The Bible says, "what the law was powerless to do..."
The law merely pointed out our desperate and obvious and glaring need for God.
Like flowers ripped from the life-giving earth, thrown in water that can never sustain, and destined to crumble into ash, we are destined to return to dust.
Our very nature is entropic; it becomes more and more chaotic and disorganized.
We are the antithesis of our Father; God is not a God of chaos.
He set the universe spinning with His words.
He set up the process of cellular respiration, nuero-muscular junctions, star-death, and made "dark-matter" (whatever that is; we don't even know).
He made the elements of the world; He gave them unique properties so that they would all react with each other in certain ways.
So many mechanisms in our body work "just-so" so we don't die.
Everyone around you:
"weird," "normal," gay, straight, bisexual, homophobic, conservative, liberal, protestant, catholic, orthodox, atheist, agnostic, buddhist, hindu, muslim, republican, democrat, rebel, goody-goody, introvert, extrovert, independent, frat-boy, sorority-girl, artist, rockstar, popstar, pornstar, student, teacher, pastor, preacher, priest, disabled, homeless, addict, stay-at-home mom, business professional, yuppy, hippie, scientist, writer, actor, sports-fanatic, athlete, traveler, red & yellow, black & white
Every. Single. Person. was designed by God for His glory.
He looks at every person, and He loves them radically.
He humbled Himself, became human, died an agonizing death on a roman torture device,
AND HE CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD.
He defeated death so that our nature could be totally redeemed; He defeated death so our souls could return to their original state, eternal.
Why do we get stuck in rules?
Yes, rules are relevant; they are guides to a closer walk with Christ.
However, if we start preaching rules and guilt and "why weren't you at my church on Sunday?" then are we even preaching the gospel of Christ? or are we preaching the gospel or moralism?
If our religion begins to become legalism, are we walking in love?
If we first look at a person as gay, are we walking in love?
If we first look at a person as an atheist, are we walking in love?
Unless we look at people first and foremost as image-bearers of God, as brothers and sisters whom God loves radically, then we will not be able to love them the way we should.
Unless we realize that God loves us radically and encounter that love daily, we will be unable to love as we should.
Yes, Christians are called to lead a life worthy of Christ's calling, but do any of us Ever actually succeed in doing that daily?
No.
If you answered yes, then I am sorry, but you are seriously deluded.
We all are desperately in need of God's grace.
Shouldn't that make us more empathetic and less judgmental of those we come in contact with?
The love of Christ should supersede every natural inclination and opinion we have.
Loving, truly loving, is so hard.
I struggle with it daily. However, it is So important.
The essence of our Father is love, and I pray that I, and each of us, can be more of an embodiment of His love each day.
1 Corinthians 13
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Excellent writing. Beyond that, I can relate to your internal struggles to accept and to love others. I applaud not only your efforts to do so, but also your willingness to look both inwardly and outwardly in search of understanding of yourself and the world around you under God and through Jesus Christ. May you continually grow and increase your understanding to a point where love becomes second nature. Be blessed.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for you comments (:
DeleteBe blessed as well!