It was absolutely wonderful to be able to go to church today. I was in a different church almost everyday in Italy, but only got to attend mass once. I didn’t understand a word of the Italian service but the singing was beautiful. I’m glad to be back where I can understand what’s being said in church and able to sing along; I really missed it.
Today’s stuff won’t come from my dailies; I need to catch up with my reading. Instead they’ll be recaps of the wonderful messages that I heard this morning in college worship and during the main service. They’re things I’ve heard before, but truth is truth and needs to be proclaimed so here goes.
Rule #1: I’m not now, never was, and never will be perfect while I still live in this fleshly body and world.
Rule #2: God loves me anyway and will work with and through me.
We are told not to unevenly yoke ourselves with other people in this life but he was willing to yoke himself with us. That means that he walks at our pace one step at a time and supports us when we stumble and fall flat on our faces. Because he walks with us, he knows our troubles intimately and is still willing to share our burdens. In fact, he tells us to let him handle the burdens for us; how amazing is that?
We cannot attain righteousness; we cannot be good enough. When you start to think that your life is pretty good in comparison to the rest of life and man, then you have fallen in to a self righteousness that is sin. God does not compare us to each other, why do we insist on doing so? God sees the heart of each individual person, their failings, desires, hopes dreams and even nightmares. He treats us as individuals; we need to realize that each and every one of us is wonderfully unique and incomparable especially when it comes to spirituality.
Being religious is nothing more than practicing a counterfeit Christianity. I would rather live in a hole and know my Lord than live in the most beautiful house, go to the most beautiful church (and I’ve seen quite a few), and go through the empty motions of an empty religion. Life is about relationships and so is Christianity.
Christian life does not come out of a book or a duty to pray at a certain time everyday. Ever heard of “pray constantly” and “walk humbly with your God”? Those are supposed to be continual things throughout your day no matter whether you’re in church on Sunday morning or walking around in a grocery store on Thursday evening. Worship is our response to God’s presence and he shows up anywhere and at any time. Rejoice and be glad always! We have a living Lord who loves.
We need to peel off the layers of quick spiritual fixes that we’ve applied to cover up our dirty surfaces. Let the healer cut deep, remove the gangrene that’s eating away at you and rekindle a love of life and neighbor in your heart. Let’s be religious people in recovery together; let’s stop trying to fill our own cups and drink from the overflowing cup of Christ. Only his cup is sufficient for everything.
Commit yourself to truth and you will never be the same again.
neumatikos 