Well, here I am again, writing another reflection on yesterday’s message. Remember, I spoke on the counterfeit ways of living that leave us empty (the impostors that climb over the fence). Because we are insecure, perhaps by nature, we’re vulnerable to other storylines that offer some sort of salvation but never really deliver anything of substance. So often, we’re looking for love--validation or security--in all the wrong places. Henri Nouwen articulates it well: “Success, popularity and power can, indeed, present a great temptation, but their seductive quality often comes from the way they are part of the much larger temptation to self-rejection. When we have come to believe in the voices that call us worthless and unlovable, then success, popularity and power are easily perceived as attractive solutions” (Life of the Beloved, 27). This is the problem. Out of insecurity, we look for answers--for validation--that ultimately leave us empty. We're tempted to turn to body-image, success, popularity, false forms of intimacy, legalistic forms of religion, desperately searching for love, security and personal well-being. But these things never bring us what we thought they would. They're counterfeits that leave us empty at best, ruin us at worst.
The answer is the security of knowing God’s love. Jesus came to give us life (John 10.10); he came to reconnect us to God, so that we might know God and have eternal life (John 17.3). What is that life? It is God’s life, his love. It is knowing his love—really knowing his love!—that sets us free to live. I’m saying something very radical here, for those who have ears to hear: we’re not fully alive, fully human, until we’re resting secure in the Father’s love, until we’re living in that love, growing in that love, and living out that love. This is what it means to be human. In short, we come home, because from love you came and to love you shall return. Our hearts, indeed our lives, are insecure until they find their rest in God and his faithful love. I pray this truth will sink deep into your heart. Peace!
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9 comments:
Hello Pastor,
In all my earnestness, I desire to love God with all my heart and know that he loves me. However, to be honest, I'm not sure what that means or how to translate that beyond a conceptual concept.
So, for discussion sake, with the intention of gaining a deeper understanding (i.e., not as a challenge), I'd like your thoughts on the following:
Is it possible, that to "experience" God's love for us (ie., know beyond a conceptual concept) might be through some of the means that you spoke about....e.g., could it through the fullfilment of romantic love for the person who has that particular deep seated need, or for another person, it might be through the fullfilment of being a missionary, and yet for a third person, it might be through the fullfilment of a love for a child, etc. That is, in the process of the fullfilment of a deepest need which renders a person to experience completeness, we experience joy in a way that only happens when one is in a state of pure unselfish love. From there, we draw power to give of ourselves through the kind of love that Jesus asks of us.
While it does seem rather arbitrary even to me, is it worthwhile to think further down that path to work this out?
I wouldn't want to lead myself down the wrong path with a distorted way of thinking......I can't think of a source of power that would allow me to give so unconditionally unless my heart is full of love. And to be able to have a heart full of unconditional love for all of God's creatures, first, I think the person has to feel complete themselves; otherwise, I'm thinking that I can give, give and give but and still feel empty and not know what it means to be "beloved" of God.
Great question! Don't be afraid of offering a challenge either.
I believe you're right. It is possible to experience God's love through another person or through another activity. In fact, that's how God's love is frequently experienced more often than not. I've seen God's love and have experienced God's love through the church, through my wife, and through my children. No doubt about it. These avenues can and should point us to God, for they often reveal God. Romantic love is a gift from God. Children are a gift from God, as is serving as a missionary. The problem: all of these can take on a life of their own and become idols. For instance, there's a huge difference between wanting a companion and needing--I mean, really needing a companion. With the former, you can offer a free love. With the latter, you're more prone to use the other person. Same with children. Children, though a gift from God, are sometimes put in bondage if the parent has a need to be needed. You've stopped loving, and now you're using. Like me, as I shared, I was preaching early in my ministry for me, looking for validation through success. Granted, we all need validation, but I was looking for it in the wrong places. And I found that's not what I really needed. I needed something much deeper--a proper understanding of who I am in God, a beloved child.
What is necessary is that we love God first. We can't love our neighbor properly if we don't love God first. The order is crucial. Though you can't separate the two commandments, you also can't reverse them. We don't know who we are, and we don't know what love really is, until we know God's love. Then and only then can we love. I'm fond of saying you have to have a self before you can give a self away. The self that can give itself away is a self that is rooted and grounded in God's love.
1 John 5.2--"This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands."
That verse says it all. We love others by loving God. And we can't love God unless we've come to understand a little something of his love--"We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4.19)
I hope I answered your question. Peace.
Hi Pastor Dave,
Thanks for thinking out loud. If I read you correctly the abundant life is "the security of knowing God's love." And that God's love will set us free to live. Furthermore, you seem to say that the abundant life is not to be found in success, popularity, power. I would generally agree with all of that. On the other hand, I was just reading Deuteronomy and Joshua and there God seems to say that His blessing to His people, (His love to them in a way they could understand it)would be in the form of prosperity and success. Certainly we live in a different time than those 12th century (BC) peoples but do you think that God could love us in the same way today? Do you think that God could use prosperity and success to convey His love to us today? Or have we acheived all the material prosperity and success we need and so now the only blessing we get is pychological or emotional?
Hey, Paul the Nazarene. Good comment. I believe God's love is revealed through the good things in life. Indeed we're called to enjoy them. "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (1 Tim. 6.17). The last phrase is one we need to emphasize every now and then--"for our enjoyment." The good things in life can, and should, point to the goodness of God. However, the issue is one of identity. How do you define yourself? What really are you living for? What do you really love? Where is your treasure? Also, read Deuteronomy 8. There we see a very well articulated concern: don't forget God when you prosper. In other words, don't lose sight of your core identity. Thank God for the land, for the food, rejoice, enjoy, but don’t forget whose you are. Peace.
We have learn a lot from what happen to my son Arvin. He broke all his toes on his right foot while playing basketball at The Point. What more to have an accident on our beloved church. My first noraml reaction if i don't know God is to hate the church which will point to God. But as i understood and apply John 10:10 on our situation is that we THANK God for he is good. How? My son is hurt and in pain? Well he provided us a way to be in the hospital for him to be seen by good doctors, he was stabilized while we are seeking a foot specialist that will operate his foot.
Also our church community have been with us, praying for my son and our family while we are in this situation. We are blessed with material blessing and christian friends who have shown care and provided encouragement.
As we look into it... this is an abundant life, knowing who you are and knowing whom you are.
We are a beloved child of God, whom he loves and cares and will provide abundant life that will glorify His name.
We are praying for you and your family, Ringo. Part of the abundant life is that we share in God's life together. Peace.
Interesting to know.
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