Winging It

I’ve been planning my post for a couple weeks now, but here I am – winging it. You’re getting off the cuff, no pre-draft, and the notes are left on the chair. I’ve been struggling lately with the very real misrepresentation of God that so many Christians do – and I know that I’ve been guilty of it, too. How could I not be guilty of it when I still talk out of my flesh?

When I hear someone state that God punishes us when we don’t do the right thing, I bristle up. When religious circles on social media pass around a post that gives God credit for disasters – it was judgement, and they deserved it – I want to jump up and defend God. When the church focuses on activities and community involvement over teaching the goodness of God, I feel at a loss. When we get a nice five-point message on how to love God well instead of pointing people to why they should want to, I feel like someone is trying to shackle me with requirements instead of offering me the freedom found in a relationship of love.

Like I said – woman on edge over here. Without her notes.

In March of 2020, I wrote, Where’s the Wrath? – a post that is very much on the same topic. I apologize if I happen to repeat myself, but the devil’s schemes have not changed. He likes to twist the Word of God to confuse us and cause us to doubt that God really is good and really is for us – not against us. He likes to use catchy phrases plucked from verses without proper context. This is why I understand why churches put such a heavy emphasis on the how-to of being a good Christian, but they have the order all wrong. The cart should never go before the horse.

When we put the cart before the horse, we will push and push and push trying to get the cart moving – and we might move a few feet, but we’ll wear ourselves out and become discouraged in the little distance we’ve managed to travel. We might even just abandon the whole set-up altogether.

The devil wants to keep us in the dark when it comes to understanding God’s love for us. He wants to keep us ignorant in the matter of covenants. He wants us to think that God will only love, forgive, and heal if we hit or surpass the mark of what those five-point messages tell us we need to do in order to be accepted. The devil will use the perfect and holy law to beat us into a condemnation-perceived submission. And there are many Christians that are allowing themselves to be used to do this. The devil is crafty enough that they even think they’re doing God’s work.

Reading the Bible, spending time getting to know the voice of God, having a time set aside for prayer – all good things. But why should we? Why would we want to? Is it just to protect us from the schemes of the enemy? Is it because we believe we’ll be more acceptable and holy in the eyes of God? Are we after a stockpile of heavenly crowns? What is our motivation? Or rather, Who is our motivation? Are we seeking acceptance or are we responding to the fact that Jesus made us accepted?

I have about four pastors I listen to on a regular basis. I tune into their YouTube channels, I listen to their podcasts on Spotify, I log on to their app, and I am often caught with a book penned by their hand. One lives and pastors in Ohio, another in Colorado, and two of them are in other countries on the other side of the world. But they all focus their sermons on Jesus, His sacrifice, and God’s love for us. They teach about the distance our Creator and Savior went to rescue and redeem us and that ignites a fire of passion to pursue a relationship with God better than any message that focuses on our own efforts.

That is what has me reaching for my Bible. Love is what pushes me to go beyond mere comprehension to experiencing God’s love in my life.

My husband and I did some long-distance dating before we were married. During that time, we were connected either by talking on the phone, texting (he claims his thumbs were getting worn out), or emailing – we even sent each other notes and cards in the mail. We were in contact every chance we had. Not once did I have to drag myself to the phone, psyche myself up to return a text or email, and I found it thrilling to find the perfect card or quote or poem to send him in the mail.

I didn’t need to read Dating for Dummies or listen to a podcast for dating 101. I didn’t need someone telling me that if he calls, I should answer with a smile in my voice. I didn’t need someone telling me that to be a good girlfriend, I needed to pay attention to his likes and dislikes.

I naturally responded to love… with love. My response to his love was love. And as I learned more and more about him – because I was motivated by love – I know him. I know his heart, his character, and his passions. We have an intimacy that is so much more than a physical relationship. But it was not a list of have-tos, but rather a lifestyle of get-tos.

And if people knew the love God has for us, if we were to put God’s love for us in the spotlight, we wouldn’t need a sermon telling us the five-step process to be a good Christian. It would happen naturally in the way we live.

Christianity is supposed to be different from the world. We’re not supposed to be a system of moral codes or a list of rules or laws. Christianity is not supposed to be an institution of dos and don’ts. Christianity is being in relationship with God through Jesus’ sacrifice. Christianity is not a five-point message on how to fall in love with Jesus through discipline and self-effort, but it is a response to the loving nature of God to His creation.

Where is your horse in relation to your cart? Are you working and striving to try to be a better Christian but find that you’re lacking motivation? When it comes to your relationship with God, do you find yourself feeling a bit discouraged? Let’s take a peek at God’s love in the verses listed below (there are many more, but I figured a dozen is a good number to start with). Then come back and reread them. Soak in them until they become a balm to the muscles that have been straining to push the cart. It may sound cliche, but love really is the answer, and love really is the way.