I am a big jerk, praise the Lord Jesus isn't!
How many of us can relate to that statement? I would love to say that it was just a crafty statement I came up with, but the truth of the matter is that it is accurate and reliable. As we finish up in the book of Revelation I am again reminded of God's patience and forbearance and my lack of the same. Let me tell you how all of this relates by going back yet again to the story of me dropping in on the half-pipe.
As most everyone that knows me knows I have been working on learning to be a decent skater so that we can reach out to the kids in the community better through a skateboarding ministry. I have had some serious fear issues (see the post before last), and I have had to check my heart. However God didn't just stop there with me. He gave me time to really look at myself in the mirror and hopefully make some changes in who I am. You see I have discovered that I am really just a big fat jerk. As I have stood there afraid of dropping in on this half-pipe it was a real eye opening experience for me showing me how people can struggle with things that take faith. I mean I have always known that, but it really became real that day. On the half-pipe I have pushed, even driven some of these kids to just buck up and drop in regardless of the fear, and not letting them work their way into it. However when I have stood there afraid they started doing it back to me, and boy did it mess with my head and make me want to run away and hide and never come back.
Well the same can be said for me as I push, maybe even drive people to holiness and Godly living. But as I look at Revelation I have discovered God didn't do that. Jesus laid out what our punishment would be if we deny him, he spells it out clearly, and he tells us how we can follow him. But in the end he lets us make the choices as to if and when we will obey. If we don't obey there are consequences, if we do there are rewards. But he doesn't drive us to perfection, he doesn't push us beyond our limits, Jesus rebukes - corrects - trains - and encourages, but in the end let's us decide. Maybe I can learn something from Jesus!
As most everyone that knows me knows I have been working on learning to be a decent skater so that we can reach out to the kids in the community better through a skateboarding ministry. I have had some serious fear issues (see the post before last), and I have had to check my heart. However God didn't just stop there with me. He gave me time to really look at myself in the mirror and hopefully make some changes in who I am. You see I have discovered that I am really just a big fat jerk. As I have stood there afraid of dropping in on this half-pipe it was a real eye opening experience for me showing me how people can struggle with things that take faith. I mean I have always known that, but it really became real that day. On the half-pipe I have pushed, even driven some of these kids to just buck up and drop in regardless of the fear, and not letting them work their way into it. However when I have stood there afraid they started doing it back to me, and boy did it mess with my head and make me want to run away and hide and never come back.
Well the same can be said for me as I push, maybe even drive people to holiness and Godly living. But as I look at Revelation I have discovered God didn't do that. Jesus laid out what our punishment would be if we deny him, he spells it out clearly, and he tells us how we can follow him. But in the end he lets us make the choices as to if and when we will obey. If we don't obey there are consequences, if we do there are rewards. But he doesn't drive us to perfection, he doesn't push us beyond our limits, Jesus rebukes - corrects - trains - and encourages, but in the end let's us decide. Maybe I can learn something from Jesus!
posted by Pastor Jerry at
10:15 AM
1 Comments:
Cool timing - I was reading in I Corinthians at lunch time which led me to read the commentary on "rewards and punishments". Awesome when God does that!
I can't remember the exact chapter and verse but the verse goes something like ...."my heart is desparately wicked, who can know the heart of man but God alone..." Jeremiah.
Barbara (would say Barb but don't want to confuse Larry! lol)
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Anonymous, at 4:38 PM
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