Seeing God

1 John 4:12  No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

 

 

Did you read the paper today? Maybe you listened to the radio on the way in, or you caught the news on the T.V. before you started your day. Pretty amazing stuff. We have people rallying against people who make too much money, we have people going to individuals houses, and calling them out. We have Politicians picking the personal life of their opponents apart, trying everything, and every angle to tear down the person. It is a pretty amazing sight. I am sure with a little thought you can come up with countless other instances in the news….maybe in your own life, where you see one person attacking another. What does any of that have to do with this scripture? Well first many of these people will be found in a Church this Sunday, and second I have yet to see an act of love generated from any of the actions listed above.

 

You see, if we are to make a difference in this world, if we are to “fix” things, if we are going to spread the love and light of the Lord……We are going to have to understand the difference between the issues, and the person. We are going to have to understand that tough love is not the same as defamation, and assault (and no that does not just mean physical assault). When did it become OK to go out of our way to hurt someone “just to prove a point” when did there become an acceptable amount of pain that we are allowed to inflict? We are allowing our world to turn into a cesspool, and I say we are allowing, because even if you sit back and say “well I am not doing any of that” Just what exactly are we doing (myself included) to stop it?

 

It hit me like a ton of bricks this morning. You see, I am part of the problem, I don’t want to be, and honestly I am not sure how I became involved, but looking back, I am fairly sure it had to do with me wanting to fit it. SO what do I mean? Well we did not just wake up and say “hey, starting today it is going to be OK to hurt people, or attack them” No, it started much more innocently than that. The devil is not one just to bang in the door, he is much better at just creeping in. Looking back, I see that I am not much different that a lot of people. It used to be that I had a lot for problems with many issues, but then the problem quit being with the issues, and became more about the person. It is a theme that I hear repeated often. Oh, so and so is for this, and did you know that they filed for bankruptcy, and they cheated on their spouse, and they lied on their taxes, and they…….wow! Now it seems like we are less interested in showing what is wrong with the issue, and a lot more interested in tearing the other person down. Worse yet, I don’t hear much about trying to help fix any of the problems that I have just been so eager to share with whoever will listen.  How about you? Are you guilty of the same thing? Do you see any love in any of that statement? DO you find a shimmer of the love that God holds for that person in my wonderful assessment? Sadly, neither do I. It brings me to the very upsetting revelation that I am missing the mark. To use my favorite archery term….I am sinning.

 

We have got to make it a point to start leading with love, even when we are encountered with people who lead with hate. Even when we find it so easy to drill down on the short comings of the person, instead of sticking with the issue, or trying to find a way to help instead of just continuing the process of degradation. It is up to each one of us to re direct the conversation, to stand up for the person, while point out the shortcomings of the issue. We must act in love, and we must start today. We live in a world where many people would love to see the name of God removed, and eradicated. Looking at the way I have behaved in a few instances….who can blame them? No one has seen God, and if people cannot see Him, and His Son in us then what are we doing here? Were we not called to spread the good news? Looking at the news, I don’t see much good news being professed. Listening to the water cooler talk I hear little good news, and more talk of isolation, despair, and struggle. How can God work to produce a perfect work in us, if we are working hard to go in the opposite direction? How can God light the world, if we refuse to light our hearts? Jesus hung on a cross, and his last act was to show love those that killed Him, He met hatred with forgiveness. Yet I have a hard time forgiving my neighbor? I have a hard time not talking negative about them? It would seem that I have some work to do, and I don’t believe I am alone on this. Hopefully, I can work to get my heart to look like Christ’s

 

God Bless,

 

Brian Thetford

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

The Workweek With Christ