Corrections and Clarifications

I believe I need to clarify a few things that I said in my last post that may (and probably did!!) not have come across in a way I meant for them to. I said "Jesus says that the world will know that we are his disciples because of our love. Not our doctrine. Not our theology. Not our amazing worship services. But our love. How much do we even SEE let alone love those HE brings into our lives. This is the hope - that His love transforms us and, through us, transforms those around us." In these sentences, I can sound like I'm saying 'it doesn't matter what we believe, as long as we love one another'. That is NOT at all what I am saying. I guess it all comes down to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13. Yes, the great 'love chapter of the Bible'. He says in verses 1-3, "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." My summary of what he is saying is that we can be very talented, have many gifts and abilities, know all the 'mysteries' of God and who he is and how he works and we can spend all of our spare time 'serving' those around us who are in need, but if our motivation is not the Love of Christ, then it's all empty and - really - of very minimal value. It's just noise. I may have my doctrine 'perfect' and have all my 'i's' dotted and my 't's' crossed, but if it does not lead me to dramatically love as Christ loved, we are just going through the motions. Our theology and doctrine - what we believe about who God is and what He says, are very important they are what drive our love of those around us - and our love of God. Our love HAS to be an outpouring of what God has done and is doing in our own hearts - transforming them from hearts of stone to hearts of flesh. My statement above that I am clarifying comes from my frustration (at myself too) that we in the church today have it all backwards. As soon as someone comes to know Christ as their Savior, we put them in 'ministry'. I believe it is most important that they be established in God's love for them and who he is before we send them out to serve. Not that they CAN'T. But it needs to be the outpouring of Christ in their life moving them rather than 'the church' getting them busy and involved. Jesus spent lots of time with the disciples before he ever sent them out. Paul also spent who knows how much time in the desert after his conversion being taught by God. I believe, whether we realize it or not (and I am just as guilty of this as anyone else) that we can use our theology or our ministry to keep us from really going out and loving the unlovable like Christ calls us to. It's not attractive and it can be 'dangerous' to go out where the really needy people are. We stay in our bubbles that feel safe and don't risk. But I believe Christ calls us to incarnate - make flesh - who he is in our world and He risked it all in order to save. He put himself in physical danger and necessity to reach those he LOVED. I have to ask myself, what is God asking me to risk today?? My physical comfort? My reputation? My money? My family? in order to show His radical and amazing love that seeks those who are the most lost. Anyway, what we believe about God IS very important, but if it is all we do and we don't let him live out through our lives in amazing ways, we DO need to ask ourselves and Him where our relationship with him really is. I'm not saying that we all have to move to India and minister to the Untouchables or move to the inner city and live there among the homeless. But what small risk is God asking us to do today - to show a broken world the love God has towards them. Whose life can we touch with Him today that He can use to heal our world just that little bit. It may be talking to that neighbor you feel uncomfortable around, who lives in a 'questionable' way. Only God can give you the nudge and the insight to SEE those He wants to love through you. God saw beyond the external to see the hearts that are broken and in need of Him. He can do that in your too. And ME too. Thanks again for listening!! Jill