Love Willingly

Luke 9:51-56  “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem.  When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”  But Jesus turned and rebuked them.  Then he and his disciples went to another village.”

                This passage always makes me giggle at first.  I should have probably prefaced that opening sentence by mentioning that I usually have a pretty dark sense of humor.  I just imagine the disciples over-zealously suggesting that they have God smite the entirety of Samaria in fire all casually like that wouldn’t be an extreme reaction and Jesus just looking at them like they’re crazy going “No, we’re not going to do that, are you serious?”  I doubt that’s how it actually went down but it still entertains me to think of it like that.

                When looking at the passage though, I think the fact that Jesus—knowing full well that God did have it within his power to do what the disciples asked—chose to instead peacefully leave and let the Samaritans alone says a lot about his character.  If the Samaritans weren’t welcoming to Jesus to begin with, I can’t imagine destroying them would make them any more so.  I think Jesus realized the difference between being welcoming out of a good, kind spirit and being welcoming out of a place of fear and force. 

                God wants us to come to him because we want to—because we realize in our hearts that we need to—not because we’re scared if we don’t something bad will happen.  Time and time again, it is made clear that God wants a true and healthy connection with us which can’t happen if we feel forced into it.  Yes, we should fear God, but it shouldn’t be the basis of our relationship.  Don’t try to force people into a living a life with Christ and certainly don’t force yourself into one because God would rather have a son or a daughter than a barely willing captive.

Security

Zechariah 10:12 “'I will strengthen them in the Lord and in His name they will live securely,' says the Lord.”

             

            In this day and age, security is a big issue that everyone has considered at some point in their lives no matter where they are.  I personally live near Chicago where the murder rates are through the roof and the news is constantly bombarding you with stories that would make anyone fear for their safety, but even people living in Beverly Hills have alarm systems in their homes for a reason.  Everyone has at least a minimal amount of concern for their security.

This passage was written to a specific people in need of God’s help but the idea behind it is applicable for everyone.  I personally believe that everything happens for a reason and if God’s plan is to keep you safe from harm then it will happen.  Having faith in the Lord and faith that you are in his safekeeping will make you strong.  Living in fear is no way to live and trusting in God will certainly relieve some of the fears we have about the world and what a dangerous place it can be.

Walking confident in faith is a perk that can be reaped from a relationship and life with God.

Wisdom

Ecclesiastes 8:1  “Who is like the wise?  Who knows the explanation of things?  A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance.”

                There are so many different small details that I could point out about this verse that would give me more than enough material to write this post, but my goal on this blog is to make quick and short little devotional reads which means that I’ve decided to spare you all my ramblings.  Perhaps someday I’ll come back to this verse, but for now, the part that I want to focus on in this post is the last sentence.

                A lot of people are unhappy in this world.  I have definitely been one of them at multiple times in my life.  I have found, however, that in a few of my darkest times when I really hate the world, hate myself, hate people, that putting my trust and faith into something bigger than me, into God, has really helped.  Wisdom in this verse is certainly referring to knowledge of God and the Trinity.  It’s about knowing that they are active forces in our lives, that we are saved, and that our lives are lovingly in their hands.  Once you come to peace with those facts and just trust that there is a plan—even if it is one that you as only a human can’t comprehend—then you become lighter.  You’ll never be perfectly happy or perfectly satisfied because humans aren’t perfect but you will be changed for the better.  The changes may be bigger in some than in others, but they are still changes regardless of their size.  Wisdom can only help.  

Listen Up

Proverbs 23:12  “Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.”

                A verse like this one can find itself useful in so many situations no matter who you are.  It’s a universal truth that listening and learning can be highly beneficial whether it’s listening to that professor whose voice could stand to be a little less monotone or trying your best to understand where someone is coming from when you find yourself in conflict with them.

                For me, I often have found myself not listening to advice or accepting instruction when the person speaking could help me because I’m very independent in nature and there’s always a piece of me that thinks I can do something on my own even when it’s very obvious that I can’t.  Now that I’ve graduated college I find that I am much more open to learning from other people and listening to them because it’s a necessity.  I’ve never had a “big kid job” as I’ve been referring to anything that isn’t in a fast food restaurant or pays more than minimum wage.  I’ve never had to have interviews with higher stakes than, “Can you put pepperoni on a pizza?”  I’ve never applied somewhere that my resume is more than just a formality.  I have no real experience in the world of serious careers but that doesn’t mean other people don’t.   I’m finding that googling advice from experts, talking to people in the fields I want to go into, and even just talking to people in pretty much the same spot as me has really helped me figure out how to make my way towards my goals.

                In the same way, listening to God, listening to Jesus, and even just have real and open conversations with other Christians can help us make our way to spiritual goals.  I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve often had my doubts.  I’ve never been able to sit back and just not question something and my faith is no different.  That doesn’t mean that I can’t find answers to my questions though.  If you sit sound down and really listen and intentionally search with an open soul, your chances of hearing something that you needed to are greatly improved.