Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Is it a blessing? Is it?

What is a blessing?  Last night, Kathleen and I did something new.  We listened to one of Matt Chandler's old sermons while we lay there in bed before sleeping.  This ended up being a bigger time investment than we thought, as Matt Chandler is to preaching as Kevin Costner is to directing.  For those of you who don't know what I am saying, I am saying they are longwinded, in a good way.  Well, with Matt it's a good way.  With Mr. Costner it's about fifty fifty.  (Snaps fingers in front of face to regain focus)

The sermon covered a multitude of truths, but a two things stuck out to me.  One was how I define and use the "blessing".  The other is the idea of the passive wrath of God.

What is a blessing?  As God has been so very faithful in growing me and sanctifying me, things in my world change.  They change all the time.  I used to use God to get to the things I really wanted (relationships, money, sex, etc.), now God is what I want.  All those things I used to want, I still want them, but only in as much as they point me to God.  I used to think I had a right to be angry.  Now I see I don't.  I don't, because, unlike the commercials that tell us me I deserve the new car, or the spa getaway weekend, it has since been made clear to me what I REALLY deserve (hell), and but by the saving blood of Jesus Christ I am not getting it!  Oorah!

Yes.  Things are constantly being redefined as my affection for God grows.  In the sermon, Matt spoke about the false teachings of the prosperity "gospel" that treats God like a genie.  You do this and that, and God will give you what you want.  The problem with this gospel is that of course it runs counter to the actual gospel, where Jesus DIED for our salvation, then all of those who followed his footsteps were all eventually killed in horrendous ways.

The Bible doesn't promise us fiscal prosperity on Earth.  It promises us more of Him, if we are His.  Nothing can come between us and Him once we are His!  So, all that to set up my answer to the question, "What is a blessing?"  A blessing is something that brings you closer to Him.  That said, I have had to rethink my usage of the word.  I often assume that things that make my life easier are automatically blessings, and that things that make them difficult are not.  Yet, it is through trial that we are often brought to Christ, and it is through the seductive powers of prosperity that we lose our way.  In that light, pain CAN BE (not necessarily IS) a blessing!  So too CAN prosperity be a curse.  This isn't a strange concept.  We see it in secular entertainment all the time.  Someone gets all the riches and power they want only to find themselves empty inside.  Just saw this yesterday when I rented "Megamind".  The only difference is that secular media usually ends with human relationships as what will ultimately fulfill you instead of your relationship with God.

This ties in to the other new thing Matt mentioned, which is the idea of God having a passive wrath.  If God is the ultimate in fulfillment, then one of the scariest things God can do is give us those easy things that would keep us from Him, and vise versa, one of the most merciful things He can do is to bring about whatever pain or trial that is necessary to bring you to Him.

Think of a dad.  One of the most loving things a dad can do it discipline his children (sometimes using pain, either with spanking, or mostly through the pain and frustration of restricted freedom via grounding, etc.).  Is it loving for that father to let his children play in the street?  No.  God is our ultimate father, and one of the greatest ways he can love us it to simply be active in disciplining us, not letting us be!

Therefor, let us praise God when He doesn't let us go.  May we beg God that He would not do so.  That He won't let us run in the proverbial street.  That we would count His interference as a blessing, and see those things that would stand in our way as not. (btw, I am not saying pleasant things can't be blessings. They surely can be.  The point is simply that ultimately, something is a blessing if it brings us closer to Christ, easy or hard, pleasant or not.)

End note here:  I am just a guy trying to process my thoughts, and am sharing them.  I am no theologian.  You should probably just listen to the sermon I am getting my ideas from so I don't mess everything up and confuse you with my stupidity.  I write this blog not because I want to share my deep wisdom, but my journey as I pursue wisdom.  My thoughts are what they are.  Hopefully that journey will be meaningful in some way to you.  If not, cool.  But, once again, I don't write these things because I think I have it figured out.

Go to http://northway.thevillagechurch.net/sermons and click on the sermon titled:
4.04.10From Alienation to Reconciliation

Yeah, that's probably a good idea.  Brothers and sisters, I love you, in the name of Christ Jesus.

1 comment:

  1. OH, and as always, feel free to comment. I love reading them, even the ones that say I am stupid.

    ReplyDelete