Thursday, July 23, 2009

The new "Stuff Christians Like"...

Yeah, I know I haven't written anything original in a while. But as a consolation prize, I offer Jon Acuff's most recent post on his blog. Read it, chew on it, and then go clean out your "judging box".

What Christians Like

Friday, July 10, 2009

#575. Refusing the gift of the desert road.

Hey friends, I read this entry this morning in Jon Acuff's blog called "Stuff Christians Like" (Super good stuff.) I thought I'd share it here. It's a REALLY good read.

#575. Refusing the gift of the desert road.

Shared via AddThis

Love you guys...

Thursday, July 9, 2009

I wonder what would happen if...

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35 (ESV)

I've been chewing on this verse for a while now
, musing on a number of "wonderings' I've had as I've considered it. I'll share a few with you.

I wonder what would happen if we, as the church, took this command really seriously? I wonder if we would stop before we say anything and evaluate whether or not it was a loving thing to say, what we might conclude? I wonder what would happen if we really took Paul's exhortation in Philippians to "consider one another as better than yourselves"? I wonder how many ridiculous schisms that happen in the church would be avoided? I wonder how many church splits wouldn't happen, or how many friendships would be maintained? I wonder how many people, who have been absolutely turned off to the idea of Christianity would be challenged as to the reality of what we claim we believe? I wonder how many people would be once again drawn to the church as a place of love and sanctuary, where they experience a tangible expression of the extravagant love that God the Father has shown mankind in the gift of His Son? I wonder how much TRUE spiritual growth we would see in Believers. I wonder how many of us might experience a Christian life that is based not on moral obligation, but on deep, true love for our Savior and for those that He loves.

I have some theories based on these musings. I think that if we, the church, stopped focusing all of our time and energy on "being good Christians" and focused that time and energy on "loving in deed and truth", strange and amazing things would happen. I believe that when following Jesus simply amounts to "being good a Christian", then we really have very little above any other religious or moral system. Jesus taught His disciples that they would change the world, and that His name would be lifted up and glorified. How? I'll give you a hint: It was by being more loving, not more moral.

Remember the Pharisees? You know, the guys that Jesus was always dropping bombs on? Well, they had the market on morality cornered. They were the most moral guys on the planet. According to God's Holy Law, they were considered blameless. But Jesus called them "hypocrites", "snakes", and "whitewashed tombs". They were moral, but they lacked love. Now, didn't Jesus also say that if we loved Him, we would obey His commands? He did. Was He saying that our obedience to Him would be the proof of our love for Him? I think so, but I think more than that, He was saying that our obedience would flow from a heart of love. We know that we can't say "I love Jesus" and then disobey His Word, (At least, I would hope you know that...) since that's just being self-deceived. But if we really love Jesus, then we will want to obey Him. It has nothing to do with moral obligation, but with a genuine love for our Savior that changes us from the inside out. I can manipulate a man to stop sinning by enforcing my religious code on him. But does that change his heart? (Emphatic "NO"). But if that man truly falls in love with Jesus, then because of that love, he will recognize that what he is doing is wrong, and repent because he loves his Savior, not because he was made to feel guilty by me and my own moral conclusions.

So what's the lesson here? Morality without love is religious hypocrisy. Love without morality can really be love. But the morality that flows out of love is real. It's natural. It just happens. You can't force it, and it isn't morality for morality's sake. You can try to manufacture it, but sooner or later it becomes obvious that it's not really love. Pride, arrogance, self-seeking, posturing, and judgment have absolutely NO connection with love. Unfortunately we see these things in the church to a much greater degree than we see true love.

So...what would happen if we were willing to consider these things, lay down our pride as Christians, Americans, as people? What would happen if we stopped majoring in the minor issues, stop fighting over the non-essential stuff, and just loved each other, with all the warts, freckles, and other junk that we all have? I think we would have a church that is real, that has integrity, that truly represents Jesus to this world. We would be quick to confront each other, in love, and not withdraw and isolate ourselves. We would defend and nurture each other, instead of shooting the wounded. We would become the Church that Jesus intended us to be, and we would be stronger, purer, more effective, and more beautiful.

I think it's worth shooting for. I say lets go for it.

By the way...I love you.