So I’m thinking…
One of the greatest blessings in our life is that of purpose. As believers we learn that our purpose in life is to do the will of the Father. In doing so we please God and we illustrate that we are a part of His family. Jesus said that in keeping the Great Commandments of love that we fulfill all the commandments, so…
Shouldn’t we do all we can to learn how to love God and others? Okay, I know you say, “of course stupid”, but consider for a moment. Is that what we really try to learn? Aren’t we more obsessed with learning how to be perfect?
offered by Kc | 4/19/2006 08:45:00 AM
26 Comments:
I wish I could remember who said this because I repeat it a lot:
"If we spent more time helping Christians understand who they are, we wouldn't have to spend so much time telling them what to do."
I think a lot of the success and failure anecdotes I've heard from various students of Rick Warren's book stem from that understanding (or lack of). I think people who approach PDL as a laundry list of works are doomed. Fulfilling your purpose as a believer must flow organically from a correct understanding of who we are as believers (hint: it ain't sockpuppets).
Jayne I get myself into so much trouble with some of my brethren because of my tendency to highlight the distinction between that which is born of God and that which is born of the flesh. With that in mind I can really appreciate your last thought that we are already as perfect as WE can be. We cannot perfect our flesh through righteous living, only subdue it by the power of God IN us.
Dorsey how is it that you convey so much with just one word? ;-)
Yes, we all need to be more loving towards God and our neighbours.
Simple yet profound, KC.
Dorsey, that is a great quote. I wish I had said it, or at least quoted it first.
Matthew we agree. ;-)
Gordon I'm big on simple. Is that telling?
I say we attribute the quote to Gordon. That should satisfy the situation (hehe).
Thanks all. ;-)
Was that the right link? I got something about pharisees and tombstones.
(hehe) HB isn't that what happens when we perfect ourselves? ;-)
Just curious, does anyone else like this tomb? It's got this warm and inviting look.
haha i liked it! i thought so too! but what you said is so true. we are often so performance oriented we forget that it's all because of/about/for Him! God's Grace!
Thanks Nan. ;-)
I wonder what the designer had in mind. There is a statement in that layout I'm sure.
I think we are closest to perfection as we practice loving God and one another. And if we need to practice doing that, that means there will be falls; but if we keep on going, practice brings improvement.
Hi Tim and welcome! Thanks for the wise words. Experience is the best teacher for sure and love will request our patience from time to time. ;-)
I peeked in at your place and you have an amazing blog. The photos are amazing!
There's a big difference between righteousness and self-righteousness.
And with the wrong motive and/or source of power, it's all just a pile of filthy rags.
Lord, teach us to walk in love; not to appear clean, but to be clean.
Oh yes Lord!
Teach us to love You more.
Teach us to show more love to everyone.
Amen!
I'd say you were also big on the profound as well, KC.
Thanks for the credit, BTW. Hehehe
Karen, Amen sister!
Audrey, Amen zus!
Jeff it's great to have your thoughts here again and very well spoken as always. Love certainly does preclude all forms of selfish behavior.
Gordon you're too kind. ;-)
(I can think of no one more deserving; come to think of it neither could Dorsey (hehe))
Gordon, you're a genius. I wish I'd said that.
Sorry if this posted twice...I don't know if it posted corrctly the first time...
For the last 7 years of my 20 years as a Christian I would say I lived to "be perfect" even though I taught otherwise. I was so caught up in people not knowing me beyond what I was willing to let them see that my walk with God was reduced to almost nothing.
I was not loving God enough to be open with Him. And everyone knows that if you are not going to be open with God about the "stuff" in your life then you might as well not pray, right? ;-)
I was not loving people enough to be open with them. This left me lonely and secluded, unwilling to allow anyone in.
As a result I was left with this unhealthy desire to protect myself from people. (I rationalized this by telling myself that it would hurt them if they knew me. Gross, huh?)
Anyway, I finally came clean and learned that I was already made perfect in Christ (as Jayne pointed out). Now I am much more able to love God and others without the need to put on a performance that would win me an Oscar.
I wrote a poem about the night I came clean. It's kinda long. But if you are so inclined to read it, Click Here....
Jeff welcome and thanks for sharing your poem here. It's not too long at all and conveys a beautiful sentiment.
It is true that love requires risk and most certainly sacrifice but the rewards are eternal. Love is the only thing we can take with us and the only thing that endures. ;-)
I spent my entire youth hearing about what good Catholic girls ought to be (and these ideas weren't all unbiblical, I see now) - BUT ... it meant nothing - because there was no relationship with Christ. Neither does it mean anything for us to concern ourselves with what others in Christ are doing, if we are not interested in a relationship with them.
Hi Rose ;-)
Wouldn't you think we're already in a relationship with other believers?
Yes,
But sometimes people don't "build" those relationships. I know plenty of Christians that I see every Sunday and I know I have not made enough effort to know them and neither have they me. So - I should work on that "relationship" more than I should worry about whether or not I saw them in a movie theater (just to use what I think is a silly hang-up of some of the folks I know). Does that make sense?
So, yes, we are in a relationship with all believers, of course, (brothers and sisters) but is it "developed"? I should have worded that better. ;~)
For the record sis, I think you are an excellent worderer. ;-)
Yes Rose, your worderosity is spot-on. I believe that Christians don't altogether track with the idea of the Church truly being a body, because in a body, the members are permanently attached to each other. Imagine what would be required to remove a finger from your hand. I mean, really imagine and feel it. You would feel that mindbending agony in the furthermost parts of your body, because being attached is the natural state of things
Well, church has become more like a paper doll, and if you can get attached and accepted by the other body parts, then goody for you. But those attachments are made with tape and sticky-tak instead of tendons, muscles and sinews, because if we have to remove you, the tape just takes a couple hairs with it, and it was time for a wax, anyway.
Relationships are the absolute foundation of the gospel. If Christians would sit down and share a beer with their brothers (or see a movie, or go out dancing) instead of condemning them for such, the church would look and behave far more like a body. Attachment is the natural, intended state of things.
That is an excellent perspective!
Dorsey if you don't start getting some of these great thoughts to the foreground I'm going to start posting them here! ;-)
All my best stuff is on other people's sites. Just giving back.
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