By our love. In the Bible, we are told that God is love. Now, it's important to distinguish that love is not God. There is no transitive property to this statement. We have our concept of love, which probably involves heart-shaped boxes with chocolates inside, a flying naked baby with a bow and arrow, and a romantic comedy montage set to the newest John Mayer song. Still, that is a mere shadow, a pale imitation of what love truly is. God is the true expression of Love.
We are living in a world engorged with lusts and distractions but starving for True Love.
I went to a conference of former Muslims not too long ago and had the privilege of listening to a panel of them talk about what brought them to Christ- without fail, they said the major component was love.
Which leads to a difficult set of questions.
Am I expressing God's love?
Do I love my neighbor?
Do I even know my neighbor?
Have I let the individualistic ways of the American culture overwhelm my duty to the community of God?
As I ask myself these difficult questions, I understand that I am not nearly as advanced a Christian as I like to imagine I am. There is yet more work to be done.
But love covers a multitude of sins.
I pray that as I walk through life, I remember to smile at Muslims and hold the door open for older ladies. I pray that I am not more involved with my iPod than with my environment, and that I am not more aware of the politics, music and movies that blare in the background than of what truly matters. John 3:16 says that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that none would perish but that all would have everlasting life. If He can give all of that, is it too much to ask that I reflect and share His love?
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sovereign
I feel sick, and I know exactly why. You'd think that makes it better but in actuality, it seems to make it worse. I look around and I see that Christ is being mocked and trampled daily while too few of us do anything about it. It seems like previous generations would have done something, become outraged and taken a stand in favor of God. Now it barely registers. Popular music makes an explicit mockery of God, and we hum along to the melody because it's got a good beat.
Where is justice?
It seems like those who do wrong are rewarded, and the faithful perish. Or worse, the faithful switch sides, become complacent and share in the behavior and beliefs of the wicked.
But God is sovereign. Sometimes I don't feel it. Sometimes I don't like it. Often I don't understand it. But God is sovereign. The Word tells me, "Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." Proverbs 23:7-18
It's my job to realize that sin is a product of our actions, not of God. He gave us Eden- we squandered it. And it's not just Adam, not just Eve. We share in their sin too. We put our doubts, our desires, our fears and our desire for gratification above what He commanded us. Our folly, our sinfulness and our shame has created this fallenness that is spreading over the earth like a cancer. Our sinfulness perpetuates the constant deviation from the plan of God. We made this problem, we dug this hole, and all of us are complicit.
Yet God is sovereign. He is aware of the sinfulness in the world, and Christ will judge the sinful. It's my job to trust in his justice, rely on his mercy and endure through His grace. God is yet sovereign. And as long as He is, I can strive to see His name glorified, give all I have to know that He is honored and then rest in knowing that He will glorify Himself. It's my job to exalt Him. And though I suffer and my heart grows faint at the sight of the enemies of God seeming to glory in their apparent victory, I know that God is sovereign. And that is enough.
Where is justice?
It seems like those who do wrong are rewarded, and the faithful perish. Or worse, the faithful switch sides, become complacent and share in the behavior and beliefs of the wicked.
But God is sovereign. Sometimes I don't feel it. Sometimes I don't like it. Often I don't understand it. But God is sovereign. The Word tells me, "Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." Proverbs 23:7-18
It's my job to realize that sin is a product of our actions, not of God. He gave us Eden- we squandered it. And it's not just Adam, not just Eve. We share in their sin too. We put our doubts, our desires, our fears and our desire for gratification above what He commanded us. Our folly, our sinfulness and our shame has created this fallenness that is spreading over the earth like a cancer. Our sinfulness perpetuates the constant deviation from the plan of God. We made this problem, we dug this hole, and all of us are complicit.
Yet God is sovereign. He is aware of the sinfulness in the world, and Christ will judge the sinful. It's my job to trust in his justice, rely on his mercy and endure through His grace. God is yet sovereign. And as long as He is, I can strive to see His name glorified, give all I have to know that He is honored and then rest in knowing that He will glorify Himself. It's my job to exalt Him. And though I suffer and my heart grows faint at the sight of the enemies of God seeming to glory in their apparent victory, I know that God is sovereign. And that is enough.
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