Dear Reader,
Below is an edited excerpt of something I wrote in 2008,
early in my Christianity. I had
forgotten about it until my grandma drew my attention to it this morning. I went back and reread, editing for clarity
and the truths that I’ve since found. I
hope this blesses you.
"My Papa has told me countless times that
as a journalist, I have a duty to mankind. That duty is to teach truth. Truth
is not always the tip of the iceberg, but it is always present, with a little
seeking. At times it is completely submerged underneath the waves of false
truth and imitation, and it takes more than a little seeking to find; it
requires the complete will ("Come near to God and He will come near to
you"-James 4:8). Some find this difficult to comprehend. Many times I’ve
heard, "I'm trying to find God but I don't know where He is." My answer?
It's hard to see the sun through the clouds. Sin darkens our beings and shades
our sight of the Lord. In other words, one cannot continuously sin without a
repentant heart and expect to be close to the sinless One. Our Spirit is strong
inside of us and will send a pang in our hearts when we sin. But after repeatedly ignoring instruction
from the Lord, His voice starts to seem quieter. In no time, it can even appear
that God is no longer present. But He is; He’s there waiting for us to heed His
instruction on how to live. (He lived perfectly, remember? The One who lived a sinless life is the One
who truly knows how to live.)
When I came to Christ, I experienced something so unbelievable
that I wish I could feel again. It was
an incredible humbling. I kept thinking, how could He die for me? How
could Christ love me so much that He would die for ME, sin-soaked and confused
and imperfect as I am? That was when I really grasped for the first time the
love that God has for me.
My most passionate love for God unveiled itself when I had to let
go of someone I loved. I experienced heartache that could have overpowered me
and carried me away. Instead, the Lord’s presence became intoxicating, and
Jesus was my best friend. I would ask
Him why He took away the one thing I thought I had a right to. He showed me that I don't have a right to
anything but to worship my Father and glorify Him in everything that I do
because of all that He has done for me. Life’s unfair. I don't deserve unconditional love, and yet, God
continually fulfills His promise to love me. Thank you, Lord.
Having an intimate relationship with God makes me certain that
His Word is true. He wrote the Bible through man and blessed us with His
guidance through this life toward the next.
He is a lawgiver, but He is also a friend, a lover and a ceaseless forgiver
(oh, He is so full of grace!).
I
have seen so many things in the mere year that I've known the Lord. I am not
capable of loving without God, because God is love. When I read 1 Corinthians
13:4-8, I realize that there is no way that anyone can ever love in the flesh;
God’s standards are unmet in our humanity.
But Jesus embodied love as He lay dying on the cross. He thought of us
who were to be saved, and He gave up His body to be broken. For love!
Because of this perfect love, we are able to love through Him, and because we
love, we will live."
-adguglielmo
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