On 11/23 I preached a sermon entitled "The Romance of the Ages" and it dealt with the God's love for us. The conclusion of the sermon pointed toward believers loving others. Little did I know that this closing thought would catapult me into a much more intense personal learning experience. 2008 has been a year of dramatic change in almost every area of my life, but all of that combined seems to be just a pre-game show to what has begun in me this week. I feel like the deepest, most foundational, structural parts of who I am and how I think are being rearranged, renovated, and in some cases, removed. It is hard to explain what it feels like other than to say I feel certain paradigms melting away and new worldviews sprouting. It is all centered around what love really, really, REALLY is and how I can better live in love. As I'm starting to see glimmers of what true love means, I realize the multitude of areas in my life that could use more of it and this thrills me. This is perhaps the deepest, most exciting shift that God has ever initiated in me. Please keep me in prayer as I journey through it because I know that what will come is what I need. Any "In Love" entries you see will deal with this journey of mine. In the meantime, here is one thought that I have had in this overhaul:
What if I did not go to church? Now this is a very hypothetical thought so stay with me. What if my Wednesday nights and my Sunday mornings were totally cleared. What if there was not a "church" in the organized sense that so many are familiar with? What would distinguish me as a follower of Jesus to those around me? Obviously my personal prayer and devotional life could continue, but that's not the question. What would be my visible, public, and evident distinction? The only answer would have to be found in my relationships. Hard work is the trait of a believer but those who do not believe can still work hard. Integrity is the trait of a believer but there are unbelievers who live with integrity. But when it comes to loving people, not just liking them and not just enjoying them, but truly and sacrificially loving someone, we find the unique and defining factor of a true believer...the Bible tells me so. "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”John 13:34-35 NLV.
Okay, now lets step out of the hypothetical and back into reality...does that truth change? Do I have any less responsibility to love others as a means of "proving" my belief in Christ or am I exempt from this burden of proof because I sit in a building twice a week and can sing the songs without looking at the words? Don't get me wrong, I love coming together in a worship service perhaps more than most, but I also recognize that as just a part of the life Christ came to give.
More to come...but now I lay me down to sleep:)
3 comments:
What a challenging question. I'm scared to know the answer!
For myself, I mean!
Just remembered you said you had written the other night =) When you were closing your sermon with the evidence and said that only by showing love to others is the love of God made complete in us it went off in me like a firework! The only thing that the more you give the more you have is love =) Thought: In the Garden adam and eve were not meant to see each other without seeing God, His glory clothed them!
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