Seasons. This word speaks to us about change, doesn't it? One of our cities here in Oz, the city of Melbourne, is known to experience 4 seasons in the one day! Generally though, the word season refers to the change of weather and temperature over the course of a year. Things grow and flourish at certain times of the year, and at other times they dry out and die. Instead of fruit and leaves getting bigger and better, they fall off and die.
Did you ever experience a change of season in your life that came about much quicker than you expected? Possibly a death in your family; you may have lost your job at very short notice; maybe a friendship, or marriage came to a premature end, and left you floundering with questions about how and why? All of these things, and countless other experiences, could be considered SEASONS in our lives. I've heard many people say (myself included) that if you were to ask them a year ago did they think their life would look like it does now, they would have said no way!
I think seasons in our lives are as unavoidable as seaons in the weather. Things happen, times change, people change, circumstances change. The thing is, I think, is to find something that doesn't change, and hang on to it tightly. It's a bit like an anchor for a boat. Or like the cyclone rods that bolt your house to the ground. The idea is that when the weather changes - and it will change - your house hopefully will still be standing pretty close to where it was before the storm. I think that we get WEARY when we try to resist the seasons, instead of allowing them to make us stronger, or build new character and integrity in us.
Maybe one of the keys to staying strong in spite of the weather is to acknowledge that the weather will change. It's unrealistic to expect that your circumstances will remain just how you want them to forever. There are times in my own life that I've felt like I could take on the world and win every time. And there are seasons when I've experienced the kind of weariness that saps your drive and strength, and makes you just want to lie down and let life run over you. These are the times that tend to throw me out of my tree; to make me panic, and make me feel that my life as I know it is coming to an end.
This isn't a good position to be in, and opens the door to fear, and other nasties that seem to want to force me to make decisions that I might regret later on. I've heard it said that you should never make a major life decision when you are experiencing a major up OR down in your circumstances.
The Bible, in my opinion, has a bit to say about these dramas we face. We read the stories of men, and women, and entire communities who faced changing times and seasons that would alter their world as they knew it. Whether it was persecution, war, bereavement, unemployment, family breakdown, famine, and a whole bunch of other challenges, they had to face their difficulties head on to survive. And not just to survive: but to come through the trial a better person; a more gracious person; someone who has an ear for others who struggle, and a helping hand or word where possible.
I reckon the words of Jesus are at least as powerful today as when he originally spoke them:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly". (Matthew 11:28-30 The Message NT)
Jesus made this invitation because he could keep his end of the bargain. Sadly, though, we will rarely take him up on it until we've nothing else to hang on to.
Talk again soon . . .
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Love that won't let go . . .
I am writing these words a day after Valentine's Day, and one particular teen soap opera here in Oz has a Valentine's Day theme happening for the week, with the advertisements for the program featuring men and women at various stages of dress (and undress) apparently "in love" with each other. It makes me angry that this is served up to us as "love"! We spend our years growing up seeing and hearing from society, and Hollywood that 'love' must end up in the bedroom.
I'd like to remind us of a whole new concept of love; one that is not new, but foreign to many of us because we have had the truth kept from us by the loud voices of our culture. The voices that say, "If you really love me you'll sleep with me". Or how about, "Look at everything I've done for you! You owe me"! There is a weariness that comes from this mentality and lifestyle that forces us to settle for second best. I believe there is a love that trancends anything on earth, and it's available to us all. To get it though will cost you. It will cost you a child-like faith, and being prepared to throw out everything you thought you knew about God and love.
Most of us have seen that human love does fail. It does give up, gets divorced, gets angry, keeps records of wrong against it, etc. But let me show you another description.
Two things: 1. The Bible says God IS love. 2. The Bible gives us a very clear description of what love looks like in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.
- Love is patient - Love is kind. - It doesn't envy - It doesn't boast - It isn't proud - It isn't rude - It is not self-seeking - It is not easily angered - It keeps no record of wrongs -Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth -It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
If you get the opportunity to meet an older couple who've been married for many years and still enjoy each other's company, ask them if it's the sex that has kept them together? Probably not. They will have found that real love looks for the other's interest above their own. And if this works both ways you have the basis for a very strong friendship.
How about this for a definition of what love is: "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us . . . ". This comes from the Bible also (1 John 4:10), and it's like God is not interested in any other definition of what love is. He's saying that real love has nothing to do with human descriptions, but rather starts and ends with him. God's love "gave Jesus as a sacrifice for us". Right here is a clue - love gives and doesn't take. Love will prefer the other person's needs above it's own needs. Could you possibly believe that God doesn't want to take anything from you? This is a common misconception about God, that He wants you to do stuff you don't want to do; to give this up, to stop doing that, to not drink not smoke not swear, etc. This is so unfair, and is a human description of God that is incorrect, I believe.
If Love is patient, then God is patient with me.
If love isn't rude or boastful, then God isn't either.
If love doesn't keep a record of wrongs, then neither does God.
If love perseveres then God will persevere with me because he loves me.
If love never fails then His love for me will never fail.
Here's the trick: Because we are so used to seeing love fail; because we've seen love act rudely; because we have seen it act proudly, and keep a record of wrongs, we find it hard to imagine otherwise. This is where you won't get it without starting from scratch. Starting with a child's faith and acceptance. We need to be prepared to put our preconceived ideas about God and Jesus away. I'm not pretending this is easy, but I believe that it is possible. And if you feel a call within you that this is what you need to do, DO IT! Talk to God, and ask Jesus to show you the way. And then begin to take some steps toward trusting God. I can't tell you what this will involve for you, but I believe that God is closer than you think and that he is dying to meet you.
Talk soon . . .
I'd like to remind us of a whole new concept of love; one that is not new, but foreign to many of us because we have had the truth kept from us by the loud voices of our culture. The voices that say, "If you really love me you'll sleep with me". Or how about, "Look at everything I've done for you! You owe me"! There is a weariness that comes from this mentality and lifestyle that forces us to settle for second best. I believe there is a love that trancends anything on earth, and it's available to us all. To get it though will cost you. It will cost you a child-like faith, and being prepared to throw out everything you thought you knew about God and love.
Most of us have seen that human love does fail. It does give up, gets divorced, gets angry, keeps records of wrong against it, etc. But let me show you another description.
Two things: 1. The Bible says God IS love. 2. The Bible gives us a very clear description of what love looks like in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.
- Love is patient - Love is kind. - It doesn't envy - It doesn't boast - It isn't proud - It isn't rude - It is not self-seeking - It is not easily angered - It keeps no record of wrongs -Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth -It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
If you get the opportunity to meet an older couple who've been married for many years and still enjoy each other's company, ask them if it's the sex that has kept them together? Probably not. They will have found that real love looks for the other's interest above their own. And if this works both ways you have the basis for a very strong friendship.
How about this for a definition of what love is: "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us . . . ". This comes from the Bible also (1 John 4:10), and it's like God is not interested in any other definition of what love is. He's saying that real love has nothing to do with human descriptions, but rather starts and ends with him. God's love "gave Jesus as a sacrifice for us". Right here is a clue - love gives and doesn't take. Love will prefer the other person's needs above it's own needs. Could you possibly believe that God doesn't want to take anything from you? This is a common misconception about God, that He wants you to do stuff you don't want to do; to give this up, to stop doing that, to not drink not smoke not swear, etc. This is so unfair, and is a human description of God that is incorrect, I believe.
If Love is patient, then God is patient with me.
If love isn't rude or boastful, then God isn't either.
If love doesn't keep a record of wrongs, then neither does God.
If love perseveres then God will persevere with me because he loves me.
If love never fails then His love for me will never fail.
Here's the trick: Because we are so used to seeing love fail; because we've seen love act rudely; because we have seen it act proudly, and keep a record of wrongs, we find it hard to imagine otherwise. This is where you won't get it without starting from scratch. Starting with a child's faith and acceptance. We need to be prepared to put our preconceived ideas about God and Jesus away. I'm not pretending this is easy, but I believe that it is possible. And if you feel a call within you that this is what you need to do, DO IT! Talk to God, and ask Jesus to show you the way. And then begin to take some steps toward trusting God. I can't tell you what this will involve for you, but I believe that God is closer than you think and that he is dying to meet you.
Talk soon . . .
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