Love or IN Love?

How many times have you been told to love God? My guess will is hundreds. How many times have you been told that you need to be IN love WITH God? My guess: no where near enough.

That doesn't make it any less true! Yes, the Father is our Abba (daddy). Yes, Jesus is our Savior. Yes, the Holy Spirit is our Comforter. But, Jesus is also our husband. Now, fellas, don't freak out here. We, the Church, are called the Bride of Christ, which indicates marriage. Therefore, Christ is our husband. This means we are to not only love Him, but we are to be IN love WITH Him!

Now, let me ask an even weirder question. Are you IN love WITH your parents? Have I taken it too far for you? Honestly, I hope so. What does it me to be in love with someone? It means, I think, to love them unconditionally, no matter what they do, just because of who they are. It is intimate and intense. Now, let me ask you again, are you IN love WITH your parents? Well, King David sure sounds like he was. Check this:

"O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me." --Psalm 131:1-2

Here, David equates himself to a weaned child with his mother, which shows God's motherly, nurturing characteristics. There are several things to glean from this. One, David does not think highly of himself. He has a heart of humility. Two, he understands that God is responsible for feeding him until he was weaned and could feed himself. And, three, he outlines a loving relationship with God.

We are to humble ourselves before God because HE is responsible for our initial feeding until we can feed ourselves. Afterward, we respond by quieting ourselves. Because of the mother's caring and love for her child, the child responds by loving her just for who she is. The child is IN love WITH her! That is our appropriate response to God!

We aren't to love out of some guilt trip or some over-bearing sense of obligation. We can never earn God's love, so why do we try? We can never prove our love to God, because if we base it upon us proving we love Him, the first time we choose something over Him, and not prove our love, then we fail. He loves us for who we are. No matter who the child is or what he/she has done, his/her parents still love him/her. (If that isn't true of your parents, first, ask them about it, and second, get a hold me somehow and I'll describe to you how God loves and His design for the parent-child relationship.)

Why do we base our response on anything other than how God loves? Is it because we KNOW we don't deserve love from the Creator? That should be even MORE reason to love God for who He is! It is all dependent upon who He is. I encourage you to fall IN love WITH God. Love Him for who He is and for no other reason! I promise, the rest of the Christian life will be easier, because the only thing that counts is "faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6).

Gifts and Passions

Once upon a time, I asked a bunch of students "How do you know what God wants you to do with your life?" It was a question I had asked myself MANY times over the months prior. I explained to them that God uses many things to show them and call them. One of which is passion. What are you passionate for?

Another was talents. What talents has God given you?

The last was gifts. How has God gifted you?

It was easy for me to discuss this, seeing as I had already finished my undergrad and was doing what God called me to do, however, I remember those unsure times in my life prior to college, and even sometimes in college. I know that God has gifted me with the ability to explain. I like to use large words in conversation, not to make me look smart, but because I have the word in my vocabulary. However, when teaching, that makes it difficult, because the students don't always know what the word means, therefore I have to explain it.

I am a teacher at heart. I long to teach people, to pass on knowledge that I have gained, whatever the subject matter or task, and I love to teach Scripture above everything else. It is one of my greatest passions.

I also love to write. One of my dreams, which has never been spoken before now, is to publish a novel or short story. Why? I have no clue, it is just something I have wanted to do for a long time. Writing and teaching Scripture have been the two most constant things I've wanted to do. I know God has called me to youth ministry, and I couldn't be happier doing it, but I still have this burning desire to write. So, I do. Mostly short stories and most longer stories never get finished. I have about 5 or 6 ideas written down that I could work on, but I haven't finished one yet.

I know this is quite random, and if you have stayed this long you are probably thinking, "Who cares!?" Well, I say this because God has shown me what I am to do, and as I said, I enjoy teaching, so my question to you is, what is that God is calling you to do? Let your talents and passions be a guide, but weigh those against your gifts, because it is in your giftedness that God uses you most.

Worship.

I want your opinions, but please be civil. What I will say is simply some things that have been billowing up in me for a few years, and I have just now found the proper words to express what I am feeling.

Today, I discuss music; "worship" music, actually. While at camp this last week, I figured out what it is about our corporate worship songs that bother me. We put them all under "praise and worship" or "hymns," correct? However, I propose that there is a third genre of our corporate worship songs: songs of prayer.

Here is why I say this: praise and worship songs are the term we have placed on the newer songs, however, what is praise? And what is worship? Praise is giving glory to God for the things in our lives. Worship is us telling God how worthy He is to recieve our praise. Hymns are the songs in the blue (sometimes red or black or green)books in the back of the pews that most people tend to ignore, nowadays. A hymn, though, is a song that gives praise and glory to God for what He has done.

You are probably thinking: "I know all this. What is your point?"

My point is this: what do we do with songs like "Amazing Love" that focuses mostly on what we are doing? I'm not saying that we should not sing it, quite the opposite. I just think that songs that focus on our response should be put under the "prayer songs" genre. When I think worship songs, my thoughts jump to songs like "Cannons" by Phil Wickham and "Glory to God" by Fee.

I know this may just be a discussion of semantics, but it's something that I've thought about a lot. What do you guys think?

Ryan's Song

Tears come and go, but memories stay.
Fears ebb and flow, but grace remains.
Love wins. It conquered death and hell.
Death fails. All it did was make you well.

So rest now. Your fight is over.
Rejoice now. Your pain is gone.
We will miss you. A thousand times over.
But rest now. You're finally at home.

Breathe deep. Let the air fill your lungs.
Run fast. Your legs will never tire.
Ride far. As far as you want to.
And sing loud, so all the angels hear you.

And rest now. Your fight is over.
Rejoice now. Your pain is gone.
We will miss you. A million times over.
But rest now. You're finally at home.

I know we'll see you soon.
Life's but a fleeting glance.
In your heavenly afternoon,
We'll gather round and dance.

But rest now! Your fight is over.
Rejoice now! Your pain is gone.
We will miss you. A billion times over.
But rest now. You're finally at home.

Rain, rain, go away?

Being in Texas, I get weird looks when I say that I like rain. In fact, I love it. My few years spent in Washington convinced me that rain was one of the most beautiful things about this world. As I write this, I feel a fight going inside of me. A fight between being comfortable and being intense. A song is reverberating through my computer's speakers as I play it over and over, but there are two that are reverberating through my head. Both of these deal with rain and the beauty of it. The first, the one running through my head only, is "Bring the Rain" by MercyMe. If you have never heard the song, or really want to hear it again, click here.

In this song, rain is seen as something that is depressing and a thing to endure, but in the other song, it is the opposite. It is seen as an agent of cleansing. This other song is "Sidewalk Chalk" by Jessica Andrukat. This song is a wonderful word picture that paints the soothing side of rain, but how can these two ideas coexist in one substance?

Easily. In the MercyMe song, rain is asked for so we can praise God. If it takes us going through something difficult to love God more, than that is what we need. At the same time, this rain is cleansing us. "Like sidewalk chalk in the rain, You melt me." That isn't easy. It is something we are to endure, but it is such a beautiful picture. Literal rain, like spiritual rain, has its own duality.

Nashville recently suffered the effects of having too much rain fall on its land. It flooded and caused millions of dollars in damage. However, last summer in Texas, we had too little rain. The grass died. The lake levels fell drastically, some as far as 40 feet below normal. Water was being rationed. However, God sent rain to cleanse the land and restore it. What a beautiful picture of our lives!

If we get too much rain, we can drown in despair and hopelessness, but if we do not get enough, we can never experience the cleansing God has for us. God sends us the most we can handle without drowning. So, whenever you face a storm, literal or spiritual, don't despise the rain. Enjoy it! It is a beautiful necessity! Focus on the cleansing and restoration that comes with the rain. Then, you will be able to have joy in trials. Then, you will be able to enjoy the things God meant for you to enjoy. Then, you will be able to sing wholeheartedly, in spirit and in truth, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty."

Loving Father, send me the rain I need to praise you. The rain I need to be cleansed and restored. The rain I need to enjoy you and your love more. Amen.

The Unforseen Kiss

It was predictable. The situation, anyways. He was on one side of the room, and she was on the other. Five seconds after walking through the door, she met his eyes and smiled. This told him everything he needed to know. She came because of him. Arrogance did not tell him this. Nor did conceit. He did not think that he was something special, he just knew that she came for him. She had purposefully sought out his face, and, when she found it, smiled with recognition. It was time.
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She found his face and smiled. It wasn't a shy, "wow, he is staring at me" smile. No, this was a smile of recognition. A smile of love. A smile of longing.

She had waited so long for him to come back. For just a trickling of his name to be uttered. For microsecond look at a non-picture. And now, here she was, 50 feet away from the person she longed for. He smiled back as he rose from the table and made his way towards her. They met halfway. She smiled, coyly this time, and said, "Hello." She didn't know what was going to happen next, but she never imagined what did happen. Instead of replying, he bent his head down too quickly for her to recognize what was happening, and kissed her lips. Shock froze her lips, but soon the shock gave way to the longing and the kiss erupted passionately.

Throughout the kiss, and for a long, speechless moment afterwards, she couldn't control her heart. It was as though it were doing backflips through her, pounding, waiting to burst free. She came her for him, but he came back for her. Everything was as it should be.
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"Heaven meets earth like an unforseen kiss, and my heart turns violently inside of my chest. I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way He loves."

The above is a true story. It has been adapted for ease of understanding and romanticized a bit. However, Christ did sit and wait for the time to come. He was sitting in the "room" waiting for "her" to come in. When she came in, the time was right. That's when heaven met earth. When Christ became man. It was so unexpected, so deliberate, and so shocking, that it took a while for the shock to wear off, but, when it did, the result was a passion that cannot be equaled by man.

This passion is the passion to live for Christ. The desire, the longing, they are there before hand, hidden deep within you. When you see Christ, clearly, for the first time, they spring forward uncontrolled. Then, it is like this "kiss" happens all over again. It's so unexpected, but so complete, that you have no choice but to kiss back.

And that's the way he loves us. Without care or thought about our past, he says "I want you." He's already shown it by dying on the cross, whereby making this relationship possible, and taking away the punishment of our sins, if only we would kiss back. And that is your decision entirely.

The Amnesiac

Debbie met Carl in late Autumn of 1998. They quickly took to one another, and spent most of their time together. It seemed that the world melted into an unintelligible blur when they were together, and the moments were glacial while apart. It truly was love, and a strong love at that. In late January of 1999, Carl proposed. Debbie, all red from excitement and astonishment, said yes, and the two were wed that July. Time went by, and the two couldn't have been more happy. Two years passed in blissful happiness, but, August of 2001 nearly wrecked their marriage...

One morning, Debbie woke up, alone in bed. Debbie busied herself by getting ready for the day. She showered, brushed her hair, and dressed. At 7:30, Debbie left for work. She pulled out of the garage and closed the door. She went about her daily routine. After work was over, she headed home. When she arrived, a car was in her drive-way. It surprised her to see a car there. She cautiously pulled into the garage and entered the house. A man was at her stove cooking dinner. She took in the man's frame and sandy hair. "Carl," she asked timidly. "What are you doing here?" Carl turned around and looked at Debbie, obviously confused.

"What are you talking about, Debbie? I live here." Debbie was taken aback. She didn't remember Carl moving into her house, and he wasn't here this morning when she woke. Debbie just stared at Carl, she didn't know what to say. "Quit kidding around, Deb, and help me make supper." Debbie slowly set out two settings on the table and chopped random vegetables without really knowing what they were. Her mind was too busy running through her memories trying to remember Carl moving in. All she knew, though, was that they had only met a handful of times. It was absurd to think that Carl actually lived here. She barely knew the man!

Dinner was finally ready, and they sat down to eat. "I'm sorry, Carl," Debbie began, "but I don't remember you moving in. All I know is that we have met maybe four times. Why do you say you live here?" Carl busted out laughing at her words, which caught Debbie off guard. "I'm being serious, Carl! This is really weird. Why do you say you live here, too?" Carl's laugh caught up short in his throat. He cleared it out, and stared at Debbie, too stunned to speak for a second. "Really, Debbie? You don't remember us getting married two years ago?"

"Two years ago! I only met you for the first time, last week! What are you talking about?" Debbie was on the verge of tears. Two years, she thought. How could we have been married for two years? And why would he even say that? Debbie was looking at her plate while she thought. She heard Carl's fork hit the plate, and the noise snapped her out of her reverie. She found Carl's face and saw the tears streaking down. She had hurt him, and hurt him deeply. Was it possible that they were married? No, it couldn't be! She met him last week. Carl scooted his chair back and stood. "Come with me," he softly commanded. Debbie rose from the chair and followed Carl into the sitting room.

Carl reached under the coffee table and pulled out a large photo album. For several hours, Carl patiently went page by page, picture by picture, describing the day and what happened and what was going on in each picture. Finally, he reached the pictures from their wedding. Carl tried to describe the day, but his emotions choked his words. He handed Debbie the album and got up from the couch and headed to the bedroom. Debbie just stared at the pictures from the wedding, confused. There was so much evidence pointing to her and Carl being married, but she couldn't remember even dating the man! How could the last three years just be erased from her memory?! She reached the last page of the pictures and a piece of paper fell out. Debbie reached down and picked it up. She unfolded it and read the words written on the page:
"Through life and death, sickness and health, riches and the lack of them, I will love you. If you should happen to wake one day and not know me, I will love you. If came between a choice of your life or mine, I will gladly give mine to show you my love. There is nothing I will not do for you, my love, my desire, my sweet Deborah."

The date on the paper was July 15, 1999, the date that her wedding was supposedly on. Tears flooded Debbie's eyes when she began to realize what was going on. She had somehow forgotten her first love. Her true love, but he didn't forget her. He even did everything in his power to show her his love once again. Debbie sat there for another hour, constantly reading and re-reading the words of Carl's vows to her.

Carl came back out and found her sitting on the couch holding the paper. He had found her engagement and wedding rings lying on the dresser, she hadn't put them on this morning. "I believe these are yours, love," Carl said, the tears thickening his voice. Debbie turned to see him, the tears flowing freely from her own eyes. "I'm so sorry, Carl," Debbie said as she took the rings from his hand. "I don't know how I could have forgotten this...forgotten you." Carl placed a finger on her lips and pulled her close to his chest. "It doesn't matter, love. What matters is that you know how much I love you. You can re-discover your love for me, because I won't ever forget you." Carl kissed his wife's lips and they sat up the rest of the night talking, and Debbie re-discovered her love for Carl.
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"There is an epidemic of spiritual amnesia going around, and none of us is immune. No matter how many fascinating details we learn about God's creation, no matter how many pictures we see of His galaxies, and no matter how many sunsets we watch, we still forget." --Francis Chan, Crazy Love

Despite the fact that Debbie forget she was married to Carl, she was still married and Carl still loved her. It is the same with the Church, Christ's Bride. Even if we forget that we are Christ's Bride, Christ still loves us and we are still His.