Too many times I am surprised by the "Christian Experience". I am talking about someone or some entity letting me down, disappointing me, sometimes simply appalling to me. Thus follows pain and scarring, and then, finally, a suffering blow to my faith. I know I am not alone in this, for I have talked to numerous people that have experienced in some fashion or other, a "bad" representation of what they pictured as "Christian". I wonder how God feels when we let Him down or disappoint Him?
My best friend coins it nicely in warning, "Don't judge God by His people.". This holds as a solid truth even today. Just because a truth has been messed up, doesn't mean truth is not still there. Look at what we've done with sex, for example. Or, getting down to true motives, how about communion? Or the biggie: church? These things, and many others, are intended to be good, and through Jesus, they are good and true, despite so many perversions in the world. There is still the Way.
Consider my relationship with the Lord. How many times have I faltered in faith and belief due to circumstances? This thinking that "He loves me when it's all good, He loves me not when it's bad" is more and more dissolving into "I cannot even fathom how deep and huge His love for me is, no matter the circumstances". His love doesn't falter or change depending on how I'm doing. It is like a rock. (I know He is the rock!) I pray that I can get better at loving Him, no matter how it looks around me. The impulse to abandon the ship of faith is most assuredly simply satanic, as it tries to sabotage the true nature of God. Ah, if only we would all know the love of Christ! It is what changes everything! I place my life on this rock, for He is solid, and the only thing capable to hold me steady in the storms of life.
I want to represent the Truth well while I have the chance. I've got one shot at this thing and want to make it count. Not only because I will be with the Lord for eternity, but for the sake of others. I want my life to be used by the King to encourage and inspire others. For some, maybe it helps them as a believer and follower of Christ. For others, maybe it will be a part of them coming to know the Lord. I'm talking about leaving my legacy behind for whatever benefit the Lord would use it for. This has been a powerful message for me, even inspiring a song. It parallels what God has written into the design for salvation. All the stories, miracles, events, etc, He has authored for His people to come into a loving relationship with Him for the purpose of glorifying Him for eternity! We have seen Him playing this out through the heroes of old, the characters in the Bible, and Jesus Himself. He has left all of this for us to believe and receive. We, in that sense, become His legacy, even as He is our Legacy that we leave behind for others. How about that?
Too many times I am surprised by the "Christian Experience". I am talking about someone or some entity letting me down, disappointing me, sometimes simply appalling to me. Thus follows pain and scarring, and then, finally, a suffering blow to my faith. I know I am not alone in this, for I have talked to numerous people that have experienced in some fashion or other, a "bad" representation of what they pictured as "Christian". I wonder how God feels when we let Him down or disappoint Him?