Bad Romance

No, I'm not advocating for Lady Gaga.  But that is what I've often found myself in regarding my walk with Jesus. 

Yeah, I just went there.

I've heard it said (and said it many times myself) that it's not about religion, it is about a relationship with Jesus.  And I believe that with all my heart.  It's easy to apply the concept of a dating romance to our relationship with Jesus.

It is super exciting at first.  All praise services and alter calls.  Tears and joy and excitement.  Then it progresses into the deeper stuff.  Worship CD's or playlists.  Dim lights, maybe candles.  Quite time set aside just for that special someone.

Eventually the newness wears off.  The excitement isn't there.  God just isn't moving in me the way he used to (cause it's never my fault!)  The special music just doesn't work anymore.  Gone are the candles and dim lights.  We really don't spend time together like we used to.  Reality sets in.

It's bad romance.

I mean think about it.  In a dating/marriage situation, if you only show your love in settings like that, settings geared to produce those emotions...what do you do the rest of the time?  Do you not love that person when you're not at the candle lit dinner for two?  Do you not desire to be around them when the excitement and newness wears off?

Of course not!  (Hopefully!)

I don't know about you, but that is often how my walk with Jesus goes.  I get all pumped and excited after some event (and I'm not criticizing events here!) but it fades.  Normal, every day life gets in the way.  I'm afraid to let Jesus see me with my make up off (allegorically speaking.)

No.  The real love stories are the ones that come from couples that are celebrating 60+ years of marriage.  I got to video tape a party for such a couple last Autumn.  It was incredible.  All the people that were friends because of these two people.  Even now, this very post exists because of them.  63 years of marriage.  I asked them what the secret was.  The husband looked at me and said without hesitation,

"You make your choice, and you stick to it."

While that might not sound romantic, his bride smiled and nodded.

Every day life is the biggest obstacle in any relationship.  It really is in our walk with Jesus, because not only do we have that, but we have an enemy who doesn't want us to progress in that relationship.  So he will do anything he can to distract us from even wanting to be with Jesus.  The best way to kill a relationship is to turn it into a boring routine.

But Jesus didn't asked to be romanced by us.  He doesn't want the mood music, special lighting, gifts and 'quiet times.'  Let me rephrase that, he doesn't just want the mood music etc. 

He wants it all.

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

-Jesus (Luke 10:27)

 Don't just give God bits and pieces of your heart, soul, strength and mind.  Love him with ALL of it!  Turn that bad romance into the love story of the ages!  Show your love in all things to all people.  Remember what Jesus says in Matthew 25:31-46 about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, bringing a drink to the thirsty, visiting those in prison...anything we do for the least of these, we do for him.

Give him everything you've got.

grace, peace + hope
-Jesse

Follower or Consumer?

To be a follower of Jesus is to forsake...material things, time restraints and religion/religious activities for relationships. It is putting aside judgmental attitudes for the gift of grace and mercy to hurting people around me. It is not just investing my finances but sending "me" and actually investing my time and energy in another person. Through my actions am I creating a desire for those around me to follow Jesus or the religion of the world?




Let me assure you I have not "arrived" but must daily make the choice not to look to the past and to previous comforts, but to the present and future trusting "God is working in you (me) giving you (me) the desire and power to do what pleases him." Philippians 2:13

A work in progress,
Kay

Humility?

America calls itself a Christian nation. If all who call themselves CHRISTians (Christ followers) would truly be emulating the Rabbi, the Teacher Jesus Christ-the one whom we derive our name, what would we look like? Make it personal, what would you and what would I look like?

If Jesus were physically walking with us today what would his followers be called to do?


Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. (Luke 9:23-26NLT)

Our lives would be marked with humility… The cross was an object of humility, pain, death, scorn and degradation. Andrew Murray wrote, “The call to humility has been too little regarded in the Church because its true nature and importance has been too little apprehended. It is not a something which we bring to God…it is simply the sense of entire nothingness, which comes when we see how truly God is all, and in which we make way for God to be all.” [i]
Jesus is not asking or suggesting but mandating, take up your cross daily and follow me.
“But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” (Mt 5:20NLT)
It is a daily surrendering, a daily acceptance that I am nothing without grasping…without taking hold of the truth that I am because of Jesus Christ.
Only God’s cleansing can generate a heart of true humility.

Our lives would be marked with hospitality… Our homes would be marked with hospitality not “Alarmed by XYZ Security Company”. It isn’t the size of our homes, the stuff in our homes, or the impressive spread on the dining table. Hospitality begins and ends with humility. Becoming a servant at heart with arms ready to serve and receive those who will never be able to repay. It is serving in Super-Sized portions grace and mercy, acceptance and forgiveness.
Only God can motivate a life of hospitality and it starts with humility.

Our lives would be marked with change…Priorities would change. We would not allow our wealth to identify us. Nor would it own our hearts and time. “turn from your selfish ways..” Lk 9:23; Mt. 19:21-30
Only God can motivate a heart of change and it starts with humility.

Our lives would be marked with unity…There would be no denominational divisions, barriers or jealousies Luke 9:49-50. We would stand ready to help, encourage and defend a fellow brother not matter his affiliation.
Only God can motivate a heart and desire for unity and it starts with humility.

Our lives would be marked with a holy pride…There would be an awareness of holiness, respect and marvel when sharing this message of hope, redemption, restoration, life, healing and deliverance. We would be a compass to those desperately seeking Truth pointing them always to the Father.
Only God can motivate a heart filled with His holy pride and it starts with humility.

Jesus didn’t call us to build dynasties; he called us to build relationships. This is the difference between being the organized church and being the body of Christ. I believe this is the mark of a CHRISTian…a follower of Jesus Christ.

A work in progress,
Kay

[i]
Humility by Andrew Murray, pg 14-15