds because at least if you're going down doing so wouldn't be so slow and agonizing? Absolutely Broken. Trapped in the tunnel...
I'm talking about sorrow.
"Each heart knows its own bitterness..."
We all feel it. We all hate it. But why? Why, why, why must we be confined to this endless, bitter cycle of up and down and around and around and around? Even those of us who have found the hope in the sacrifice of Jesus, we are far from exempt. I once heard a speaker who described how before we come to know Him, so often we find ourselves dealing with our troubles like we're simply plugging holes in a bursting dam, but every time we stick our finger in one spout another pops out to replace it! And so though we seem content to endlessly fill in hole after whole, we never solve the honest issue. That the dam is bursting. There is something more than surface-level instability, and the whole structure is about to explode. So we come to Jesus, and He totally restores us, from the inside out. We draw near to Him and He repairs us...but then, why do those of us who do hold so tightly and so truly to who He is and what He does feel so alone? So broken? So full of sorrow? Weren't we repaired already?
But still, this isn't really my point. I'm not here to explain away why the world is how it is and why life can be so simply miserable. Many have tried, and really what can I, by adding mere words to the cacophony already thundering, do?
So a thought to try and tie it all together...
What is sorrow, but the absence of joy?
We sense something missing, something totally askew to what the promises of our Savior hold, something that should be there, but just isn't. We know joy. We found it when we found Him. And yet, still...
Bitterness. Anger. Despair.
It just doesn't make sense.
But maybe it doesn't have to.
At least not to us.
I mean really, we believe that one Man, who lived thousands of years ago, lived, died, and by His own power rose from the dead, thereby obliterated Death, Hell, and the grave, and became the perfect sacrifice needed in order to obliterated the depravity of mankind and reconnect us with the Father. One man.
One man. Changed Everything.
Now that's just crazy. I can fully understand why someone would say that makes absolutely no sense in the slightest way imaginable.
But that's okay. Because Love is just crazy like that.
So then, where do we find this joy that is so absent that it leaves behind nothing but sorrow, nothing but that endless cycle of fleeting happiness and furious pain?
But then, I guess I already answered that question.
We know joy. We found it when we found Him.
And what hope we have in that!!
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12
And to think that our hope cannot be crushed by any power that has ever been or ever will be!
Yes, this world sucks. It's messed up, breaking apart and it feels like it's going everything it can to take us with it. But no matter the pain, no matter the heartache, no matter the mistakes, we do have joy.
My very existence, every single minute aspect of my life itself, is completely and utterly an illustration of how the love God has for His people so far overpowers the devastation sin can wreak when we make mistakes, when the world is falling apart. I am the very result of a mistake my parents made twenty years ago. I was a prime opportunity for sin to inject hopelessness, pain, and grief, and to potentially destroy the lives of two of God's beloved. And yet now that I have come to realize this truth I can see that every blessing, every time I have been spared, and every time I have not, every heartache I have survived, and each one I still bear, every trial I have endured, and those I still have yet to, every moment I even draw another breath, and even when I cannot, it is the direct result of God's unimaginable, irrefutable, undeniable Love totally shattering any hope for the havoc and pain sin so greatly wishes to dish out to have any sort of place for those He so desperately loves and purses and those who purse Him in return.
And if you think that's not something to be joyful about, then I cannot help you. Because I know for me, I could not be the man I am today, could not be filled with the passion and insatiable desire to love and be loved without the hope that this has brought me, without that joy. Without that Love. What hope I have to know that the very purpose of my life is to be a very real picture of the Love God has for His people in their darkest moments, and the hope and joy they can and still do have!
We just have to remember.
"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."
~ John 3:16
When the tunnel is closing in around us, someone has already pierced the darkness.
"And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. "
1 John 5:14
When we stumble and fall, someone has already borne our wounds.
"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance." Romans 5:3
When the decadence of the world is trying so desperately to tear us down, someone has already repaired us and given us a home in an impenetrable fortress.
"O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge."
Psalm 62:8
When those around us cause us pain, headaches, heartaches, tears,someone has loved us beyond any ability of the human mind to imagine.
"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." Psalm 37:23
When we feel like we simply cannot go on, someone has already carried our burdens, and placed others around us to encourage us, drag us back to our feet, and support us along the path.
"We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy..." Colossians 1:11
When we want nothing more than to curl up in a ball and die, someone has already destroyed Death and all his friends.
"Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying." Romans 12:12
We just have to remember: we have hope. We have joy. Joy beyond any capacity to be contained.
"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. " 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Remember that joy. Remember that hope.
Will we never feel sorrow? Doubt it. Will we never feel pain, heartache? Not in this life. You're naive to think otherwise and I'd be a liar of the worst kind to say otherwise
But because of the pure joy that already consumes our hearts, we cannot and will not be consumed by that sorrow and bitterness.
As long as we remember.
And as a last little tidbit, I would like to add that you are never alone. I am here. I have no doubt that there are those around you who are truly with you and would drop anything and everything to help you through anything you need. And He is here. Always. So just ask any of us. All of us.
And just remember that hope.
"Each heart knows its own bitterness...and no one else can share it's joy." Prov 14:10
Dive Deep
This world sucks.
Why can't life just be easy? Why can't things just go right? Why does it seem like any time we finally to a point in our day to day experience where find happiness, joy, love, where things finally start looking like they're going to be amazing for once, there just has to be some sort of balance where life completely and utterly reeks. One week of joy, one month of pain and misery and frustration. And endless cycle that just absolutely sucks.
Sound familiar?
Have you ever stopped to think about the concept of darkness? What it truly is, its nature, the hows and ifs and whys. I find it interesting that we have developed the phrase, "swallowed up by the darkness," as if darkness itself had the power to overthrow the light. But I now present an interesting concept...the fact that darkness has no such power whatsoever. In reality, how is it we measure darkness but by the absence of light? For that is exactly what the dark is: the absence of light. Likewise, what is evil but an absence and utter abandonment of good? What makes a demon a demon, compared to an angel? Are they not, or at least were they not, exactly the same creature, one choosing to wholly reject the love of its creator and the other fully embracing it? The list goes on and on...I could probably write a book on such concepts...but really I'm just babbling.
This is not really my point.
How many of us have felt burden, hardship, abandonment, despair, pain that makes you wish you could simply reach in and rip your heart to shreds because at least if you're going down doing so wouldn't be so slow and agonizing? Absolutely Broken. Trapped in the tunnel...
I'm talking about sorrow.
"Each heart knows its own bitterness..."
We all feel it. We all hate it. But why? Why, why, why must we be confined to this endless, bitter cycle of up and down and around and around and around? Even those of us who have found the hope in the sacrifice of Jesus, we are far from exempt. I once heard a speaker who described how before we come to know Him, so often we find ourselves dealing with our troubles like we're simply plugging holes in a bursting dam, but every time we stick our finger in one spout another pops out to replace it! And so though we seem content to endlessly fill in hole after whole, we never solve the honest issue. That the dam is bursting. There is something more than surface-level instability, and the whole structure is about to explode. So we come to Jesus, and He totally restores us, from the inside out. We draw near to Him and He repairs us...but then, why do those of us who do hold so tightly and so truly to who He is and what He does feel so alone? So broken? So full of sorrow? Weren't we repaired already?
But still, this isn't really my point. I'm not here to explain away why the world is how it is and why life can be so simply miserable. Many have tried, and really what can I, by adding mere words to the cacophony already thundering, do?
So a thought to try and tie it all together...
What is sorrow, but the absence of joy?
We sense something missing, something totally askew to what the promises of our Savior hold, something that should be there, but just isn't. We know joy. We found it when we found Him. And yet, still...
Bitterness. Anger. Despair.
It just doesn't make sense.
But maybe it doesn't have to.
At least not to us.
I mean really, we believe that one Man, who lived thousands of years ago, lived, died, and by His own power rose from the dead, thereby obliterated Death, Hell, and the grave, and became the perfect sacrifice needed in order to obliterated the depravity of mankind and reconnect us with the Father. One man.
One man. Changed Everything.
Now that's just crazy. I can fully understand why someone would say that makes absolutely no sense in the slightest way imaginable.
But that's okay. Because Love is just crazy like that.
So then, where do we find this joy that is so absent that it leaves behind nothing but sorrow, nothing but that endless cycle of fleeting happiness and furious pain?
But then, I guess I already answered that question.
We know joy. We found it when we found Him.
And what hope we have in that!!
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12
And to think that our hope cannot be crushed by any power that has ever been or ever will be!
Yes, this world sucks. It's messed up, breaking apart and it feels like it's going everything it can to take us with it. But no matter the pain, no matter the heartache, no matter the mistakes, we do have joy.
My very existence, every single minute aspect of my life itself, is completely and utterly an illustration of how the love God has for His people so far overpowers the devastation sin can wreak when we make mistakes, when the world is falling apart. I am the very result of a mistake my parents made twenty years ago. I was a prime opportunity for sin to inject hopelessness, pain, and grief, and to potentially destroy the lives of two of God's beloved. And yet now that I have come to realize this truth I can see that every blessing, every time I have been spared, and every time I have not, every heartache I have survived, and each one I still bear, every trial I have endured, and those I still have yet to, every moment I even draw another breath, and even when I cannot, it is the direct result of God's unimaginable, irrefutable, undeniable Love totally shattering any hope for the havoc and pain sin so greatly wishes to dish out to have any sort of place for those He so desperately loves and purses and those who purse Him in return.
And if you think that's not something to be joyful about, then I cannot help you. Because I know for me, I could not be the man I am today, could not be filled with the passion and insatiable desire to love and be loved without the hope that this has brought me, without that joy. Without that Love. What hope I have to know that the very purpose of my life is to be a very real picture of the Love God has for His people in their darkest moments, and the hope and joy they can and still do have!
We just have to remember.
"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."
~ John 3:16
When the tunnel is closing in around us, someone has already pierced the darkness.
"And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. "
1 John 5:14
When we stumble and fall, someone has already borne our wounds.
"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance." Romans 5:3
When the decadence of the world is trying so desperately to tear us down, someone has already repaired us and given us a home in an impenetrable fortress.
"O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge."
Psalm 62:8
When those around us cause us pain, headaches, heartaches, tears,someone has loved us beyond any ability of the human mind to imagine.
"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." Psalm 37:23
When we feel like we simply cannot go on, someone has already carried our burdens, and placed others around us to encourage us, drag us back to our feet, and support us along the path.
"We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy..." Colossians 1:11
When we want nothing more than to curl up in a ball and die, someone has already destroyed Death and all his friends.
"Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying." Romans 12:12
We just have to remember: we have hope. We have joy. Joy beyond any capacity to be contained.
"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. " 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Remember that joy. Remember that hope.
Will we never feel sorrow? Doubt it. Will we never feel pain, heartache? Not in this life. You're naive to think otherwise and I'd be a liar of the worst kind to say otherwise
But because of the pure joy that already consumes our hearts, we cannot and will not be consumed by that sorrow and bitterness.
As long as we remember.
And as a last little tidbit, I would like to add that you are never alone. I am here. I have no doubt that there are those around you who are truly with you and would drop anything and everything to help you through anything you need. And He is here. Always. So just ask any of us. All of us.
And just remember that hope.
"Each heart knows its own bitterness...and no one else can share it's joy." Prov 14:10
Dive Deep
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
The Pursuit
Whatever happened to the exhilaration of the pursuit?
Where the man would charge in, caring not whether he risk even his life in order to rescue and woo the woman he loves, and he would forever protect, cherish, and lavish her and she him.
The pursuit of Love. And the pursuit of that special one we will lavish with our love.
Is it our fear of rejection?
Is it our wavering belief that such a thing even can exist?
Is it our dwindling expectations for what love truly is?
But really whatever happened to the pursuit at all?
In today's world a relationship more often than not seems to consist of "hey you're cute, you're funny, let's hook up and see what happens." And so we bounce from person to person, hoping that maybe something will click or work out or whatever and we'll find happiness and the white picket fence blah blah blah.
And we call that a relationship? This is what is supposed to lead us to the Love that we so desperately desire?
I'm not going to even attempt to describe what a perfect pursuit looks like, one because I have no idea, and two because I've come to believe that really there is no such thing as one perfect pursuit, because Love works in different people in different ways.
But what I will emphatically stress is just how awesome the pursuit is. The implications it can have, the treasures that it holds.
Erwin McManus was in the Middle East discussing with some Muslims the history of Christianity as a religion, and the question was brought up of why it was necessary for God to become human.
"I once met a girl named Kim. I pursued her with my love and pursued her with my love until I felt my love had captured her heart. So I asked her to be my wife, and she did not say yes.
"I was unrelenting and asked her again, pursuing her with my love, and I pursued her with my love until she said yes.
"I did not send my brother, nor did I send a friend. for in issues of love, you must go yourself.
"This is the story of God: He pursues you with His love and pursues you with His love, and you have perhaps not said yes. And even if you reject His love, He pursues you ever still. It was not enough to send an angel or a prophet or any other, for in issues of love, you must go yourself. And so God has come.
"This is the story of Jesus, that God has walked among us and He pursues us with His love. He is very familiar with rejection but is undeterred. And He is here even now, still pursuing you with His love...
"In that moment the story of Jesus was not about who is right and who is wrong, what God's name is and who His prophet is, but what exactly God's motivation toward humanity is. If the message that God wants to get across to us is just about getting our beliefs right, then He didn't need to come Himself. If God's entire intent was to clarify right from wrong, no personal visitation was necessary. If the ultimate end was simply to overwhelm us with the miraculous so that we would finally believe, then God taking on flesh and blood and walking among us was far from necessary. There is only one reason for God to come Himself, because in issues of love, you just can't have someone else stand in for you."
What a spectacular thought and image to carry with us into this Christmas season! A what an incredible reminder that this remarkable season is yet another depiction of how awesome the discovery and illustration of Love is.
God pursues us with His love, and He pursues us and pursues us. And if we also are to discover Love and show Love, what better way to do so than to follow the example of the One who is Love. And so I urge you, do not forget the pursuit. In the pursuit we can find so much joy, and we can learn exactly what it will take to win over another with our love. We can even learn quite a bit about Love along the way. This is how we grow, how we build a relationship, a friendship, how we learn about that certain special someone and the awesome things Love is working in each of your lives, and maybe even has waiting for you to uncover together.
So don't be deterred by the fear of rejection...
In Song of Solomon 3, "Solomon is describing the desperation that comes when we seem unable to capture the heart of the one we love. I wonder if it ever occurs to us that God feels like this. But if God's love is immeasurable and unending, as the Hebrews describe Him, how deep and profound must be His sense of sorrow and rejection. If anyone know the pain of a love unreturned, it must be God." (Erwin McManus)
...or a wavering belief that such a thing even can exist or dwindling expectations for what love truly is, because really these things should not be a part of our pursuit of Love. Not with the knowledge and hope that we have in the One who is Love.
So can we contemplate our departure from the exhilaration of the pursuit, and realize just how much we are missing out on?
We have been chosen. We have been pursued. And so in return should we. For we have also been rescued, wooed, protected, and lavished. By Love.
Us. Those who never fail to be foolish, to be utterly idiotic, to destroy that which we care about most, to turn our backs on the most incredible of everything life has to offer, to fill ourselves with pointless desire. We never fail to fail. And despite knowing all this, despite knowing that He would be killed in one of the most of gruesome of manners mankind has ever conceived, that we would beat him, cut him, spit in his face and laugh all the while, relishing in our miserable and depraved state, He still came. We ran and He chased. We cursed Him and He shouted out ballads of his passion. And then the love of His life crushed that life from Him, and yet He didn't let even that stop him, it didn't even slow Him down in the slightest! And He just loved all the more. And He has not stopped. No matter how many times we kill Him, He will not stop. Period. End of story. That is the power of the love of God.
And so in return should we choose and pursue. Pursue others. And pursue Love.
"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19
And Merry Christmas!
Where the man would charge in, caring not whether he risk even his life in order to rescue and woo the woman he loves, and he would forever protect, cherish, and lavish her and she him.
The pursuit of Love. And the pursuit of that special one we will lavish with our love.
Is it our fear of rejection?
Is it our wavering belief that such a thing even can exist?
Is it our dwindling expectations for what love truly is?
But really whatever happened to the pursuit at all?
In today's world a relationship more often than not seems to consist of "hey you're cute, you're funny, let's hook up and see what happens." And so we bounce from person to person, hoping that maybe something will click or work out or whatever and we'll find happiness and the white picket fence blah blah blah.
And we call that a relationship? This is what is supposed to lead us to the Love that we so desperately desire?
I'm not going to even attempt to describe what a perfect pursuit looks like, one because I have no idea, and two because I've come to believe that really there is no such thing as one perfect pursuit, because Love works in different people in different ways.
But what I will emphatically stress is just how awesome the pursuit is. The implications it can have, the treasures that it holds.
Erwin McManus was in the Middle East discussing with some Muslims the history of Christianity as a religion, and the question was brought up of why it was necessary for God to become human.
"I once met a girl named Kim. I pursued her with my love and pursued her with my love until I felt my love had captured her heart. So I asked her to be my wife, and she did not say yes.
"I was unrelenting and asked her again, pursuing her with my love, and I pursued her with my love until she said yes.
"I did not send my brother, nor did I send a friend. for in issues of love, you must go yourself.
"This is the story of God: He pursues you with His love and pursues you with His love, and you have perhaps not said yes. And even if you reject His love, He pursues you ever still. It was not enough to send an angel or a prophet or any other, for in issues of love, you must go yourself. And so God has come.
"This is the story of Jesus, that God has walked among us and He pursues us with His love. He is very familiar with rejection but is undeterred. And He is here even now, still pursuing you with His love...
"In that moment the story of Jesus was not about who is right and who is wrong, what God's name is and who His prophet is, but what exactly God's motivation toward humanity is. If the message that God wants to get across to us is just about getting our beliefs right, then He didn't need to come Himself. If God's entire intent was to clarify right from wrong, no personal visitation was necessary. If the ultimate end was simply to overwhelm us with the miraculous so that we would finally believe, then God taking on flesh and blood and walking among us was far from necessary. There is only one reason for God to come Himself, because in issues of love, you just can't have someone else stand in for you."
What a spectacular thought and image to carry with us into this Christmas season! A what an incredible reminder that this remarkable season is yet another depiction of how awesome the discovery and illustration of Love is.
God pursues us with His love, and He pursues us and pursues us. And if we also are to discover Love and show Love, what better way to do so than to follow the example of the One who is Love. And so I urge you, do not forget the pursuit. In the pursuit we can find so much joy, and we can learn exactly what it will take to win over another with our love. We can even learn quite a bit about Love along the way. This is how we grow, how we build a relationship, a friendship, how we learn about that certain special someone and the awesome things Love is working in each of your lives, and maybe even has waiting for you to uncover together.
So don't be deterred by the fear of rejection...
In Song of Solomon 3, "Solomon is describing the desperation that comes when we seem unable to capture the heart of the one we love. I wonder if it ever occurs to us that God feels like this. But if God's love is immeasurable and unending, as the Hebrews describe Him, how deep and profound must be His sense of sorrow and rejection. If anyone know the pain of a love unreturned, it must be God." (Erwin McManus)
...or a wavering belief that such a thing even can exist or dwindling expectations for what love truly is, because really these things should not be a part of our pursuit of Love. Not with the knowledge and hope that we have in the One who is Love.
So can we contemplate our departure from the exhilaration of the pursuit, and realize just how much we are missing out on?
We have been chosen. We have been pursued. And so in return should we. For we have also been rescued, wooed, protected, and lavished. By Love.
Us. Those who never fail to be foolish, to be utterly idiotic, to destroy that which we care about most, to turn our backs on the most incredible of everything life has to offer, to fill ourselves with pointless desire. We never fail to fail. And despite knowing all this, despite knowing that He would be killed in one of the most of gruesome of manners mankind has ever conceived, that we would beat him, cut him, spit in his face and laugh all the while, relishing in our miserable and depraved state, He still came. We ran and He chased. We cursed Him and He shouted out ballads of his passion. And then the love of His life crushed that life from Him, and yet He didn't let even that stop him, it didn't even slow Him down in the slightest! And He just loved all the more. And He has not stopped. No matter how many times we kill Him, He will not stop. Period. End of story. That is the power of the love of God.
And so in return should we choose and pursue. Pursue others. And pursue Love.
"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19
And Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Unconditional?
As long as she looks good...
As long as he makes me feel good...
As long as she satisfies what I want...
As long as he makes me laugh...
As long as she doesn't hurt me...
As long as he doesn't hurt me...
Sound familiar?
Whenever we think of "true love", we often picture the fairy tale fantasy, you know, the fairy tale every little girl dreams of. Prince Charming, charging in on his trusty steed, slaying any atrocious beast that dares threaten his love, the beautiful princess, and then sweeping her off of her feet, he says the perfect words and she responds in the perfect way, and they ride into the sunset where they live happily ever after. Clean cut, simple, and everyone ends up happy forever.
But in the realities of our experience, as we search out love in this world, how much more often do we realize that forever seems to have a very real beginning and an even more real end? And as we seek out love over and over and over again we are so many times drawn into this cycle of elation and then ultimately disappointment, until we are left struggling with the notion that maybe love just isn't all it's made out to be. That we should just be prepared to be let down, because we can never live up to the standards of love.
We can never meet the conditions necessary to see love thrive.
But let's think about this...we've already established that God is love. So if love truly does have conditions we must meet, then in order to discover the love of God, to be embraced and blessed by Him, there are also certain requirements that we must fulfill, right?
Pray every day.
Read your Bible.
Go to church.
Don't lie.
Honor your parents.
Don't envy.
Don't steal.
Don't think about that.
Don't say this.
Do this.
Do that.
And this. And that...and that...and that...
And if you don't, God is going to withhold that love until you submit to the system.
"What governments have not always been able to do, religions have accomplished with amazing effectiveness. They keep people in line...Ironically this is where so many have a problem with Jesus. For centuries the church has been telling us if we want God to love us, we need to follow the rules. It's been far more important to focus on the sin problem than the love problem. This is the only way the institution can maintain control over our lives. After all, if love is unconditional, what will keep them following our rules? Don't we want people, first and foremost, to be good? If our goal is to get people to conform, you can accomplish that without love, but you can't maintain a civilization without the rule of law....
What in the world would happen if people actually began discovering the actual message of Jesus Christ--that love is unconditional? What would happen if we began to realize that God was not, in face, waiting for us to earn His love, but that He was passionately pursuing us with His love? What would happen if the word got out that Jesus was offering His love freely and without condition?"
(Erwin McManus in "Soul Craving")
What indeed?
People, we're human. If it is at all possible, we are going to screw it up in some way shape or form. It's a fact of life, a harsh one yes but a fact nonetheless. Some guy named Murphy actually put it this way and I guess people thought it was so good they actually made it into a scientific law, Murphy's Law: If something can go wrong, it will go wrong.
But that's the beauty of the Love of God. He doesn't care in the least. He already knows it's going to go wrong, and He simply does not care. Because His love is absolutely and forever without condition.
Sounds great.
As long as she looks good...
As long as he makes me feel good...
As long as she satisfies what I want...
As long as he makes me laugh...
As long as she doesn't hurt me...
As long as he doesn't hurt me...
Are we as humans really capable of reproducing such a seemingly impossible concept?
Erwim McManus goes on to say, "We know in the pit of our stomachs that if love is conditional, it can't really be love at all. We also know that if love is unconditional, we are neither the sources nor the instigators of such love, which again is a part of our conflict. We want what we do not give. We long for what we seem incapable of producing."
And here we come full circle. The love that we show others is the beautiful result of the Love that is flowing in and through us as we continue to learn and grow in our relationship with God, who just so happens to be Love itself. I mean we spit in His face, constantly and consistently turn our backs on Him, we even killed Him! Yet still He pursues us with reckless abandon. And as we learn of Him and His Love, so will we also be able to overcome the idiocies of our human nature and truly at least attempt to grasp the concept of Love being utterly unconditional. Easy? Oh no. But how often is it really? And how worth the effort of trying when compared with the sheer grandness of the reward.
And granted, there are definitely times when we just need to realize that something isn't working, especially if it is destructive in any way, but that doesn't mean that we should allow simple shortcomings to define the course of a relationship. Because how well aware we are that we all have them. But besides, we're talking about the discovery of Love here, not the fleeting feelings of a summer romance, though of course Love could be sowing its seeds through that as well. In any case it's yet another matter of wisdom. Thank God He promises to give it whenever we simply ask.
A thought. Something we could all use when honestly and passionately considering our discovery of the Love we so desperately desire.
As long as he makes me feel good...
As long as she satisfies what I want...
As long as he makes me laugh...
As long as she doesn't hurt me...
As long as he doesn't hurt me...
Sound familiar?
Whenever we think of "true love", we often picture the fairy tale fantasy, you know, the fairy tale every little girl dreams of. Prince Charming, charging in on his trusty steed, slaying any atrocious beast that dares threaten his love, the beautiful princess, and then sweeping her off of her feet, he says the perfect words and she responds in the perfect way, and they ride into the sunset where they live happily ever after. Clean cut, simple, and everyone ends up happy forever.
But in the realities of our experience, as we search out love in this world, how much more often do we realize that forever seems to have a very real beginning and an even more real end? And as we seek out love over and over and over again we are so many times drawn into this cycle of elation and then ultimately disappointment, until we are left struggling with the notion that maybe love just isn't all it's made out to be. That we should just be prepared to be let down, because we can never live up to the standards of love.
We can never meet the conditions necessary to see love thrive.
But let's think about this...we've already established that God is love. So if love truly does have conditions we must meet, then in order to discover the love of God, to be embraced and blessed by Him, there are also certain requirements that we must fulfill, right?
Pray every day.
Read your Bible.
Go to church.
Don't lie.
Honor your parents.
Don't envy.
Don't steal.
Don't think about that.
Don't say this.
Do this.
Do that.
And this. And that...and that...and that...
And if you don't, God is going to withhold that love until you submit to the system.
"What governments have not always been able to do, religions have accomplished with amazing effectiveness. They keep people in line...Ironically this is where so many have a problem with Jesus. For centuries the church has been telling us if we want God to love us, we need to follow the rules. It's been far more important to focus on the sin problem than the love problem. This is the only way the institution can maintain control over our lives. After all, if love is unconditional, what will keep them following our rules? Don't we want people, first and foremost, to be good? If our goal is to get people to conform, you can accomplish that without love, but you can't maintain a civilization without the rule of law....
What in the world would happen if people actually began discovering the actual message of Jesus Christ--that love is unconditional? What would happen if we began to realize that God was not, in face, waiting for us to earn His love, but that He was passionately pursuing us with His love? What would happen if the word got out that Jesus was offering His love freely and without condition?"
(Erwin McManus in "Soul Craving")
What indeed?
People, we're human. If it is at all possible, we are going to screw it up in some way shape or form. It's a fact of life, a harsh one yes but a fact nonetheless. Some guy named Murphy actually put it this way and I guess people thought it was so good they actually made it into a scientific law, Murphy's Law: If something can go wrong, it will go wrong.
But that's the beauty of the Love of God. He doesn't care in the least. He already knows it's going to go wrong, and He simply does not care. Because His love is absolutely and forever without condition.
Sounds great.
As long as she looks good...
As long as he makes me feel good...
As long as she satisfies what I want...
As long as he makes me laugh...
As long as she doesn't hurt me...
As long as he doesn't hurt me...
Are we as humans really capable of reproducing such a seemingly impossible concept?
Erwim McManus goes on to say, "We know in the pit of our stomachs that if love is conditional, it can't really be love at all. We also know that if love is unconditional, we are neither the sources nor the instigators of such love, which again is a part of our conflict. We want what we do not give. We long for what we seem incapable of producing."
And here we come full circle. The love that we show others is the beautiful result of the Love that is flowing in and through us as we continue to learn and grow in our relationship with God, who just so happens to be Love itself. I mean we spit in His face, constantly and consistently turn our backs on Him, we even killed Him! Yet still He pursues us with reckless abandon. And as we learn of Him and His Love, so will we also be able to overcome the idiocies of our human nature and truly at least attempt to grasp the concept of Love being utterly unconditional. Easy? Oh no. But how often is it really? And how worth the effort of trying when compared with the sheer grandness of the reward.
And granted, there are definitely times when we just need to realize that something isn't working, especially if it is destructive in any way, but that doesn't mean that we should allow simple shortcomings to define the course of a relationship. Because how well aware we are that we all have them. But besides, we're talking about the discovery of Love here, not the fleeting feelings of a summer romance, though of course Love could be sowing its seeds through that as well. In any case it's yet another matter of wisdom. Thank God He promises to give it whenever we simply ask.
A thought. Something we could all use when honestly and passionately considering our discovery of the Love we so desperately desire.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
On A More Personal Note...Slightly Condensed
For those of you with slightly shorter attention spans, I have managed to reduce the length of this particular entry by about a third...still a stretch I know but bear with me it's good I promise!
It all comes down to Love. It is all because of Love. Period.
In our individual lives, how do we see Love, how do we show Love, how do we find Love? And this last question especially is where the meaning of this note rests. Because really it is by a combination of the first two, first seeing Love and then showing Love, that we find Love.
Trying to find Love is something that everyone who has ever lived and will ever live has struggled tooth and nail with. But as Christians we've already found Love! So what's the big deal here? Shouldn't we be working on the seeing and showing parts?
But okay,that's not quite what I meant, so lets rewind and refocus to the first thing that probably popped into your mind when I said "finding Love," obviously finding Love with that certain special someone. A recurring thought in many of our minds, I do believe, and being so constantly personal this concept becomes just that much more essential for us to decipher.
So as we learn and learn to love, a task that undoubtedly will span through this life and even into the next, how do we discover this Love in the relationships we immerse ourselves in? And how do we find that certain special "Love" so many of us, especially those of us in the stage of life I as well am also enduring however begrudgingly at times, so desperately long for?
And the answer to this question is quite simple. It all goes back to what Love really is.
A verb.
We show Love, and we will discover it. As we continue to grow and learn about and in our relationship with our Father, and only when and as we do this, we learn Love, because obviously if we know Him and He is Love, then at the same time we know Love. And this is the underlying purpose behind anything and everything ever in this life, to know Him and at the same time to know His Love. And then to show that Love. And so we learn more. And we are able to show more.
And really, who can withstand the perfect, incredible Love of God when it is flat out staring them in the face? And especially when the one whose face it is staring into is at the same time so desperately grasping the desire to learn about that same Love.
Because when we think about it, the Love working in us is the exact same Love that is working in them. End of discussion. And what awesome implications this can hold...
A word of caution though. Of course, just because that same Love is working in and through two people does not mean that Love has them working in the same direction at the same time, even in the exact same way. So yeah, it's risky. First we have to find a person that is desperately in Love with our God just as we are, a daunting task to be sure. Then, something that is beyond our control (and trust me I hate that fact just as much if not more than anyone) must be perfectly lined up, where the place the other finds themselves on the journey of discovering Love can coincide with your own path and the plan Love is working on in and through you. It's a timing issue simply put, and can often make or break a relationship. But then we remember that Love created time, knows all that occurs in time, and wants to see Love displayed and discovered as desperately as we do.
This is one of the most difficult things we will face in life, and it is a road that will most likely be strewn with pain beyond fair explanation. But really, when considering the reward, the joy, the chance of uncovering understanding of the the most remarkable concept in history, when the burden seems too much to bear we can just remember that the end will oh so justify the pain it took to get us there. And if things don't seem to be working out as perfectly as you had planned them to, maybe the position you yourself are in is simply one of building the gratuitous amounts of patience it takes when learning and showing Love (though I am not saying this is always the case. But I can guarantee that some sort of lesson is being presented, such as maybe perseverance on the journey to finding that one who Love is working you towards, or any number of other things.)
And imperatively, the perspective must be maintained that really still the focus is on growing in and uncovering the astounding secrets of the Love God has for us, and that relationship we have with Him.
We must first make ourselves open to and transformed by that perfect Love. And I cannot emphasize this enough.
This is an outlet, a chance for us to use what we've learned, to show how brilliantly Love has changed us, and to praise Him for it, in every situation to lean on Him all the more, and for Him to reveal even more amazingly unthinkable things. It is a product of His desire to see our lives filled with complete and pure joy, and to eventually get but a taste of that incredible intimacy we will have with Him someday. But to love another with such reckless abandon as He has for us! The epitome of brilliant and beautiful perfection! But maybe that's just the hopeless romantic in me coming out. A book I read once described it as this: "He Chooses, He Pursues, He Rescues, He Woos, He Protects, He Lavishes." But then I guess that goes into part two of this discussion, what happens once we have found that perfect person and timing, and then begin to develop that perfect Love. Another time perhaps...
Again I just managed to barely skim the on this specific topic, but then if I continued to ramble how many of you would actually continue to read, being as it is probably a miracle you've made it this far. So basically, I just wanted to say don't give up hope on Love! It is real and vibrant and so awesomely fantastic, and with its great risk comes so great a reward. And hopefully the recognition of some of these ideas, or those that these ideas may give life to, will aid you in your quest to learn of Love and to love. In any case, food for thought. Thoughts you can expand as to dig a little deeper. And an interesting perspective on learning to love.
Dive Deep
Originally Posted 12/7/08
It all comes down to Love. It is all because of Love. Period.
In our individual lives, how do we see Love, how do we show Love, how do we find Love? And this last question especially is where the meaning of this note rests. Because really it is by a combination of the first two, first seeing Love and then showing Love, that we find Love.
Trying to find Love is something that everyone who has ever lived and will ever live has struggled tooth and nail with. But as Christians we've already found Love! So what's the big deal here? Shouldn't we be working on the seeing and showing parts?
But okay,that's not quite what I meant, so lets rewind and refocus to the first thing that probably popped into your mind when I said "finding Love," obviously finding Love with that certain special someone. A recurring thought in many of our minds, I do believe, and being so constantly personal this concept becomes just that much more essential for us to decipher.
So as we learn and learn to love, a task that undoubtedly will span through this life and even into the next, how do we discover this Love in the relationships we immerse ourselves in? And how do we find that certain special "Love" so many of us, especially those of us in the stage of life I as well am also enduring however begrudgingly at times, so desperately long for?
And the answer to this question is quite simple. It all goes back to what Love really is.
A verb.
We show Love, and we will discover it. As we continue to grow and learn about and in our relationship with our Father, and only when and as we do this, we learn Love, because obviously if we know Him and He is Love, then at the same time we know Love. And this is the underlying purpose behind anything and everything ever in this life, to know Him and at the same time to know His Love. And then to show that Love. And so we learn more. And we are able to show more.
And really, who can withstand the perfect, incredible Love of God when it is flat out staring them in the face? And especially when the one whose face it is staring into is at the same time so desperately grasping the desire to learn about that same Love.
Because when we think about it, the Love working in us is the exact same Love that is working in them. End of discussion. And what awesome implications this can hold...
A word of caution though. Of course, just because that same Love is working in and through two people does not mean that Love has them working in the same direction at the same time, even in the exact same way. So yeah, it's risky. First we have to find a person that is desperately in Love with our God just as we are, a daunting task to be sure. Then, something that is beyond our control (and trust me I hate that fact just as much if not more than anyone) must be perfectly lined up, where the place the other finds themselves on the journey of discovering Love can coincide with your own path and the plan Love is working on in and through you. It's a timing issue simply put, and can often make or break a relationship. But then we remember that Love created time, knows all that occurs in time, and wants to see Love displayed and discovered as desperately as we do.
This is one of the most difficult things we will face in life, and it is a road that will most likely be strewn with pain beyond fair explanation. But really, when considering the reward, the joy, the chance of uncovering understanding of the the most remarkable concept in history, when the burden seems too much to bear we can just remember that the end will oh so justify the pain it took to get us there. And if things don't seem to be working out as perfectly as you had planned them to, maybe the position you yourself are in is simply one of building the gratuitous amounts of patience it takes when learning and showing Love (though I am not saying this is always the case. But I can guarantee that some sort of lesson is being presented, such as maybe perseverance on the journey to finding that one who Love is working you towards, or any number of other things.)
And imperatively, the perspective must be maintained that really still the focus is on growing in and uncovering the astounding secrets of the Love God has for us, and that relationship we have with Him.
We must first make ourselves open to and transformed by that perfect Love. And I cannot emphasize this enough.
This is an outlet, a chance for us to use what we've learned, to show how brilliantly Love has changed us, and to praise Him for it, in every situation to lean on Him all the more, and for Him to reveal even more amazingly unthinkable things. It is a product of His desire to see our lives filled with complete and pure joy, and to eventually get but a taste of that incredible intimacy we will have with Him someday. But to love another with such reckless abandon as He has for us! The epitome of brilliant and beautiful perfection! But maybe that's just the hopeless romantic in me coming out. A book I read once described it as this: "He Chooses, He Pursues, He Rescues, He Woos, He Protects, He Lavishes." But then I guess that goes into part two of this discussion, what happens once we have found that perfect person and timing, and then begin to develop that perfect Love. Another time perhaps...
Again I just managed to barely skim the on this specific topic, but then if I continued to ramble how many of you would actually continue to read, being as it is probably a miracle you've made it this far. So basically, I just wanted to say don't give up hope on Love! It is real and vibrant and so awesomely fantastic, and with its great risk comes so great a reward. And hopefully the recognition of some of these ideas, or those that these ideas may give life to, will aid you in your quest to learn of Love and to love. In any case, food for thought. Thoughts you can expand as to dig a little deeper. And an interesting perspective on learning to love.
Dive Deep
Originally Posted 12/7/08
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