The True Point of Beginning

The True Point of Beginning as used in reference to real property is defined as "a surveyor's mark at the beginning location for the wide-scale surveying of land".  In my estimation, it is the finite point by which all other points are defined by reference. 

 

God has been speaking to me a lot about identity as of late.  In prayer a couple weekends back, I felt an overwhelming sadness for people who simply do not know who they actually are (that includes me), who they were created to be.  I sense the extent of my spirituality may be revealed more clearly in this post, than in posts past, but bear with me.  The sadness I felt was not my own.  I do not have the capacity to see or comprehend who people think they are, let alone who they ought to be.  It was something much larger and more true than what I am able to conjure.  As a parent, I would compare it to watching your child struggle in life, when you know their potential.  You want to jump in and plead with your child so they would see it clearly, see who they are, see all that they are capable of, and then, possibly, punch anyone in the face that says otherwise.  Maybe you are not as prone to violence as I am, maybe you are; I can only hope I am not alone.

 

Earlier this week, I was feeling nostalgic and decided to find teachings on YouTube by individuals whom I had grown up listening to at a retreat my family was connected with.  On an aside, I feel incredibly blessed that I was able to sit under such incredible teachings in my youth.  Just brain melting type stuff really; in a good way, of course.  One such teaching by one of my absolute favorites, Fr. Jim Nisbet (Google him, he will not disappoint), discussed this idea that we actually move backward in time, as compared to God.  Stay with me, I promise that this is really good and not too terribly confusing. 

 

Picture the final version of you at the end of your life.  The version that has been through the trials and the joys; the miracles and the disappointments; the love and the loss.  The version that stands before the Almighty and hears the words "Well done, my good and faithful [servant/son/daughter/whatever least offends you]."  That version. 

 

Now, picture with me a golden line (you can pick any color, but I like the glowyness of gold) that starts at the final you and races back through time as your life; and creating that line is the fingertip of God.  As God traces out the path of your life, being outside of time and all, He is able to take THE path whose end result is the version of you standing in front of Him and it is then that He calls you into time, via your mothers womb.  So as not to confuse the matter with ideas of predestination and free will, the larger scope of this idea is that this path is based upon the choices we have and will make and that God in His infinite wisdom put us in the chronological time and geological location that will best lead us to Him.  See Acts 17:26-27 (ESV) wherein it says:

 

"And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him."

 

Now, I don't know the theology behind this specific idea, and for the purposes of both this blog and Fr. Nisbet's teaching, it matters not.  The fact remains that God is outside of time, and who He says you are is based upon experience, not hope.  Did you get that?  Regardless of whatever your past says, or your parents say, or your teachers say, or your enemies say, or even your friends for that matter; the fact remains that God's present reality of who you are is there at the point where you stand before Him at the end of this life.  

 

I would submit to you therefore that the True Point of Beginning, the finite point by which all other points in this life find their meaning, is found at the end of your life, when God can scoop you up into His arms and place you into eternity with Him. 

 

While we race along this golden thread we call life, we have the opportunity to embrace who God created us to be, to find our true purpose, if only we would open our ear and heart to hear Him.  So long as we move on a path that does not match up with the True Point of Beginning version of ourselves, He provides opportunities to course correct; and as we struggle to remain someone that we simply are not created to be, He patiently waits, loving us, yet wanting to jump in and plead with us so that we would see it clearly, see who we are, see all that we are capable of, and then, possibly, punch anyone in the face that says otherwise.

 

Ok, maybe not that last part.  But I can hope.              

Ducks and Gifts | Seems Like Easter to Me

There are some people that are easy going.  They can float through life, going right over, through and under the waves of life, shaking it off every single time.  They are ducks.

Then there are others, who cannot shake it off.  They neither float, nor dive, nor shake very easily.  In fact, instead of salt water dripping from the tips of their hair, it comes pouring out of their eyes.

My middle son is just such a person.  As much as he tries, he cannot float, he cannot stay dry, he is not a duck.  

So this past Easter Sunday, in the mad dash to get every exhausted body up and showered and dressed and out the door (Thank the Good Lord our Church provides breakfast!), there were harsh words spoken and feelings hurt.  I admit that I myself was a culprit.  I could not see the logic in not wearing his brothers outgrown undershirt from Christmas and insisted on no argument.  He could not fathom wearing his brother's anything.  Agree to disagree. 

If it were either of my other boys, they would have begrudgingly conceded and forgotten about the whole thing in 5 minutes.  Not my middle son, it had now set the ground work for the remainder of the day.  As a result of his unrelenting poor attitude he was grounded from video games for two week.  TWO WEEKS, oh, the horror!!  (Please note that none of the boys are permitted to play video games during the week, so we are talking about 6 days including Easter and the remaining day of Spring Break, but I digress.)

Fast forward to after church, after he won an awesome skateboard, after he ate a breakfast burrito he loved, after an Easter egg hunt he thoroughly enjoyed, we come home and immediately he was reminded of being grounded from video games.  Did I mention the horror.  Oh, yes, the horror had sunk in.  He lay on his bed weeping. 

Weeping because life was unfair, his brothers got to play video games.

Weeping because no one really loved him.

Weeping because no one even cared.

Weeping because no one understood.

Weeping because God never talked to him.

Weeping.  Weeping.  Weeping.

Since it was Easter and we had a schedule to keep, I went into his room to talk it out with him.  I realized fairly quickly that he really just wanted to marinate in his own tears.  Part of me wanted to yell "Fine!" and stomp out of the room because I just couldn't waste anymore time on this issue anymore.  But part of me was pushed back to him because I understand.

I understand what it is to be lost in my own head; every horrible thought about myself and those around me bouncing around my skull, echoing.  Life's not fair.  No one loves me.  No one cares.  No one understands.  God never talks to me.  When my prayers sound like that God doesn't just yell "Fine!" and stomp off (spiritually speaking, of course.)  I'm sure I'm incredibly frustrating to be around in those moments.  I mean, I get sick of my own self.

So I waited and reassured him that he is loved.  That he is an important part of our family.  That God put us all together for a reason.  That he is a gift directly from God to me and Dad.  That he is a reminder of how much God loves us, to me. 

He lifted his head from his tear soaked pillow and said something I will never forget "I'm a gift to you and Dad?"  He looked shocked.  I immediately felt grateful to be having that conversation and guilty for never having had it before. 

"Of course you are gift!"

I then explained that each person is a gift, even if their parents don't appreciate it.  That was when it occurred to me.  I was a gift.

That is a bizarre thought to have.  It is easy to tell your son he is a gift.  The truth of that statement runs deeply throughout my being, but to take that truth and apply it to myself was difficult.  I wanted to reject it, but I couldn't.  It was either true that we were all carefully crafted gifts from the Most High, or none of us were.  It's an all or nothing deal.

As I still try to digest this, I encourage you today to consider that you are a gift; a carefully crafted gift from the Most High who loves you deeply.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
Psalm 139:13-18 (NIV)

The Flip Side of Forgiveness

Forgiveness.  It's a pretty big topic in the Bible; one of the top 3.  I don't actually know that it's in the top 3, it just sounded right to me.  Other than Love and maybe Holiness, I'm not sure what other topics can top it.  One might argue that Love, Forgiveness and Holiness are intertwined.  I might be inclined to agree.  But, today's topic is Forgiveness.

Here's what Jesus had to say about it in Matthew 6:

"If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive you." (NLT)

All I can say is OUCH!!  My forgiveness from God is dependent upon my forgiveness of others.  But, that's confusing because in 1 John 1:9 it says: "But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness." (NLT)  That seems more like it right?  I mean, this doesn't say anything about forgiving others.  

Until today, I hadn't given much consideration to these 2 verses and what their coexistence might mean.  I just figured that God simply refused to forgive people that were unforgiving.  Seemed fair to me.  Eye for an eye and all.  But, 1 John 1:9 does give me pause.

Let's go to Luke 7.  In this chapter, much like all the other chapters in the Gospels, Jesus says some mind-blowing stuff, the religious leaders are ticked, people are healed (brought back from the dead in this case), people love Him, people hate Him, more mind-blowing stuff and then chapter 8 starts.

Verse 30 reads: "But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God's plan for them, for they had refused John's baptism."  You could read this and think that's a bit over the top, I mean, the hows and whys and whos of baptism are argued to this very day.  But I would submit to you that when Jesus said John's Baptism, He was referring to the process of repentance and, ultimately, God's forgiveness.  John, who was known for his diet and fashion even before it was cool, spent a lot of time challenging people to "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." (Matthew 3:2).  If people chose to repent, he would baptize them in the Jordan River and sins would be forgiven.

So, let's assume that the issue with the Pharisees was that they outright rejected the idea that they were sinful and needed forgiving.  They rejected the idea of repentance, John's Baptism.  

Later in Luke 7:36-50, Jesus has His feet anointed with tears and expensive perfume by a "certain immoral woman".  The religious leaders were, once again, ticked. "Don't they know who is touching Him?" They asked.

Jesus' response?  In addition to some other scathing reviews of their hospitality, Jesus says "I tell you, her sins - and they are many- have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love.  But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love."  Theologically, this is a weird statement to make.  Didn't Jesus know that sin is sin?  That all sin is equal and our righteousness like filthy rags?  You'd think He would know that.  

But, then I thought about how the religious leaders had rejected repentance.  How, in that moment, they had only been forgiven of what they set to sacrifice at the temple.  They stood in the presence of One that had the power to forgive all, yet they chose self-righteousness.  

What does this have to do with God's refusal to forgive unforgiving people, you may ask.  This is what hit me today.  Now, please note that I am no scholar.  I have no formal training, so a better learned individual may be able to pick apart my submission fairly quickly, and yet.  

And yet, I really believe that God cannot forgive us in our unforgiveness because, perhaps, in our unforgiveness we are not truly repentant.  Unforgiveness may be the best indicator of an unrepentant heart.  

Look at King David, he was declared to be a man after God's own heart.  Yet he was a man whose life was rife with sin.  I mean he covered 40% of the Big Ten in one fell swoop.

But he was repentant.

"Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.  Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.  Wash me clean from my guilt.  Purify me from my sin.  For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.  Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.  You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just." (Psalm 521-4 NLT)

In an utterly honest moment like that, it would be impossible not to be overwhelmed with love for your God and mercy for those around you.  David had both a repentant and forgiving heart and it showed in his dealings with Saul and Absalom.  

God's position on the matter of forgiveness is pretty strong, but perhaps not because He would choose not to forgive, but rather that we would choose not to repent.  True repentance produces overwhelming love, mercy and forgiveness.  

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." (Psalm 139:23-24 NLT)

God's Heart is found on a cross.  The picture of absolute forgiveness fully dependent on absolute repentance.  Let's be people after His heart.

Sweep the Leg

I've been going through some stuff lately.  Though lately seems to be a relative term, since lately may actually be my entire adult life and much of my adolescence.  I can only assume that many people, I'm betting all, have been going through some stuff, so don't think for a moment I believe I'm special.  Life is stuff. (Oh, my gosh, I so want to make a Princess Bride reference here...)

That being said, I feel like I've been going through some particular issues lately, so much that I've had to call in the big guns, a Pastor.  We've met a hand full of times and between discussing life with her and living life, I've become aware of a pretty prevalent issue, like in the last week or so.  I don't want to take this to a hyper-spiritual place, so I won't go into detail, but in discovering this issue, she reassured me by reminding me that the "enemy only attacks when your headed in the right direction."  I've heard this before.  I've spoken it to others.  It's part of the standard rules of engagement.  I KNOW this.  But, somehow, I'd forgotten it as of late; feeling downtrodden and exhausted and, to be honest, a bit detoured.  Only just realizing that it was an attack at all.  I am thankful for ready wisdom.  

So, today was pretty tough, emotionally and spiritually for me.  God's been uncovering undressed wounds, that were all but forgotten.  Today was pretty intense, which is weird since it was pretty much a normal day.  

After I was able to get some perspective on my day, AKA "hanging out with my husband and kids", I began to stir that knowledge up in me, "I'm headed in the right direction!"  Then I felt like there was something else God added to my handbook.  Yes, the attacks confirm our route, but the tactic also shows us our weaknesses and wounds.  

As a child of the 80's my best illustration is from The Karate Kid.

  

You see, the enemy is many things, but he is not very sportsmanlike.  He does not play fair.  He finds a wound or a weakness and heads straight to it.  In fact, it may be a wound you are not even aware is buried deep inside of you.  Like me, you may find yourself under attack in a wounded area and be utterly baffled; wondering what the heck is happening.  But here's the good news, we serve a God that came to heal us, to be our strength in weakness.  He already has a plan to use the enemy's attacks to better position us for what He's doing.  We just have to recognize what's happening.  

So, here are my 3 official points:

1. The enemy only attacks when there are spoils.  He will do his very best to keep you from God's great plan and purpose in your life.  Under attack?  Great!  That's like the enemy declaring that your getting closer. 

2. The enemy is not creative (on so many levels), so he'll go after an injury or weakness.  Instead of cowering to avoid further pain, get up and ask God to show you the true issue and then allow Him to treat you.  Once you've strengthened that area, it won't be so much fun to attack.

3. Know that even in this, God is flipping the script and using this for your good and His glory.  He's allowing the enemy to clue you in on an issue that you've desperately needed addressed.  God has declared that you win!  So, whatever you do, don't throw in the towel.  

"9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions,in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV

The Pit of Despair

Like many people in the world over, I am a fan of The Princess Bride.  In fact, if those three words don't immediately conjure up images of Cary Elwes clinging to the back of Andre the Giant for dear life, or ROUSs, or iocane powder, then, honestly, I don't think we can be friends.  Not the bosom sort anyway.

Ha ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha... [thunk]

Ok, moving on.

If you are familiar with the movie, then you are aware of the Pit of Despair [Don't even think.  achem.  Don't even think about trying to escape.]  If you are not familiar with the movie, just imagine an underground dungeon run by a six fingered psychopath and his albino minion with a pretty nasty cold sore.  The particulars are not important, though.  In fact, as much as I love The Princess Bride, the movie doesn't matter either.  It's the pit of despair that is the topic of today.  That place where we can find ourselves in the dark, feeling hopeless and alone.

Now typically, there are two types of pits.  First, is the pit that you dig yourself and swan-dive into on occasion by your actions and lifestyle.  Sometimes we don't even bother to dig a new one, we simply uncover an old one and fall right in.  This is not the type of pit I'm hoping to discuss today.  The type of pit that I'm referring to is the the type, where you are legitimately headed down the right path, the path that God set in front of you, and out of nowhere [BAM!] you fall into a pit you did not see coming.  It feels as though the world opened up and swallowed you whole.  So, now, you're alone.  In the dark.  Any light you may perceive seems to be tricks and voices of encouragement seem like mockery.  God is nowhere to be found and you wonder if He's abandoned you altogether.

THAT BRINGS US TO JOSEPH AND HIS TECHNICOLOR COAT
AKA LITTLE JOEY THE BRATTY LITTLE BROTHER WITH BIG DREAMS
AKA LITTLE JOEY DAD'S FAVORITE 
AKA LITTLE JOEY THE JERK THAT DREAMS OF BEING IN CHARGE  

When we meet up with Joseph in Genesis 37:18, he finds himself in a pit, possibly left for dead, even though he was exactly where he was supposed to be.  In fact, he finds himself in the incredibly sad position of discovering that the people he trusted the most, his brothers, wanted him dead.  There's a long back story here that explains how Joseph found himself in this place, but in short he was given big dreams by God and a beautiful coat by his Dad; for which his brothers despised him and were prepared to murder him.      

Well, most of his brothers.  After the plan was devised to kill him and throw him into a pit, Reuben, one of his older brothers, suggested that they simply leave him for dead as he intended to return and save him.  Ultimately, Joseph was sold as a slave in Egypt, thrown in prison for attempted rape, then promoted to the second highest command in all of Egypt, which ultimately was the method by which God was able to preserve the nation of Israel.  The End.

Just kidding, rewind back to the pit.  Yesterday as I was praying for a person very near and dear to my heart who finds herself in a incredibly difficult and solitary place, I heard God speak to me:

"Sometimes the pit we perceive we're in is actually designed to protect us, preserve us and get us to where God intends us to be." 

After "hearing" that, I immediately cracked open my Bible and turned to Genesis to read more about Joseph, the guy that immediately came to mind.  I'd heard the story when I was small, read it a few times as an adult, but the pit never seemed to be a positive element to the story.  It was a pit for goodness sake, how could it be good?

Then again, how can a person be faithfully going down the right path, and still find themselves in a pit?  How can God send us down a path KNOWING there is a pit ready to swallow us up?  It's really kind of confusing, until you read the story again.

"... Let's just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness.  Then he'll die without our laying a hand on him.' Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father."

When read this way, the pit was likely Joseph's salvation.  God can use the least likely experiences in our lives to protect us, to preserve us and to get us to where He intends us to be.  It can be incredibly difficult to know that you've done all in your power and still find yourself in a pit, but can I encourage you to simply adjust your perception?  That pit you perceive to be all around you?  Could that pit be your salvation? Could it possibly be that God is removing you from a situation that is destructive or the He is keeping you from relationships that will stunt your growth and ultimately keep you from your true calling and purpose?  

If you know that you are walking right with God and yet you feel as though you've been flung into a pit, I pray that you sense the closeness of God as He protects you and that the darkness you perceive around you is merely His covering.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord: 
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; 
He is my God, and I trust Him,
For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.
He will cover you with His feathers:
He will shelter you with His wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Psalm 91:1-4 (NLT)  




  

The Waiting Room

"The radiation waiting room is a special place. A sea of broken people; adults of all ages, children, brain cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer. We exchange knowing glances, we learn each others names, we smile. There is solidarity here and I find myself thankful that I can never un-know that such suffering, such valor, exists. It makes me a better person. It keeps insignificance in it's place." - FB post by a Christian father of a young cancer patient.

Image courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net 

 

Should this not also be a picture of the Church; vulnerable and broken and honest with one another.  I am not attempting to degrade those that have been tormented by cancer or its treatments.  Let me show you what I mean:

 

"The Church is a special place.  A sea of broken people; adults of all ages, children, liars, cheaters, thieves, the lonely, the brokenhearted.  We exchange knowing glances, we learn each others names, we smile.  There is a solidarity here and I find myself thankful that I can never un-know that such suffering, such valor, exists.  It makes me a better person.  It keeps insignificance in its place." 

 



But this is not what I can say about the Church.  Though it is true that She is a sea of broken people of every age and knowing glances are exchanged, but those glances usually come in the form of judgement.  We do learn each others names, but only because we must out of some unwritten church-going law.  Yes, there are smiles, but they do not often come from a deep place of vulnerability, but rather from the shallows of our facades. 

 

Of course there are places where people are permitted to reveal their brokenness, but they are not the rule.  Most certainly the Church is not perceived as such by the non-church-going sect.  In fact, if radiation treatment waiting rooms were like our churches, can you imagine what you would find there?  Thickly painted, clownish faces and uncomfortable clothes stuffed with padding; some would have no people at all.   

 

Yet this is what we do every weekend, we paint on our smiles and wear our best clothes; tell our kids to straighten up while we tell everyone that we're fine, wonderful, in fact.  We are the sick that sit across from the doctor and say, "I feel great!" all the while we are desperate for help and healing and wholeness.

 

I pray that you find a place that allows brokenness and I pray that you find the strength to allow Jesus to identify it, name it and treat it.

 

 

When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners.” Mark 2:17

 

 

What Apology|2013 is not... and what it is.

The LGBTQ Community VERSUS the entirety of Christendom. 

It's a hot topic. 

It doesn't matter if you're talking about it in the context of marriage, adoption, the Boy Scouts, professional sports, fast food chains, or any other battleground, it is a topic that can quickly set a blaze between individuals both online and off.

So, you must be thinking, why have I created Apology|2013 and what is my intent?


Let me start with what Apology|2013 isn't.

It's not an attempt to rewrite the Bible or refute it's contents.

It's not a statement about what is or what is not sin.

It's not a condemnation of Christians across the country or around the globe.

It's not an apology for being a Christian or our beliefs.


What Apology|2013 is.

It's just that, an apology.

It's intended to say...

I'm sorry for every time I ever thought my sins were more tolerable than yours, they aren't.

I'm sorry for every time I ever thought God loved me more than He loves you, He doesn't.

I'm sorry for every time I wasn't loving, that doesn't reflect Jesus and not just MY Jesus, but the actual Jesus that lived and breathed and walked the earth, Who I believe still lives.

I'm sorry for every time I didn't jump to your defense or looked the other way when you were hated, Jesus would have.

I'm sorry for every time I assumed I knew more about life than you did, I don't.

I'm sorry for every time I judged you, if sins had a hierarchy, pride would be at the top.

I'm just sorry.


Now, I have had people that have suggested that we cannot apologize for the actions of another human being.  After all, we are all human and we are all broken.  I agree on some levels, but on the other hand, I do feel that we can apologize on behalf of our family, especially when other family members are not representing our core values.

This is not a personal apology that I've blown out of proportion to some kid I knew in high school.  This is not a response to some guilt that I have floating around.

This is me standing for something that lies at the core of my CHRISTIAN beliefs and an invitation for you to join me.

Dischord. Distress. Distraught.

I should stay off of the Internet.

Much of what I read causes my stomach to turn and on more times than not, just the headlines are enough.

I feel like crying today.  Weeping, really.

If what is happening in the world isn't quite enough, reading all of the crap floating around the world wide web of Christendom isn't any help. 

It's funny, I can read about things that occur outside of the context of being "Christian" and though I might find it sickening or heartbreaking or unfathomable, I understand that mankind is capable of depravity and remind myself "But for the Grace of God go I."

As much as that is bothersome to me, I know that there still remains hope in every situation that lacks Jesus.  Jesus is that hope.  As proved time and again, with Christ there is hope for forgiveness, transformation, grace, peace, wholeness, love... 

Love.

"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other."

That is where I am paralyzed with fear.  In the community that should be so full of love and compassion and grace for one another, we are ravenous.  We are piranhas.

We travel in packs and feed in frenzies.

We feed on the brokenhearted.  We feed on the famous.  We feed on the lost.  We feed on the confused.  We feed on the gentle.  We feed on anyone who we perceive as different.  We feed on anyone who we perceive as "wrong".

In that frenzy, it seems, we gain momentum as others join our ranks.  Our hearts pump with life giving blood, all the more fervently, as we drain the life out of others.  Our skin tingles as our teeth sink deeper and deeper, tearing away at each other. 

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

There are traumatic events in our lives that can be repaired on this earth and made whole in eternity.  Events that we elevate as being eternal, which are not. 

Likewise, there are choices we make that have eternal consequences, which we demean as not carrying much weight, outbursts that we justify by being "right", stripes we place on Jesus' back in our righteousness.  Choices we determine that are necessary, in our pride.

"By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves]." 

I am grieved. 

The Glory of Making Mistakes

I make lots of mistakes on a regular basis.  It does not feel glorious.

I do not enjoy making mistakes, in fact, I tend toward nurturing my mistakes into little pets that I let out whenever I want to feel bad about myself. 

I'm not sure why I like to remind myself that:

I'm a bad Wife
I'm a bad Mom
I'm a bad Friend
I'm a bad Daughter
I'm a bad Employee
I'm a bad Human Being

But I do.  Even in moments where I imagine I'm not mucking things up too badly, I rain on my own parade.  I mean, who throws themselves parades anyway.  Am I right?

I know, I know.  There is no humility in this type of thought process and it also undermines God's purpose in my life.  Hey, if the only victory I achieve is found in self-defeat, I'll take what I can get.  (That was a joke, sort of.)

This mindset goes against the "You are good enough.  You are smart enough and dogonnit, people like you." mentality of this world.  But have you noticed that they stop giving out participation awards in grade school? 

So here I am, surrounded by decades of mistakes staring at me with their puppy-dog eyes, begging to be let out of their cages.  They just want to play a quick game of Walking Dead.  It'll be fun.

It can feel like I'm being mauled if I stay there too long.

Then there's God. 

He never undercuts the mistakes, He never pats me on the head and says they didn't matter or that they were fine.  He uses them to create something new.  He is both Creator and Redeemer, after all.

If.  I.  Let.  Him.

He can use those same mistakes and create something beautiful. 

Something that inspires others to share their mistakes and find freedom. 

Grace.

Forgiveness.

Mercy.

Connection.

If. I. Let. Him.

He will take my mistakes and paint a picture of His Love.  A Love that can spread like wildfire to everyone around me.  And that, is the glory of making mistakes.  Or rather, the glory that can come from making mistakes.  If.  I.  Let.  Him.

I suppose therein lies the rub... I can't keep my mistakes AND let Him make something more of them.   

This post is part of the One Word at a Time Blog Carnival hosted at Peter Pollock’s blog. The word is "Mistakes".  Check out other posts and/or link your own.

Freedom & Love

This world offers freedom, but the freedom it offers isn't free or freeing.

We simply become captive to success, money, other people's opinions, our jobs, the societal norm, the cookie cutters that we all have to fit into.  We have become numb to our prison cells because we stay doped up on consumption and entertainment.  Feeling a bit dissatisfied?  There's a movie for that.

So, you think you're different and you find your freedom in your individuality? 

Well, Hipster has become so normal, it's not even cool anymore.   

Goth?  Yeah... that's kind of just funny now.

Punk?  Wait.  Is that even a thing any more?

Emo... ok, that's just lame.  Does anyone even remember emo?

Scene?  Passe, just like that hombre hair color.

Like to put a little bright color in your hair?  So does Barbie.  Got Tatoos?  Yep, Barbie has them too.  Fan of ye ol' Dubstep?  It's cool, you can find it on the jukebox at your local pizza parlor.

Do you feel different?  Maybe like no one understands you?  Like you have something in you that would blow everyone away if they knew? 

Are you getting it yet?  Everyone is different and, in that fact, no one is special.  Or maybe it's that everyone is special and, in that fact, no one is different.  In either case, I have good news.  You are different and special, but not for the reasons you think.

There is no outward force that can mold you into something special.  There is no government agency that can make you free.  There is no army or fashion magazine that can help you discover your potential or cap it.

You will not find your identity in a crowd of people protesting or in the rhetoric distributed by people who have set their face toward division. 

You may be reading this today as an atheist, or a deist of a non-Christian nature, or a confused Christian, or just confused; regardless of that, just know that you were hand-crafted for a purpose in this life.  That *thing* that you carry around in your heart was carefully placed there and the only way it can be fully understood is when it's purpose is explained by it's Creator.

I'm not peddling Easter Bunnies or Eggs or "correct" Resurrection Sunday memes.  I'm not pushing pews and crosses and NOTW t-shirts either.  I'm pointing to that thing inside of you that wants to burst out and be free (Don't picture the scene from Alien, Hahahaha!).  It can't without Jesus. 

No matter what you do to your external-self, you will not harness your true potential, which is the thing that ACTUALLY makes you different, until you acknowledge it was created by Someone Who loves you and may have some thoughts on the matter.

Freedom can only be found in true love.

True love doesn't come with exceptions.

True love is not just a feeling, but proved by action.

True love has come in the Man named Jesus, who loves you without exception and proved it by the Cross.

Until you know Him, you will not be free.  You may be sedate, you may be confused, you may be numb, you may be angry, or you may be lying to yourself; but you will not be free.

The Gaze Outside of Time

So, the entire chapter of Hebrews 12 is worth reading, as is the entire book of Hebrews, and the New Testament and, well, while I'm at it, the entirety of the Holy Bible.  That being said, my post today is about 2 half sentences that show up in Hebrews 12:1-2.  They read:

"...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame..."

Do you see it?  I didn't until Sunday night during a prayer service. 

The gaze outside of time itself.

As Jesus entered this most diffcult week, this Holy Week, this Passion Week, there was one thing that encouraged Him to endure and that was you. 

"For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame..."

He was looking at you.  You, in your most wretched state, lost and broken, were enough to get Him through. 

This gaze, however, was never intended to be one way.  Just as Jesus is outside of time looking at you now, you have been invited to return that gaze and be encouraged during your difficult days.

When you set your eyes on Jesus, know that He is looking right back at you.

Is it as crazy for your to think that Jesus found endurance in setting His gaze upon you?  It's still crazy for me.

 

Don't Judge Me | It Just Sounds So Biblical

I don't know the exact level of irony that will be displayed in what I am about to share, but I do know that this post may be perceived as having been woven with a substantial amount of irony.  Given that it seems as though I may be judging others who are judging others for judging them.  Yeah, that just happeed.

So, here goes.

There seems to be a surge of memes posted online demanding that others not judge them.  To drive the point home?  They quote Jesus. 

Luke 6:37

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged."

Matthew 7:1

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged."

Seems straight forward, right?  Jesus said don't judge, so people shouldn't judge me, right?  I don't think that was His point.

I think this teaching falls under the same category as so many teachings I've sat under, as soon as I hear the word spoken, I think of someone else who should hear it.  Funny how that works.  We are always so quick to apply the commands of God to other people, instead of ourselves.

We always want to be forgiven, but struggle with forgiveness.
We declare "Don't judge me!", yet often judge others.
We say others should be generous to us, but find that we withhold.
We remind others of unconditional love, yet have many filters on our own.

Jesus tells the story of an unmerciful servant in Matthew 18.  To summarize what occurred, a servant was forgiven a pretty significant debt by his king.  Shortly thereafter, he ran into an old friend that owed him a pretty minor debt and had him thrown into prison when the friend was unable to repay him.  When the king heard this, he had some pretty harsh words for the servant and then reinstated the debt, throwing his butt into prison. 

I understand that forgiveness is a very specific topic, one that should not be glossed over, but I believe that this command against judging others should be grouped in with forgiveness relative to its application. 

Jesus never commanded that we not judge others so that we might avoid being judged by people, but rather so that we might avoid being judged by God.  I'm not suggesting that we won't be held accountable for our (in)actions, because we will.  I'm merely stating that the purpose of His command was that we might address the issues in our own hearts and make adjustments. 

The world as each of us knows it would change dramatically for the better if we simply stopped concerning ourselves with what judgements other people made of us and spent some time judging our own hearts and motives.  We need to take down our "Don't judge me!" banners and begin the work of becoming renewed.  

Trust me, if you are overly concerned with what others think of you and spend time defending yourself, you will spend very little time with the Holy Spirit searching out the real issues in your heart and making the necessary adjustments.  Once in defense mode, it's hard to let God show us what is broken.

I can only tell you what I, myself, have gone through.  Or rather, what I am still going through.  So, don't worry!  You are good company.

Can we all agree to stop posting those stupid memes now?

Funny Thing About Parenting

The funny thing about parenting is that it's not all about teaching what you unswervingly know, but rather, more often about learning as you teach... well, learning as I teach, since this is from my experience and perspective.  In other words, as I guide them, I find myself becoming my own guide. 

By example, our family has recently begun a huge shift; we have stopped attending the church where we've attended for 6 years and are starting fresh.  Perhaps you are reading this and don't see the magnitude of that statement.  It's like moving to a new country, or joining a new family.  You have to understand that the people with whom we attended at our old church were our family.  They were the people that we saw 2-3, sometimes even 4 times per week.  We were witness to couples announcing their courtship, then their wedding date, then the birth of their first child.  Those people were people that I thanked God for each and every day.  They were OUR people. 

But, God, as unchanging as He may be, is not tied to our comfort.  He asked Abraham to take his immediate family and leave his community for a place unknown, and in many ways, that is exactly what God asked of us.  Once we determined that we needed to start making preparations to make the move, we made them.  It was sudden and scary and weird, but we did it.

Rob and I are resilient, we can pretty much roll with anything, because after 16 years together we've experienced quite a bit of change, surprise, disappointment, fear of the unknown, joy, etc.  However, we have 4 little ones at home that don't roll as smoothly and I didn't realize what I was asking of them until the tears began to flow. 

When that happened:

I began consoling them, that didn't work. 

I began commanding them, that didn't work.

Finally, I began encouraging them with the Word of God.  It just flowed out of me.  Then the most amazing thing happened, I was encouraged.

You see, 75% of me (perhaps a tad more) didn't want to make the change.  Staying would be so much easier.  I'm an an introvert, sprinkled with just a touch of social awkwardness.  Meeting people is not easy for me; it makes my stomach hurt, literally for the most part.  It took me 6 years to build the relationships I had, 6 years to feel increasingly at home when I stepped onto campus, and most importantly 6 years to find just the perfect seat.

Ok, that last one, probably wasn't THAT important, but it was nice.  In fact, not that I went to church at a bar, but for me my church was much like the T.V. show Cheers.  When I stepped onto campus for any given event, gathering, service or meeting I would hear "BRINAAAAA!!!" somewhere, even at a distance.  It was my Cheers.  If you could somehow merge Diane and Carla, you'd get me.  Odd, but true.

In case you think I loved my old church simply for the community we were a part of, I most especially loved it because of God's presence, the truth of His Word being shared and the growth that occurred for my family there.

 

I think you get the point, I loved my church.  But, in speaking with my boys about the impending change, I began to tell them of the Israelites and how along their journey through the wilderness they had the opportunity to move when God said to move and remain under His grace and blessing and enter their promised land, or they could hesitate in disobedience and miss their opportunity.  We did a little pop-quiz on the name of the 2 smart spies (Jacob won $1) and just explored that situation.

At the end of our discussion, they better understood why we had to do what God asked of us and, frankly, I did to.  He has something more for us in this new place.  Something that He's intended all along. 

So what did I learn while I was tryin' to learn my kids some Bible stuff?  I learned that God's ultimate goal for our life is not sedentary comfort, but rather that we would be in His presence under His grace and blessing all the days of our lives, where ever that might lead. 

You gotta move when God says move.  So we did.   

Why Apology 6/25/13 Will Never Work.

Since posting my idea for Christians across the internet to use their public platforms to post an apology to the LBGT community on 6/25/13, I've had quite a few people read my submission, but very few respond.  By few, I mean my husband, a handful of close friends and a blogger who played a central part in the inspiration of this idea.  I'm not entirely sure what I expected.  I guess, I kind of thought people would read it and yell aloud "I can't believe no one has ever thought of this before!  I'm going to repost this a million times!" 

 

But that didn't happen. 

 

I did have a gay Christian woman support it immensely, which I love, but that doesn't prove anything other than this is desperately needed.  We have an entire community of people who deserve an apology which may never materialize.  And even if it did, would it be enough?

 

Perhaps some Christians read my proposal and assume what I am proposing is Christians everywhere should stand up and say, "Hey, we're sorry!  We've been wrong in our beliefs this whole time."  That's simply not the case.  What I am suggesting is that we stand together and apologize for our behavior.  Regardless of what translation of the Bible you read or what social lense and historical context you view the Bible through, Christians, as a lumped sum group, have not expressed the heart of Jesus.  We just haven't. 

As a Christian, I find that sad.  Sad for everyone.  We haven't even given most of the people in this world and virtually none of the LGBT community a chance to really experience Jesus. 

It occurred to me that we've become bouncers of Club Jesus and I'm not even sure that Jesus is inside anymore.  He's out there, trying to heal the wounds of those we've injured.  The injured, though, cringe at the thought of His touch because of who WE said He was. 

 

In reality, my plan probably won't work as I had hoped.  There are too many bridge burners and too many idle hands to be productive. 

 

Even if we could get some momentum, how much impact will it truly have?  Some people may feel the apology is disingenuous.  Too organize.  Too little, too late.  Or perhaps not the apology they want to hear.

 

A simple apology can't mend all of the hurts involved and it may not fix the complex dynamics of the issue at large, but, guess what? 

 

I don't care because it's the right thing to do. 

 

Even if only a handful of people join me on June 25, 2013 to apologize, it won't change my heart.

 

I know that 1 Corinthians 13 is so, so popular and quotable, especially for weddings.  But I challenge you to read it again.  The following is in The Message translation.

13 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.

² If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.

^3-7 If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

^8-10 Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

¹¹ When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

¹² We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

¹³ But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

 

So, tell me.  How can we look at all that has transpired between the "Christian" camp and the "Gay" camp and even remotely say that we, Christians, have walked in this love.  We can't, but we can stop and simply apologize.  I cannot apologize for what Christians believe relative to homosexuality and sin, but I can and will apologize for how poorly our actions represent Christ's love.

 

Let's love extravagantly. 

 

Would you join me on June 25, 2013? 

Apologetics All Around!

(DISCLAIMER:  None of the following individuals, Sammy Adebiyi, Ed Stetzer or Carlos Whittaker have endorsed this post or anything in it.  I am merely sharing some of the posts that I've recently enjoyed reading.)

No wait!  I meant, APOLOGIES all around!  Dang!  I never understood why those two words can mean something so different and yet sound so similar.
 

I do think though, that if we sprinkled our apologetics with a few apologies, people might be interested in our Gospel.

SAMMY WROTE.

Recently, Sammy Adebiyi wrote an article for Prodigal Magazine which chronicles his experience of repentance toward the LGBT community.  Please, please, please read it HERE.

After reading his article, I posted a comment that included this statement:

"I'm really glad that you took the public stance you did Sammy. I think more people with public platforms should do what you did."

 

 

Then it occurred to me.  Why can't we?  Why can't Christians who have a public platform that feel the same way Sammy feels, the same way I feel, say "Sorry"?  And not just at random, but on the same day.  I mean if Christians can organize an impromptu eat in at Chick-Fil-A, then why can't those of us who felt a little nauseous on that day take a day to express how we feel?

A VOICE.

We need a voice.  Not just one voice, but many voices.  Brave voices.  Loving voices.  Gentle voices.  Loud voices.  Voices who sound a whole lot like Jesus and who will make a pact to post on their Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Blogs, Google+, Bumper Sticker, Lapel Button, or whatever, on Tuesday, June 25th 2013:

 I'M SORRY

ED WROTE.

I read an article on Ed Stetzer's blog yesterday and it really brought clarity to the issue for me (please read it HERE).  There is no way to fully reconcile two such polar opposite points of view, BUT something must be done and it must be done soon.

As Christians, we serve a God that always sacrifices first, loves first, forgives first, gives first; so, in light of this example, we must waive the white flag of humility first.

LOS WROTE.

I was scanning my twitter feed late last night and @loswhit tweeted he would be posting an interview with a homosexual Christian today.  My heart leaped.  I was so excited and scared to hear what he or she would have to say.  I believe if you read it, which I'm kind of insisting you do, (read that HERE) it will really cement the truth of my cause.  At one point in the interview, after being asked to give advice to Christians, she said:

"Listen to them and love them gently. Even acknowledge and apologize for how the Christian community has wounded them."

There it is.  Simple as the sky is blue and as difficult too.  We can't ignore this any longer.  We must all become Jesus and jump into the middle of the mob and demand of ourselves and each other “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Then, we must drop our stones.

DROPPING OUR WEAPONS ≠ TWISTING THE WORD OF GOD

But you know what does, not loving people.  We twist the truth of the Gospel when we tell a single person that Jesus doesn't love them just as they are, but we also twist the truth of the Gospel if we would suggest that Jesus ever leaves us just as we are, but that is a discussion for a different day.

Today?  Today, we, Christians, just need to apologize and not just to the LGBT community, but to anyone that ever felt the searing stares of rejection as they walked into a church service.  Anyone who was ever told to go and get their life together BEFORE they could come into the presence of Jesus.  Anyone who felt like they had to LIE about who they were just to fit in with some "ideal" Christian community we tried so hard to sell everyone.  Anyone who we ever convinced that Jesus was a big ol' judgmental unforgiving guy like the rest of us.

He's not.  And before the big day of Apologies rolls out, I must say I'm sorry. 

For any moment that I EVER made anyone feel less than worthy of love.  We are all in the same boat.  We need Jesus.  And the GLORIOUS thing about HIM is that He is available to all of us, just as we are.

Join me, won't you? 

Please, please, please, I BEG you to:

1) Read the articles I posted.  They are wonderful resources.  If you have time, read other articles these great men have posted.

2) Comment below if you're in. (PLEASE BE IN!)

3) Share the plan!  If you're reading this, you likely have a Twitter, a Facebook, a Pinterest, an email account, or a piece of cardboard you can make a sign with.  Let's get the word out. 

If you are a Christian and you don't like this plan, then please do us all a favor and keep it to yourself.  We are trying to build bridges and cross them, not burn them as quickly as we build them.

Jesus never met us halfway.  So, let's build bridges... then cross them, to the Glory of Him Who loved us first.

Give Until It Doesn't Hurt Anymore

This past weekend I experienced a moment in the Dollar Tree store.  Yep, the Dollar Tree.

 

I was in the process of purchasing picture frames for photos which have been floating around our house for months, just waiting to be crumpled, when the cashier asked if I wanted to donate money toward some such organization.  Without even considering her question, I responded "No."  If you are wondering if it was, perhaps, an organization unworthy of my assistance, I would say it's not likely the case.  As I type this, I can't even recall which organization, but I'm sure they were doing good in the earth and could have used my few bucks.

 

If you are wondering if there was another reason, there's not one.  I'm just a jerk and what I am about to reveal to you next will show you just how big of a jerk I really am.

 

Despite my quick decline to the cashier, I did have a fleeting thought.  "If she knew how much I already give, she wouldn't ask me for more."

 

Can we all say wow!?

 

It was definitely a thought that gave me pause.  I would like to say it was a thought deposited into my mind from an alien land, but it wasn't; this thought was all mine.  It reflected what is was in my heart.  My lack of generosity.

 

You see, giving can be painful.  The thought of it can make me recoil immediately and violently.  On this day, a simple request for a menial amount of help was met with:

ANGER    bitterness   ingratitude   PRIDE   fear

and not

Love    Generosity    Joy    Gratitude

 

Fortunately, God didn't let me just feel bad for a second and move on with my day.  My heart pondered this for the remainder of the day; I even found myself contemplating the old saying "Give until it hurts."  Then suddenly the words "Give until it doesn't hurt anymore" drifted through my spirit.  You see, much like every other habit I've established in my life, I can choose selfishness or generosity, but I must practice. 

 

I must push through the pain of giving small to get to giving big. 

 

I must build up my tolerance for giving to people I love to delve into giving to people I, perhaps, don't care for or simply don't know. 

 

I must perceive this pain of giving as a trigger or demand to give without a another thought. 

 

I must be generous on every occasion, whether it be at church, at home or at the Dollar Tree.  Wait, that sounds familiar.

  

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

 

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.   2 Corinthians 9:10-13

Originally, I was going to only post the verse specific to being generous on every occasion, but when I began to read the verses before and after the one I wanted, I realized it was painting a bigger picture. 

Do you see it?

 

God is generous with us in order that we may be generous with others and our confession of the gospel is made complete in our obedience to God through our generosity to people.  There's so much more at stake than my $2. 

So, there it is, in black and white, just in case, you thought I was just making it up. 

Give until it doesn't hurt anymore.

Misapplication of Military Metaphors

First, I would like to confess I love alliteration and, as you will soon discover, repetition.  Oh... and just a touch of rhyming, when possible.

 

That, however, is not the topic of my post. 

 

I wanted to share a verse which rings through my head more often than I'd like, yet less often than I need.

 

Teacher, which kind of commandment is great and important (the principal kind) in the Law? [Some commandments are light—which are heavy?]  And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect).  This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment.   And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.  These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 22:36-40 AMP)

 

However, when I hear it, this is what it sounds like:

 

Love God.  Love people.

Love God.  Love people.

Love God.  Love people.

 

Maybe you're the good son and God doesn't have to repeat Himself with you, but I am not.  I am the stubborn kid who has to be told time and again. 

 

Love God. Love people.

 

What God never tells me is:

 

Love God.  Conquer People.

Love God.  Dominate People.

Love God.  Battle People.

Love God.  Triumph over People.

 

Nope He says:

 

Love God.  Love People. 

 

There are some things, as Christians, where a militaristic tone is appropriate, but those things cannot be found bound in flesh and sustained by blood.  Epheshians 6:12 says "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."  Ephesians even goes on to instruct us to prepare for battle against such things.  According to verse 12, those preparations are not made to battle people.

 

Love God.  Love People.

 

If Ephesians 6 is a great picture of the method by which we should battle the unseen forces in this earth working against us, then I submit to you John 13 as a picture of how a life spent loving people should look.

 

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. (John 13:3-5 AMP)

 

He was stripped down, totally vulnerable, hands in the mud, uncomfortable, humble (possibly perceived as humiliated) and about as UN-self-serving as one can be.  There was nothing that Jesus could have possibly gained from this (or the cross), except filthy hands and hearts that, hopefully, better understood His. 

 

What you don't see (anywhere in the Gospels) is Jesus gearing up in armor and going to battle with people, because that would be ridiculous.  Battling people is ridiculous. 

 

Yet, we do it all the time.

 

Love God.  Love People.

 

 

I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. (John 13:15 AMP)

 

We cannot argue people to Jesus. 

 

We cannot force people to Jesus.

 

We cannot intimidate people to Jesus.

 

We cannot guilt people to Jesus.

 

We cannot strong-arm people to Jesus.

 

We can only love people to Jesus.  Because that's what He did, and it wasn't through empty words or a silent heart, but rather a life of service.

 

Love God.  Love People.

 

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:7-8 NLT)