So, presently many of us live in an enviroment of extreme accessibility to much. We are surrounded with so much stuff, so much 'temptation', such ease and comfort that it can be distracting and hard to resist. Seriously, if we didn't have such access to junk food there would be a whole lot less overweight people on this continent. But no, we have tv, internet, gaming etc all of which add to the obesity epidemic. It is like telling the kids in a candy store, 'No!' It won't get you far. . .
Have you ever read 'Little House on the Prairie'? When the kids got brought peppermint sticks back from town, or given an actual doll they were so delighted. It was such a privilege. And now kids practically live in a candy store. And then we watch these video clips posted on facebook about these amazing people sacrificing their comfort and feeding the poor in poverty stricken places. And so many ooh and awe over it and talk about how godly that is and how the bible says we should do this and how amazing that person is for doing that. C'mon! Do you really think for a moment that if you walked out your door this moment and your eyes fell on a person writhing in the ditch, starving and diseased that you would walk right by and do nothing????!!!! No way! No flipping way would we do that! In spite of our luxurious lifestyle, surrounded by excess pleasures, there is no way we wouldn't stop for that one suffering in the ditch. Christ our Life has so moved within us that for us to tend to that person's needs would NOT be based on obedience. It would be based on LOVE. Based on Can't NOT. Because who we really are is revealed when the opportunity presents itself. Who we are is not based on the temptations surrounding us. Who we are is who we are. Ones who have surrendered to the majesty of Christ and His lovely power within.
Obedience? People have asked me how do I do what paul (or one of those other jewish fellows who's writings were compiled by the Roman's) writes to various groups of believers. Like how do I do that wifely obedience stuff. Umm, well, I don't. I don't like to ACT. This life is not a play, for which I rehearse to play a part. All I know is that the more I experience of Jesus' freedom, the more I free others around me. The more I experience and perceive the love of God the more I can love others around me. And, as Paul so succintly put it, Love does not seek its own. Yeah, there are days were I give into selfish mindsets and I do not free and love those around me. And my father kindly gives me a perhaps not so gentle shove in order to get me back into His love groove. That's a shove I am grateful for. I much prefer his love groove. And that is regarding the everydayness of dealing with other people, who have there own days out of the love groove. But when it comes to dealing with the suffering and the down trodden I am compelled by His irrestible love and I can't not reach out. No one has to preach obedience to me. God is not about automons doing his bidding. How absolutely dull and loveless. He is about love. And quite frankly, His love is irresistable when we are truly experiencing it.
So, next time you see someone in distress and find yourself doing something about it and then someone comes along and films your good works and then uses you as an example as what CHRISTIANS SHOULD DO. Well then, you can just roll your eyes and keep walking. This aint no performance for a critical and demanding audience. This is love, embodied in His Children of Light. Christ in us, the Hope of glory.
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