The Rule of Love
I have never been really good at Romanitc love. If you ask any of my ex-girlfriends they would probably tell you the same thing. I'm just not very good at it. I think about myself to much, I don't think about what she would like to do, I don't listen enough. Frankly sometimes I never really cared to listen to the emotions and the needs from my girlfriend at the time. Now I've grown a lot in these past 11 months of being single...But what is funny to me is that sometimes that same lack of love or desire to even try to love someone is ever so present in the church.
I was watching a video the other day by a guy named Rob Bell. In this video Rob talks about and to the "Bullhorn" guy. The guy who stands on the street coner and preaches a message of anger and hatred to the world. This message that tries to convert people without loving them. Rob puts it as "loving with an angenda" That really isn't love is it. I began to think about God's love with an agenda. Does God love with an Agenda??? NO not at all!!! Infact it's the exact opposite. God loves despite who we are...Even with all of our flaws, sins, thoughts, hatred, anger, disbelief. and the fact sometimes we just don't care, He loves us.
So then, the rule of love with God is to love us inspite of who we are. There is nothing we can do that can affect the way God loves us...He can't love us more and He can't love us less. So then why do we change the rule of love? Why is it that when I'm attacked by someone in the church or out of it, I turn my back on them? Why is it that when someone in our church admits to sin so they can change things they become not good enough to be in the church? Does that even make sense....No! Why would a lost and broken world want to be apart of a moment of "love" when we don't love each other. The Rule of love can not change...We must fight to love each other inspite of who each are. I recognize that there are some I won't get along with but with the revolutionary love that Jesus has given me, I will love the way that I have been loved. My challenge to the church is to humble yourself, recongnize the fact you are love inspite of everything YOU are, and love the way you have been loved by the Father!
"And may you know that HOW YOU LOVE OTHERS IS HOW YOU LOVE GOD" Rob Bell
3 weeks later
So three weeks ago I wrote about risk. I came to the conclusion that it was time to take the risk of moving on and trusting God with my life. 3 Weeks later I'm glad I did and I wish I wouldn't have at the same time.
WHY I'm Glad: God is placing people in my life that are encouraging me left and right. Whether it is students in my Youth Group or parents or just people i'm randomly meeting God is placing people to keep me going. There is a song my a guy name Matt Redman on the new Passion Worship Cd
everything glorious that says "Oh no, you never let go, through the calm and through the storm, oh no you never let go, every high and every low, oh no, you never let go, LORD you never let go of me..." and I have been seeing how God is doing that in my life.
Another reason is the little kids in my church. that sounds weird but last week was VBS and I was litterally thrown into the fire, but the last night at least 6 kids that i know of gave their lives to Jesus. Is there any better reason to be doing what i'm doing??? Also I am seeing life change begin to happen in my high school students...one of the students has turned away from some issues in his life and other are starting to see church as more than a building...it's awesome!!!
Why I'm Not Glad I made the risk: To quote my friend Tim in his last blog "why is that the older I get, the younger and more unprepared I feel" Each day there have been new challenges in ministry...stuff we talked about in school but never thought it would actually happen. My professors said that we didn't completely understand ministry untill we were actually there, and you know what he was right...through all the internship and everything I still am learning more each day than I ever thought I could.
I miss Home!!!! I miss my friends for IWU I miss my mom, nagging at me yet telling me she loves me...I miss the dumb fights my sister and I get into (i called her sat. hoping to start one but it didn't work) I miss my dad saying something stupid and him thinking it was the funniest thing ever. I miss going to bed and hearing all the guys in my dorm still doing something dumb and dangerous to their physical well being out in the hall.
Through it all "it is well with my soul" I am happy, God is showing me so much and doing so much!!! I am doing what I am called to do, and I will follow hard after him...Mom, Dad, Abby, Anna, Jake...I love you and I miss you! See you soon!
