The Value of a Life

I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that after the COVID pandemic, something happened to our collective mental health.  The world spent several years living in denial, fear, and then grief.  This type of prolonged exposure to stress can lead to PTSD of course, and once the world finally began to heal physically, many (if not most) of us simply went on with our lives.  Not much time dedicated to psychological healing.  According to some recent studies, as many as one in five Americans suffer from diagnosed anxiety, and that doesn't include those who have never gone to see a doctor.  For adolescents, this figure jumps to about one in three.  In addition to that, about fifty-thousand adults die annually in the U.S. from suicide.  Innumerable more have considered it.  Sufficed to say, we have a problem.  

As part of my occupation, I deal with young people who often have experience with friends or family members that have taken their own lives.  The effects are long lasting and devastating for those left behind.  In many ways, I think that this may be America's new silent epidemic.  Do people know how valuable they actually are?  Do they understand that God designed them with a purpose and specific spiritual gifts?  Unfortunately, in many cases, I think the answer is "no."  So I want to take a moment to look at some of the Scriptures in the Bible about God's love.  

Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease.  Great is His faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning."  It appears then, that we are faithfully loved by the creator of all things.  Likewise, Psalm 139:14 says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  This means we are capable of affecting the world in awe inspiring ways.  And finally my favorite, Genesis 1:27, which states, "So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them."  Let that sink in for a moment.  Not only did God create us, He also attributed aspects of Himself into our design.  This means we are of incredible value both as individuals, and as unique parts of God's creation.

Now we can misuse this power and ability of course through sin.  But even so, God still provides a way for us to receive forgiveness through Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.  When we fall, we can repent, ask for forgiveness, and continue living our lives.  Want even better news?  We are saved by faith in Jesus, not because we need to try to be perfect.  I firmly believe that the good news of the Gospel equates to a love letter from Him to us; a written reminder that we  matter.  Even if it doesn't feel like it, and even if other people in your life forget that you are fearfully and wonderfully made.  You do matter, and you are a created being (not just some random, biological accident).  

So what does this mean for you and I today?  Well, I think we can draw several conclusions.  First, it means that if you are feeling inadequate or somehow lesser, you are listening to the wrong voice.  God's voice will tell you the opposite.  Don't believe the lie that says you aren't good enough to be loved.  Second, if you are considering a permanent "solution" to a temporary problem through suicide or self-harm, then please reach out to someone for help.  In six months or a year, you may very well find that the big problem will look smaller than it does now.  And in the long run, you can learn to replace the voice of an often cruel world, with God's loving and edifying voice.  It takes practice, but re-writing your narrative does work.  

So be patient with yourself.  Take time to heal, and make sure to remember that no one else has it all together either.  If they assert such nonsense, then they are lying (or trying to impress you).  And when you feel lost, understand that you can always pray.  Although probably not part of any scientific psychological treatment manual, it remains true that prayer is our primary communication with the Father.  1 John 5:14 says, "And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."  Has it been a while since you have felt heard?  Give prayer a try.  And above all, know that your life is valuable beyond measure, and you are wanted.  If that weren't true, God wouldn't have made you.  

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Jesus: Consultant or King?

I recently heard a famous pastor ask a question to his congregation.  He stoically looked at the crowd and said, "Is Jesus just your consultant, or is he your king?"  The question is simple, but profound.  It goes to the very core of what people think about the connection between belief and obedience.  This is the same question that Jesus asked his disciples in Matthew 16:15-16: "But what about you? he asked.  Who do you say that I am?  Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."  As you may know, Christ then goes on to tell Peter that he will become the rock of the church.  The rest is history (about two-thousand years of history to be exact).

The same question applies to us today.  How do you and I view Jesus?  Is he just a wise teacher that we consult with every once in a while, when we are trying to make an important life decision?  Or do we drop to our knees and worship him every day as Lord and King?  The way we answer this will determine not only our future here on Earth, but also our destiny in the next life.  And there is life after life by the way.  Not only does Jesus talk about a reward in Heaven, but there are countless stories of near death experiences where people have been resuscitated after clinical death, and were given a glimpse into heaven or hell.  The truth is out there.  

So if this question is so important, then why do so many people today ignore it?  Why don't they go to church, pray regularly, or seek after a Holy and forgiving God?  If I knew the answer, I would write another book about it.  I believe there are many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that churches and church people can seem very intimidating.  Others may have been hurt by someone in the church, or by the authority given to elders and leaders.  I totally get it.  But here is the good news.  Each and every person has the same opportunity to flip through the pages of the Bible and read what Jesus said and did.  They can make up their own mind about him, even without necessarily becoming "churched."  There is no one that God cannot reach, even in countries where the Bible has been banned.  

And so we have come to the point where you as the reader must ask yourself the same question.  Is Jesus your consultant, or is he something more than that?  I hope that you come to the same conclusion as I did - that he was and is, the Son of God, come to seek and save the lost.  I was lost once, and you probably were too.  But if your life has taken a more spiritual path, then most likely it's because you view Christ as lord and savior.  Once that revelation takes hold in a person's mind, nothing else can compete.  It wasn't meant to.  

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The Tension Between Grace and Truth

There is a book that used to be standard reading for ministry leaders and pastors.  It's entitled 'Deep and Wide' by Pastor Andy Stanley.  If you don't know Andy, then you may know his father, the late Dr. Charles Stanley.  Both men are powerful preachers in their own rite, and both have pastored megachurches.  One thing that shows up frequently in this book, is the idea that whenever churches succeed in remaining faithful to Scripture, it often results in a tension between propagating both grace and truth.  It is in fact, akin to the image of the double-edged sword that is mentioned coming out of Jesus' mouth in the book of Revelation.  On one hand, we should offer grace to people in the same way that Christ offered grace to us.  But on the other hand (think of it as the other side of the sword), churches also bear the responsibility of telling people the truth as it pertains to behavior and salvation.  As you can imagine, sometimes this isn't easy.  And as Andy Stanley would say, this is when things get messy.  

But real life is often messy, isn't it?  If you have been attending church long  enough, at some point in time you have probably been witness to the "mess" as well.  Imagine for example, someone new begins attending services who doesn't necessarily fit in with the rest of the church culture.  Maybe they don't say churchy things, or they don't wear what some would consider the right type of clothing.  Deep down, I think most believers know that Jesus would not only welcome this person into the sanctuary, but also meet them where they are at.  Over time, the Holy Spirit will go to work on their shortcomings, and in the meantime they are subject to hearing the Word preached from the pulpit on any given Sunday.  Jesus will work on them slowly but surely, the same way he did for most everyone who affirms their Christian faith today.  But it may be messy for a while.  People may get offended, impatient, or complain.  Afterall, the new person isn't "churchy" yet.  

Likewise, when a pastor fills the pulpit and preaches Christ crucified, he must be committed to presenting both grace and truth together.  He can speak about a loving and sacrificial God, but he had better be preaching about repentance from sin also.  Churches can and should be welcoming and open to seekers, but they also need to be aware of the tension that arises when bringing the demands of Scripture into real life.  I suspect it has always been this way, even in the beginning.  If you look at the epistles of Paul back in the first century, we can clearly see how hard he was trying to direct church leaders and help them do church correctly.  Telling them to hold fast to the teaching of the apostles, but also reminding them that they were saved by grace through faith (and not because of their good deeds).  This results in tension.

And the tension is always there ... Andy Stanley says, "it should be managed, not resolved."  I love this statement.  In one sentence, he encapsulates what church should be in the twenty-first century.  Bringing people to the cross isn't clean and tidy.  It involves identifying sin, asking God for His forgiveness, and then welcoming people into the fold; not always in that order.  We welcome and love, Jesus forgives and saves, then God gets the glory.  Alter this formula at your own peril.  And above all else, try to avoid relegating Christianity from a movement to an institution.  They tried that in the Middle Ages, and it didn't go so well.  

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Christianity is Still Relevant

In his excellent book 'Disruptive Witness,' author Alan Noble puts forward the idea that in our current distracted electronic age, people settle for categorizing Christian faith as just another aspect of someone's identity.  As if the Gospel can somehow be relegated to a mere preference or personality type.  I personally find this concept of superficial, lukewarm faith to be repugnant, and so I think that Noble has a point.  In an era where people choose their own version of truth, how can they not assume that Jesus only applies to some people, some of the time.  

While inaccurate, I believe that this error in thinking explains much of what is wrong in our world today.  If people only ever come face to face with a representation of the transcendent (and not the real God), then the temptation would certainly exist to place Christ on a shelf somewhere until you actually need him.  The occasional church visit once a month perhaps, and then back to idolizing our sports heroes like LeBron James or Tom Brady.  But now I digress; we return  to the issue at hand.  Let's discuss how to live out an authentic faith, so that those around us cannot help but notice something is different.  Not just another version of truth - but the ultimate truth in fact.  

One of the first things that Alan Noble talks about in the book is the Lord's Supper.  Communion is an activity that requires people to participate in something together as a community of believers, and it forces us to think about the transcendent.  In other words, the act of taking the wafer and juice has very little to do with us, and a whole lot to do with Jesus.  Indeed, it is difficult not to feel some degree of awe, as we remember the sacrifice Christ made for us on the cross.  Even the words in Scripture are startling: "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." (John 6:54).  No one else on Earth talks like that, and for many, Communion is more than just a time of remembrance.  It is literally the act of transmuting wine and bread into something supernatural.  

I believe the next thing we must do as authentic Christians is to change our faith from something the world can fit neatly into a category, into something real and relevant.  How do we do that?  I think we start living it out through the overflow of Christian joy from our hearts.  Rather than relegating faith to some sort of private, personal journey, we should share it publicly and boldly.  Instead of praying to God only when we need something, we can start praying daily.  A profound faith should be observable by others, have a transcendent meaning that people can't get elsewhere, and force us to contemplate why our lives matter.  

Now all of this is much easier said than done of course.  And that is why being lukewarm is so tempting (it is comfortable and without risk).  But imagine for a moment if the early disciples didn't take any risks.  Imagine if their brand of faith was "personal and private."  There would be no Christian church today.  Likewise, there may be no church tomorrow if believers aren't alive in Christ.  Personally, I don't really want a church life consisting only of social clubs and potluck dinners - at least not at the cost of an authentic, life-changing faith.  I hope you feel the same.  If not, then it's time to read through the New Testament again.  Were the apostles just virtue signaling, or was it something more?

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New Sermon: "A Faithful Remnant"

I was honored to give the sermon message at this excellent church last weekend.  If you have a moment, feel free to click below and listen.  I talk about what it means to be set aside as a Holy remnant for God in our current age.  The sermon itself begins at the 24:44 time stamp (link below):

A Faithful Remnant

 

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Sacrificing Good for Perfect

 I’ve preached a lot of sermons about the danger of being, as Jesus used to call it, “lukewarm.”  And I believe it is most definitely true, that many churches today have succumbed to apostasy and false teaching.  C.S. Lewis used to say that a new Christian is a sheep among wolves.  The new believer needs to be careful regarding what they adopt as doctrine, and also read the Bible for themselves to make sure that they aren’t getting some watered down version of the Gospel, based on current fads or political correctness.  But I want to tackle a slightly different topic today.  After almost twenty-five years of active Christianity, I have noticed that there are still some who may fall victim to the notion that we can save ourselves, if only we repent ardently enough.  In other words, striving for perfection in our day-to-day lives becomes for some people, a thing to be proud and self-righteous about.   

While repentance is definitely part of God’s salvific plan, the follower of Christ must remember that it isn’t within our ability to abstain from sin perfectly all of the time.  Romans 3:23 tells us that in fact, “All have fallen short of the glory of God.”  We have sinned in the past, and will sin again in the future.  Paul addresses this flawed notion of possible perfect behavior in the book of Galatians.  The entire epistle was written to deconstruct the idea that human beings can obey God’s law perfectly all of the time.  He reminds us that we are saved by grace through faith, and even that not of our own doing (Ephesians 2:8-9).  So it appears then, that we need not be perfect in our faith walk or in our repentance, because only God is perfect.

Now please don’t misunderstand me.  We must repent of our sins and ask forgiveness of course, and probably on a daily basis (if we are being honest).  But the aspiring modern-day disciple must not spend too much time worrying about his or her frailty or lack of perfection.  Sanctification is a lifelong journey.  You will have seasons of victory, and seasons of failure.  The late Charles Spurgeon said this in one of his most famous messages: “We never get perfect faith so as to be entirely free of doubting; and we never get repentance which is free from some hardness of heart.”  Don’t believe me?  Think carefully over the last week.  How many times did you think, say, or do something that may not have reflected a perfect and Holy God?  Humbling isn’t it?

I suppose my point is that we must pick up our cross daily and follow Jesus.  But when we slip up and make a mistake, do not assume that we are beyond help or in a hopeless situation.  Trust in Christ, get back on your feet again as soon as possible, and ask for His forgiveness.  And then most importantly, continue on your own personal faith journey.  As a mature Christian, we are able to deal with our own weaknesses.  As the apostle Paul says, God’s power is often made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:10).  I don’t know about you, but that is a big relief for me.    

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A Beacon Church

My mother used to love lighthouses.  Growing up, I remember seeing several pictures of lighthouses on our walls at home.  I never questioned it as a little boy, it was just something all of us kids accepted.  Now that I am older, I often wonder what part about them she liked so much.  Was it the serene ocean coastline that appealed to her?  Was it just the fact that there are so many photos and paintings of lighthouses out there in general?  

Most of us know the purpose behind these magnificent buildings.  They exist to help guide ships into safe harbor during inclement weather or the dark.  They help pilots navigate to safety; they are literally a beacon for ships in the night.  I do wonder if my mother was a beacon herself, or if she was searching for guidance.  Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

Pastor R. Loren Sandford from New Song Church used to talk about something called a 'lighthouse church.'  In his opinion, these churches represent a healthy connection between God and His people, and they are a rare thing in this day and age.  There are four points that compose these churches.  First, a lighthouse or beacon church is presence-based.  In other words, the church convenes each Sunday for the purpose of glorifying and worshipping God - not just to listen to the pastor talk or for mere entertainment value.  If your church has an awesome sound system and large screen TV's, that is great.  But remember, all of this isn't a requirement to give thanks to a Holy God.  The parishioners should be more interested in Him than the presentation.  

Second, a lighthouse church has freedom to move.  This means that if the Holy Spirit shows up during service, we need not necessarily stick to the bulletin.  Real Christianity is sometimes messy, as opposed to polished or refined.  The leaders in one of these churches can get out of their own way, and let God do His thing.  They espouse purpose over preference whenever possible. 

Third, these churches tend to have a culture of honor.  This means that all people are welcome, regardless of background.  This doesn't mean that a church must affirm all viewpoints - Biblical sin must still be recognized as such.  But I think it does mean that a lighthouse church understands all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  And as such, they welcome the opportunity to share God's Word with anyone He sends their way.  

Finally, a lighthouse church promotes a healing atmosphere.  On any given Sunday morning, you won't hear a message designed to incite hate or divisiveness.  Instead, you will hear about God's saving grace through faith, and Jesus' offer of salvation.  Jesus healed people both physically and spiritually; churches must understand how to create a loving environment like this each week.  

John 8:12 is one of my favorite pieces of Scripture.  It says, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"   We need modern day beacons to shine bright in the darkness.  Strive to create a lighthouse church atmosphere in your own congregation.  Look around each Sunday: does your house of worship have all four of these things in place?  If not, is it at least a work in progress?  Be the beacon in the dark of night for other people.  Live a lighthouse type of life whenever possible.

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Opening Our Spiritual Eyes

Most of us have heard the phrase looking at the world through rose colored glasses.  Most of the time, it simply means that we have chosen to view something in a positive light.  And in fact, I think we very often do choose to view the world in which we live with certain preconceived ideas.  I believe all of us look at life through the lens of a particular worldview.  I believe further, that it is impossible not to interpret the events that unfold around us without passing them through some sort of intellectual filter.  It helps us understand things, and allows us to categorize other peoples' opinions and biases.  

If we are talking here about viewing things through a particular type of lens, then to begin with, I can list off several non-Biblical systems of thought.  For example, the atheist says that there is no God at all, so don't bother looking.  The relativist says that all truth is relative, and depends only on what you personally decide is right or wrong as an individual.  A universalist might stop you in the hall and remind you that basically everything shakes out to similar attributes in the end.  Finally, Scientism tells us that we can only ever know the physical world around us, and nothing else really matters. 

If you notice, all of these worldviews seem to share one thing in common: they don't leave space for any higher, greater truth claims.  They look only so far as their particular belief system allows, and no further.  Any appeal to a higher moral or ethical power is limited by whatever a worldview happens to espouse. In other words, there is a glass ceiling in terms of how much truth you can access, in relation to the aforementioned beliefs.   

I will contrast this to the orthodox Christian Biblical view in a moment, but first I want to point to a piece of Scripture from Acts 9:18.  It says, "Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again.  He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength."  This passage describes the apostle Paul's famous conversion on the road to Damascus.  In a flash of light and loud audible voice, Saul becomes Paul, and he meets the real God for the first time.  His spiritual eyes were opened. 

Author and philosopher C.S. Lewis has been quoted as saying, "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."  God is our primary source of goodness in this world.  If we aren't looking at things by His light, then we are missing something.  All we see are shadows.  We need His help to see things clearly, to understand the parables and stories of the Bible, and to help spread the Gospel message.  Without it, we can easily slip back into one of the secular categories I mentioned earlier.  

By the way, once the scales come off, we are free.  There is no going back.  We are free to love without reservation, to shed guilt associated with sin, and to recognize the need for repentance in order to come closer to a Holy life.  This all takes some work of course, but it is work with an end goal of hope (getting closer to a loving God).  Whereas other worldviews are often limited by a finite end goal, the Christian view allows its proponents to test other opinions and views by stacking them up against what God says in the Bible.  At that point, we can weigh an idea based on whether or not it yields good fruit and produces spiritual growth, or whether it espouses false prophecy and conflict.  

As a final note, I wanted to add that some readers may accuse me of being a victim of my own religious bias and Christian worldview, in the same way that I have faulted secular belief systems.  But understand this difference ... in a solid Christian church, a new believer has the freedom to question faith and look around a bit.  Can adherents of the other views I mentioned do that?  For example, if the atheist starts talking about the possibility of the supernatural, I suspect intense criticism would follow. Likewise, if a naturalist tries to question macro-evolution or the Darwinian view on human origins, they are "out of the club" so to speak.  By contrast, a confident and loving Christian church can provide a safe platform by which a new convert can 'kick the tires' and test ideas.  This is how iron sharpens iron.  So the sooner we shed those scales, the sooner God can open our spiritual eyes. 

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Leaving a Godly Legacy

Unfortunately, I have been to a lot of funerals in my time.  During these special ceremonies, attendees are presented with old stories and memories about the deceased.  Almost always, there is a table or tackboard set up at the funeral home or church showing photographs from the person’s life; not to mention an obituary printed in the newspaper.  All designed of course, to celebrate and remember someone’s life here on Earth.  In fact, I think most people care quite a bit how they will be remembered.  It’s almost inherent within us to desire that others remember us.  

And so it begs the question: what kind of legacy are you going to leave behind after you are gone?  How do you want your family and community to remember you?  Perhaps some don’t give much thought to this.  Afterall, who has time to think about eternity when you have bills to pay and a full-time job.  But still, this thought occasionally haunts me.  Personally, I would love my writing and my books to survive me in some way.  The thought of my adult children reading something I wrote thirty years from now is strangely comforting. 

For many, I suspect that their perception of legacy is to leave behind a financial inheritance for family or children.  This is certainly a good thing, but I think we can dig a little deeper.  If we go one step further, I think it’s relevant to ask “how do we start building a legacy right here and now?”  How do we construct a way of thinking, a methodology, or even a value system that we can leave behind for others to take with them out into the world and make a difference?  These are all good things, but still very temporary and fleeting in many respects.  After a couple of generations, unless you become really famous, most of us will be lost to antiquity.  But know this – nothing about you is lost to God.  There was a time before you were created when you didn’t exist, but there will never be a time since then, when you will cease to exist.  We all go on spiritually. 

Psalm 78:4 says, “We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.”  The author here is talking about making certain that ancient people continued to share what God had done for them during their lives.  I believe that this is our job today as well.  This is how we build a truly lasting legacy - this is how we make a difference.  If you are able to leave your family some financial wealth, that is great.  If you have raised children that grow up to be responsible and well-adjusted adults, even better.  But do people know what God has done for you in your life?  Have you communicated the various ways that Jesus saved you?

I remember one funeral in particular that I officiated years ago.  I knew this lady quite well through the church.  People stretched out for hundreds of yards in either direction during her graveside service.  I had never seen so many friends and family come together in this way – they practically enveloped the entire cemetery that day.  But the one thing I’ll always remember about her, was that she demonstrated kindness and grace to everyone she met, and she talked about Jesus.  She talked about Jesus a lot.  Her Earthly legacy was a large and loving family.  But her spiritual crown was given to her in Heaven.  This was her real home anyway.  It is our true home also.  Make sure you are building a legacy that points upward to Heaven, and to a God that lives forever.  

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The Danger of Spiritual Complacency

In a couple of short months, school will resume across the country for children of all ages.  And this of course, means back to school shopping.  Hence the reason I found myself in a car with my family several years ago, speeding down the Interstate on our way to one of the local outlet malls.  It was time to look for both clothing and school supplies.  My wife and I had planned to spend a little bit too much money, as well as toting two tired kids around from store to store.  All of that is very normal considering the circumstances.  What we hadn't counted on, however, was to be part of a large traffic jam that same day. 

Two semi-trucks ended up in an accident about two miles ahead of our exit in route to the shopping mall.  One was in the ditch, and the other was split in half!  I'm not sure what caused it, but you can imagine the chaos that ensued thereafter.  Fortunately, I don't remember any fatalities being reported that day.  We were stuck at a complete standstill for almost three hours.  Unable to move in any direction. 

It reminded me of how some people conduct themselves on the faith journey that God has assigned to them.  I suspect a good many people become stranded along the way, falling prey to distraction or even some garden variety idol worship.  I believe that Scripture supports the idea that we should stay active and moving when it comes to our faith.  Not that we can't have lulls or respites here and there, but for the most part, I think that an active faith requires forward momentum.  

We should stay in motion while we pursue the things of God; we need to make sure our "vehicles" are in drive and not neutral.  Worse yet, some have shifted their car into park ... they are at a dead standstill, completely giving up on spiritual growth.  Just as the fleet of SUV's and minivans were stuck that day on the Interstate, so are those who cannot seem to generate an intentional and vibrant faith.  There are two Scriptures that I want to quote today to help illustrate this spiritual standstill.  Proverbs 8:35 says, "For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord."  And then 2 Timothy 4:7 says, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."  

Although these two passages were written years apart by two different authors, they convey basically the same sentiment.  They talk about the importance of movement and motion in order to engage with God.  Proverbs 8 mentions actively seeking after the Lord, and 2 Timothy talks about finishing a race.  Keep seeking, and keep running the race.  At any point in time, we have the ability and the calling to shift our vehicles from neutral into drive.  We need not settle for being stuck in traffic and becoming spiritually stagnant.  

Partner with God so as to realize the plans He has for your life; not to mention the lives of those around you.  Once you start to let Him in, it can create a ripple effect not unlike throwing a pebble into a pond.  If people see the Jesus inside of you, then they might be encouraged to shift their own cars into drive as well.  Life is so much more than just going through the motions until we get to our next exit.  If you see the ripple from across the pond, then take the time to go and see what all the fuss is about. 

Let's face it - a life without God is often an empty pursuit.  Much of the time we can end up at a standstill, wondering just how much of what we have accomplished in the secular world might be in vain.  Consider instead, moving in conjunction with the Holy Spirit on a faith walk prepared especially for you by a loving God, who desires nothing more than to spend time together.  Get up, get moving, and get to church.  Become one of those cars speeding by from the other lane on the Interstate.  

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Jesus Loves Me, This I Know

I do a fair amount of teaching at a local college.  This actually goes hand in hand with my role as a pulpit supply preacher; the two occupations make use of the same public speaking component.  As a teacher, I attended an Adult Literacy conference a few years ago, and one of the guest speakers was a young woman named Lilian Okech.  She was an immigrant from the Sudan who created a successful cleaning business here in the United States.  Through hard work and determination, Lilian battled the typical discrimination that immigrants often face in our country and formed a viable business in spite of those roadblocks.  

She spoke eloquently and with passion about how our education system has the opportunity to make or break aspiring students.  At one point, she told a story of how one of her teachers told her she was "smart and beautiful."  Lilian said that this phrase stuck in her mind from the time she was young, and helped guide her through the rest of her life.  May we all hope for teachers like this.  So at this point I want to take a break from everything going on in the world today, and let the reader know that God thinks you are beautiful also.  The book of Genesis says that you and I are created in God's image, and that we are to have dominion over the Earth and everything in it.  This is no small feat by the way.  In fact, the Lord views us as His children, and loves us with an incredible passion.

John 15:12-13 says, "My command is this: love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."  We remember here that Jesus was foreshadowing his own death and crucifixion on the cross - the ultimate loving sacrifice given freely to humankind.  God sacrifices for His people until it hurts (both literally and figuratively).  As I have said before, we are beautiful in His eyes.  1 Peter 3:3-4 states further, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."  God's spirit inside of us is of innumerable value, and Peter compares it here with unfading beauty.  Have I mentioned lately that God loves us?

All of these wonderful Scriptures do not, however, mean that God also loves our sin.  We may be created in His image, but when we do things we ought not to, it isn't beautiful in God's eyes at all.  Remember the Bible states that our bodies are like temples, designed to project and reflect His light.  Contrast this with people engaging in behaviors such as spiritual pride or blasphemy for example, and we have a whole new problem.

So how do we bridge that gap between God’s love and our sin?  The answer is simple, but not easy.  God's restitution plan for us is to believe in Jesus, and repent of our sin.  If we accept Christ's death on the cross and believe that God raised him from the dead, we will be participating in the great atonement.  This isn't easy because in order to come to Christ, we must first accept our own shortcomings and ask for forgiveness.  And I don't mean the backhanded, excuse-laden false apology either ... I'm talking about asking for real forgiveness.

We are beautiful in God's eyes in the sense that Jesus saves us and redeems us.  When God looks at the born-again believer, He sees the reflection of Christ's light in them.  But understand this also, God loves those for whom salvation has not yet occurred as well.  All life originates from the Creator, and as such, all life is precious and beautiful.  

So please don't stop here.  Go that extra step and seek out a relationship with the one that created you.  Don't forgo the potential you have to walk closely with the carpenter from Nazareth.  It's a different kind of fulfillment; better than what the regular world offers.  It is - dare I say - beautiful.  There is an old hymn that many will find familiar called ‘Jesus Loves Me.’  The lyrics were adapted from a poem written in 1860.  One of the stanzas says, “Jesus loves me this I know, because the Bible tells me so.”  It was true then, and it is true now.  Never stop seeking out the God who loves you and sacrificed Himself on your behalf.  

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