Life is a movie and not
a series of snapshots
There is a call now more than ever to
grow up in all respects unto Christ. We enter the Kingdom of God as little
children and we must never forget our childlike faith that opens doors before
us. However, we must move on and grow up to be adults in the Kingdom. This is
demonstrated by people who have become, "Un-Offendable." When you
have no buttons to push, you acquire a confidence to stand up in the face of
slander and gossip. And attempts of the enemy to find a way to make you feel
sorry for yourself, seek revenge or just sulk with hurt feelings will not
succeed. All of these attempts would render you powerless and silence your voice.
Instead we lean into the Grace of God to allow Him to stripe away all the,
"buttons of self-centered, selfishness." We reach for the high calling
and the maturity He paid for on the cross for each of us.
Recently having gone through the
rejection of a close friend and sadness that followed, I was challenged; are
you offended? In this case no it was not offense, it was the pain of saying goodbye
to a long-standing friendship. This kind of sorrow that is caused by another,
such as the death of a loved one, is not offense. It leaves the heart in
sadness and grief at the loss of a companion, friend, brother or sister. Time
heals these types of wounds. The one challenge that does complicate things is
the knowledge in many cases that severing of the relationships did not have to
happen.
When we stumble into a time of cross
points with a friend, and our relationship is strained due to some misunderstanding
or offense the temptation is to look at that person and take a snapshot of them
in the moment. It is easy to walk away and figuratively post that snapshot on
the wall and any time we think of that person we look at the snap shot and
remember all the angst, hurt feelings and maybe even the anger that was expressed
on both sides that day.
It is very hard to consider maybe what
happened was only one frame in your movie with that person. A day later, a
month later, or even a year later the circumstances around the situation and
your understanding of it and their understanding may have changed completely.
If you could have a do over with the conversation it would turn out very
differently. Often over time we realize the love we had for one another, the
companionship, the mutually healthy and joyful fellowship is missing from our
lives. Is it true that what happened was so egregious, violent, painful or dishonoring
that time can never bring healing or restoration?
The question becomes, was the event or
fallout so great that it is greater than love can repair greater than the power
of forgiveness, kindness, and Godly reconciliation? I suppose there are events
that are heinous that forgiveness may be issued but there is no possibility,
nor should there be for being in the same space physically again. However, I
learned a long time ago that if I hold on to my right to be right, at the
expense of losing a relationship, it isn’t worth it. People are more important
than things and it is better to lay our lives down if needed for our friends without
sacrificing our dignity before the Lord.
In the True Vine, the Very Body of
Christ, we have a covenantal connection with one another from which we can
never detach. If in some way you are hurt or offended by my words or actions
let us come together and find God’s Grace to never sever the tie that binds us
together. I would rather be right and lay that fact down so that we preserve
the family unity.
We are never called to be door mats,
quite the contrary. I think we need more debate, and passionate commitments to
our convictions. As Socrates said, “If we do not challenge every assumption we will
never know if what we believe is true.” The difference is we are brothers and
sisters and regardless; when the tie breaker is called for, Love wins. Jesus is
right! And you are too precious to lose over what in this life is temporal and
will be as nothing compared to eternity.
I chose to let go of any prerogative to
righteously declare how right I am on certain subjects if it means the loss of
you my brother and my sister. Let’s find the truth together which is the Mind
of Christ and may we both learn the Truth that will set us both free. If the
standard we are so vehemently holding high as our standard for others to rally
around becomes a club to beat naysayers, we have lost the essence of being a son
or daughter of the King and his love, mercy, grace and forgiveness.
We are all ambassadors of reconciliation! This is a ministry
that we are never exempted from. Therefore 24/7 I am under His Lordship as an emissary
of His Kingdom to be an agent of transformation in the world around me. I am
called to be a catalyst of change in the lives of each person I meet, and that
Love will be the beginning of all things. Love will be the guiding principle in
all things. Love will be the outcome of all things.
Love God! Love yourself! Love others! Learn what love is!
Learn how to love! Speak love! Live love! Express love! Be an example of Love!
Love, Love, Love and when all is said and done did your words, actions or
thoughts produce love? When we stand before God, who is love, what will we
reflect back to Him?
I love you!
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