Day 137 - Trash Talk
Scripture focus: "Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven," (Jesus told the people) Matthew 7:21 NIV
Yesterday's devotional concluded with this: I don't need my kids sitting around making up catchy comebacks to the intrepid critic on "You Tube." I want my kids to trust in the Lord - the one who is able to aid. I want their faith to be firmly planted in God's prevailing purposes, not in people being nice to their mom. I want my children to be sturdy, and not blown about by a little wind of criticism. I want them to understand that we don't explore the limits of our own abilities, trusting God to do in and through and with us, what we never could accomplish on our own without suffering failure, fatigue and criticism. In order to develop this kind of inner strength, we've got to become more concerned about what God believes about us than we believe about ourselves - or others assume is true. I suppose the thing I want for all of us is a firmly grounded loyalty and trust in God. This dynamic duo will allow us gentleness and compassion of spirit for our own messiness, and the messiness of others. Make no mistake, those guys shouldn't be talking trash like that - it's rude. But that doesn't give me the liberty to be trashy in return.
Please don't misunderstand: I could talk trashy if I chose too. In fact, I must admit, it would be fun.
Scripture is amazing. It says a lot of stuff, that if we think about it, we really don't understand (or when we do, it's sobering). In my early adult years, I sang hymns like, "Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." And that's true - mostly. (As I mature, I realize that sometimes trusting and obeying doesn't make me HAPPY! It's annoying, but I often feel compelled to trust and obey not because of how I feel, but in spite of my feelings.) I also learned about the four spiritual laws, the sum of which guaranteed a follower a place in heaven. Matthew 7:21 says, Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven,' (Jesus told the people). What does that mean? Is there something we can do that cancels our one-way ticket to heaven? Or is this verse for those who don't really believe. Who are they? Obviously, they're naming Jesus as Lord.
I love how scripture tells us that when we know the truth, the truth will set us free. This freedom is not license to run around doing whatever we feel like doing - waving our little tickets to heaven in the face of those we harm! I really would like to talk some smack to those guys with their nasty comments on "You Tube" - for about a millisecond. If I pause to prepare, for just a second, I quickly realize that my freedom to love like God - passionately, prayerfully and intelligently - actually limits my willingness to do that which comes natural. I'm not willing to live outside the "pegs" of these two commands. Even though, in the moment, I think whipping out my verbal sword will make me happy, I am old enough at this point in my life to understand the difference between fun and pleasure.
For today, regardless of all that I don't know - Jesus says the most important thing for me to do is this: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them." Matthew 22:37-40 The Message
Living within the limits of loving like God provides the proof that we're not just giving lip service to the concept of Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Recommended reading: 1 Samuel 17 and 18 in the morning; John 9 and Psalm 111 in the evening
No comments:
Post a Comment