We began a new series at Element last night called "Coffee Shop Theology," in which we're answering and addressing submitted questions and topics. Last night tackled the question, "Why don't I love Jesus as much as I want to?"
After briefly touching on the harsh reality that the level at which we currently love Jesus is the level at which we currently want to, I reframed the question to ask, "Why don't we love Jesus as much as we ought to?"
There is an implied angst in the original question, and the more I minister with young adults the more I find this desperate frustration of wanting to do more, be more, experience more in the spiritual life is epidemic. We have this vague sense that there is a "there" to get to, but try as we might, we never get "there."
This is when the gospel enters and works its wonder.
The truth is that no amount of doing/being/trying will get us "there" (wherever that is). And when we realize that harsh reality, the heavy truth that our efforts are constantly insufficient (that although we must obey the command to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we can't in actuality obey this command perfectly), we have two options: despair completely or despair of ourselves and press further into the perfect love of Christ.
Grace is so freeing.
Our love is a failing love. And that should grieve us. But it should also stir us to wonder over and rejoice in and experience satisfaction in the unfailing love of God in Jesus.
Isn't the gospel awesome?
4 comments:
The amazing thing about the gospel (that I'm, frankly, just starting to realize) is that in Jesus we are already "there". We didn't arrive "there" on our own, Jesus brought us "there". And, since we are already "there", we are free to act like we belong "there".
I find that when we teach jsutification and sanctification, correctly, it calms people down and gives them more certainty. In other words, people need to udnerstand tha sanctification is a process and God meets you in that process where you are every day. It isn't always a mind blowing experience day. Sometimes it's hum-drum but God is there too and the challenge is, "Where is He in this hum-drum day?"
By the way, and I know this isn't going to go over really well here...LOL...but a more Pentecostal theology would give a more but also valid "experience of God."
Diane, what constitutes a "more Pentecostal theology"?
>Our love is a failing love. And that should grieve us. But it should also stir us to wonder over and rejoice in and experience satisfaction in the unfailing love of God in Jesus.
Wow!
I wonder if it isn't our sorry selves always wanting to be in love and to be courted that fails us a lot.
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