Saturday, October 10, 2009

The Point

I have been guilty of making a religion out of Jesus of Nazareth, completely missing the point of his intended purpose. My fundamental understanding of Jesus's message has evolved to an understanding that relationship with God is not afforded to the world by what we do or have done, but by what God has done. Namely, He has chosen love over hate, mercy over judgment, grace over retribution.

So many teachings focus on ritual - certain prayers, traditions, etc - and seem to miss the most important point. That it isn't about us. It's about God. Who He is. What He brings to us. And honestly, I don't see Him holding back. He is not tight-fisted, but generous. He consistently loves me. I judge myself. He does not. There is more love in His presence than I could ever hope to achieve or know anywhere else.

At the end of the day, when all is said and done, He is always there for me, no matter what kind of day it has been. He hasn't abandoned me even when I have been deliberate in abandoning Him. That, to me, is the real gospel, the "Good News" of a loving spouse. No matter what, His heart and arms are always open to me. That is real intimacy. That's the point.

4 comments:

  1. Yes! You hit the nail on the head! Most people think of God in this box that you open up to "get" things from for our own purpose! The God of the Universe wants us for His pleasure, his purposes, which are more than we could ever accomplish on our own! How I wish I could remember that ALWAYS not just when everything is working smoothly! Thanks Lori!

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  2. I forgot to sign my name!

    Valarie <><

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  3. Hi Valarie!

    I'm a little late catching up on my blog - just saw your comments today.

    I'm with you - if I could just remember that it's always about Him and what He's teaching us through these life experiences, peace would always be present.

    Thanks for stopping by and for the comment. :)

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  4. Indeed! You got the point, Lori! I'm with you. God is the I AM over our past; our present; and our future. He remains the same - every day - regardless of anything we have done. Isn't it great to know that we can go directly to Him without a go-between - or the use of some perfected ritual to gurantee His listening ear. He cares about everything thqt matters to us. He graciously waits for uninterupted time with us - just to listen and feel our heartbeat close to Him. He loves to bestow more and more of His joy in us. For He longs to see us strong and empowered in the might of the Lord Jesus. He is a love song that plays in my heart and head - all day long. He is my Shepherd - I have everything I need! :)

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