Please see the revision to #5 of my list of excuses posted on June 4th. I must confess that the original version was written under the influence of my sinful flesh mixed with anger, hurt, self-preservation and a dash of passive aggressiveness. A rather lethal combination. I am reminded, yet again, of the words of Paul found in Romans 7:18-20, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” Can someone help me get off this train?
It never ceases to amaze me that equal to the capacity of the human heart to love is its ability to cause pain to the very people that we love. Even more amazing is the fact that, God, knowing this about our fallen nature, still includes us in the participation and fruition of His eternal purpose to build a home and grow a family for Himself and birth a beautiful Bride for His Son. The Flood seems like a much more appropriate plan.
Thankfully, “we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). I have to believe that ALL truly means ALL – including the sins, mistakes, offenses I have committed in the past and will commit in the future.
I am encouraged by the countless examples in the Bible of men and women who committed grievous sins against God and their fellow man, and yet God, in His awesome, overwhelming power and love, used those same fallen individuals to accomplish His Will in heaven and on earth. Just take a quick peak at the faith hall of fame in Hebrews and consider for a moment their stories and what God made of them.
He gives us beauty for ashes, strength for fear, gladness for mourning and peace for despair. The wretch that I am is a rather big fan of God’s economy.
And while those transgressions committed against fellow human beings may result in the loss of a relationship, they do not have the power to separate us from the love of God. As The Word states, “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38).
Amazingly enough, I can readily accept the fact that there is no outside force that can change my standing with God through Jesus, but the one that is hard for me to comprehend is life, that is, my life. I get that death cannot take me from Him, but the life that I live, the mistakes that I make, the people that I hurt, and the sins that I commit – those are what scare me. His love truly is AMAZING. Incomprehensible, really.
And yet, He gives us even more than His acceptance and love in that He blesses us with people who love us as well – the good, the bad and the ugly. Oh, the gift of experiencing the love of Christ in the face of a husband who endures much pain and agony in dealing with my quirkiness. Or a sister who despite having countless wires crossed over the years is my best friend. Or a mom and dad having endured the abuse of raising me can still tell stories about me with such pride in their eyes. Or numerous friends who are honestly shocked when I share something negative about myself, because their love has blinded them to my faults – they have chosen to see and believe only the good in me. My heart almost explodes with the joy and gratitude I have for these precious gifts.
God is good. Life is good. Go love someone who does not deserve it. Thankfully, my people do.
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