True Love Direct from Heaven

When you think of the word, "love", what pops into your mind?  I remember the Disney movie "The Lady and the Tramp" when they are given a plate of spaghetti and they end up sucking on the same strand.  We go, "ah" isn't that cute!  We fall into the trap of thinking now that's love.  If you watch television at all you will be quick to realize that love is often a synonym for sex, they are used interchangeably to such an extent that one cannot tell the difference between them.

People have a hard time understanding the true definition of the word, love.  You know that by the way people do what they do in order to earn it.  A child will go to any length to show their love to their parents.  A woman often will stay with an abusive man because of love.  We know that is not true 'love' but rather a dependence on another for emotional and relational security.

When we come to the Scripture, the picture painted by God takes our breath away.  The great overarching story that is presented to us is that man spurned the love of God and preferred to go it his own way.  Thinking that he could do better on his own, man determined to build his own utopia apart from God.  He sought to find love in things, in himself and in life separated from the Creator.  He tried to make a name for himself without taking God into account and ended up with a purposeless life void of meaning and substance.

God's love brings purpose and meaning to life because He designed to be loved by Him!  When we try and stuff our lives with "stuff" we miss the point!  God's love gives us an identity that satisfies the deep longings of our heart.  I love literally the truth that First John 3:1 shares with us, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"  

I don't know about you, but before God's love rescued me, I was an absolute nobody!  I sought love by trying to please my parents, by trying to gain acceptance into a certain group in high school, and never found it! Never!  How often it is then that as a believer in Jesus Christ instead of being satisfied with His love that I have sought that satisfaction in the poor replicas of the love that the world tempts me with?  Too often, I must admit.

God's love has rescued me from sin, it has given me purpose and joy, peace and above all, love.  I love those around me with that love with which God has rescued me!  Unbelievable!

Commitment

    As a young Christian one of the issues that I dealt with many times was that of being committed.  Let's define that term lest you think I am talking about a special kind of being committed to a special institution!  No, I am referring to that commitment that we make to the Lord Jesus Christ when we turn the keys of our life over to Him.  I recall a number of young people who were saved around the same time that I was who no longer have kept their commitment to Christ. Whatever happened in their lives, they made a decision to abandon the faith.  

    Some folks don't abandon the faith but they do make small lifestyle changes that are inconsistent with living for Christ.  They decide that they will use their liberty in Christ to do whatever they feel like doing.  I am not judging at all.  I notice that there is a change in their fervor for following Christ and living for Him.  Little changes but big results.

    One of the verses that God has used in my life for years is Romans 12:1, I remember memorizing it in the King James Version when I was a teen, "I beseech you, therefore brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service."  The concept of commitment screams out at us here.  Because of what God has done for us, we have an obligation to give all that we are, all that we have and all we ever hope to be, to the Lord.  Because of the gift of salvation I now have a new owner that looks out for my best interests.  And that is exactly where the rub comes in.  We love to control our own destiny but that concept runs into direct competition with the Lordship of Jesus Christ. 

    Today, as I was reading Romans 12 and 13, I learned something new.  If you take the time to read those chapters you will see that the Apostle Paul proceeds to talk about the use of spiritual gifts, how we relate to one another, our relationship to those in authority over us and finally he deals with how we should spurn fleshly sins.  All of it is hinged on our commitment to being a living sacrifice.  There is never a moment when that commitment is to be broached and suspended by the child of God, NEVER!  That is not to say we will not sin or be tempted to sin but it is to say that we will submit to the Lordship of Christ each day of our life. 

    Is it easy?  Are all problems dissipated?  Will everyone welcome us with open arms?  No, no, no!  But we will live with the peace and joy that God promises to those who turn over the keys of their lives to Him.  There is no greater purpose to which we can give our lives!  

The Good and the Bad

The call to serve God in a full time, professional sense is an awesome call.  I know that each believer has been called to serve God but not every believer has the opportunity to do so as a profession.  Even though I must admit that sometimes it would be great to attend church and be a member of a church without the responsibility to lead the church.  I especially think that on Monday mornings after a hectic weekend of ministry.

There are times when the call to minister in a professional sense is a down right blast.  Nothing thrills my heart more than leading the congregation to discover new and old truths from the Word and make them applicable to every day life.  That is awesome.  I love being in the study preparing for those times, reading what others have discovered and mixing that with my own.  I find it an awesome privilege to be with people at life's most important and crucial moments.  Usually those are found at the beginning of life and at the end of life.  I would never want to exchange the time I get to pray with families at those moments.  To be able to bring an awareness of the person of God to at times is a great responsibility and joy, to be honest with you.

What tends to frustrate me most is the misunderstandings that seem to inhabit church life.  Instead of talking to people who are directly affected by an issue, we talk about them and then elect someone else to go and do our talking!  What's up with that!?  I believe that if I have an issue with you, I ought to be courageous enough to come and talk to you about it.  However, if I won't talk to you about it, then I need to change my attitude toward you!  I believe that this is the ethic which the New Testament teaches.

Ministry is a wonderful calling from God.  It is a joy to serve the Lord and His people.  The key, I guess, is continuing to grow as child of God and as a minister of the gospel.  I have NOT arrived, I know that I need to grow so much more.  I pray that we would all see our lives as works in progress that need the grace of God and the care of others!