On Perspective (and an apology)
Derek's sermon last Saturday was based around the wrath of God... but at the centre of that lies his amazing love for us. If you look straight into the centre of God's wrath you come face to face with Jesus on the cross. And all you can see then is love. It's a bizarre paradox. But it's amazing. So often I get caught up with the wrath stuff...it's relatively easy to get my head around. In fact it makes perfect sense to me... I would pronounce the same judgement on myself. But then I miss the central point because I stopped looking before I got there. When God showed me a different perspective though...what I saw changed.
In the same way God has been showing me how I need to change my perspective in another area. It might be different but the effect is the same. He is taking me from seeing judgment and death to seeing the amazing, amazing love of my God.
For a long time now I've been looking at other people's actions (well actually to be more specific the actions of Christians) through the perspective of my past experiences. Through the perspective of times when other Christians have hurt me. Rejected me. Said stuff to me that really damaged me. And the thing is when you look for something hard enough.... if there is even a glimpse of it .... you will find it, magnify it and distort it.
Now, I know for one that even though I am a Christian I am by NO MEANS perfect. In fact that thought is laughable!!!!!I am sooooo far from it. Therefore if someone was to look at my actions expecting to be hurt by them there is no way that they would not find something to be hurt by.
Given that the bible says "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.." (1 John 1:8) I can be pretty confident in saying I am not the only one to fail to attain perfection. Therefore, when I looked to be hurt... I was.
I missed all the things that reflected Christ in his body that surrounded me and instead focused on all those things not of him. Not only did that start to develop horrible things in me like... hatred, pride, jealousy etc etc... but I also missed seeing something of God himself. I didn't see the love of God... instead I saw judgement and death.
BUT the church isn't called 'the body of Christ' for nothing. It is through the unity of the church that we are called to make God, and his wisdom, known. (Romans 15, Ephesians 2&3 and more) God can, and will use his church to show expressions of himself.
This last couple of weekends God has been showing me expression after expression of his love for me through many, many people in my church. At first I missed that expression of love.... focusing not on what was done and said but on that which lacked....Focusing on what might happen in the future rather than what was happening now. But reflecting back this morning on what happened this weekend all I can see is God's amazing, amazing love for me.
My God is so good to me ... he has blessed me with an amazing 'family' here in Hong Kong but I've been missing it. I can only apologise if I've been looking for negative things in you and what you do and missing that of God that is within you...
It doesn't end here though.... I am determined to be a part of a body that reflects Christ to all around me...I am determined not to pull back from what God has given me and I'm determined.... well I'm determined to do so many things... but my determination means nothing without the power of God in me...rather I resolve to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified along with you all. I resolve to seeking him and him alone...being part of that journey with you all...
I have no clue how the heck that is going to work... but I'm beginning to realise that I don't need to... It is enough to simply know Him.
In the same way God has been showing me how I need to change my perspective in another area. It might be different but the effect is the same. He is taking me from seeing judgment and death to seeing the amazing, amazing love of my God.
For a long time now I've been looking at other people's actions (well actually to be more specific the actions of Christians) through the perspective of my past experiences. Through the perspective of times when other Christians have hurt me. Rejected me. Said stuff to me that really damaged me. And the thing is when you look for something hard enough.... if there is even a glimpse of it .... you will find it, magnify it and distort it.
Now, I know for one that even though I am a Christian I am by NO MEANS perfect. In fact that thought is laughable!!!!!I am sooooo far from it. Therefore if someone was to look at my actions expecting to be hurt by them there is no way that they would not find something to be hurt by.
Given that the bible says "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.." (1 John 1:8) I can be pretty confident in saying I am not the only one to fail to attain perfection. Therefore, when I looked to be hurt... I was.
I missed all the things that reflected Christ in his body that surrounded me and instead focused on all those things not of him. Not only did that start to develop horrible things in me like... hatred, pride, jealousy etc etc... but I also missed seeing something of God himself. I didn't see the love of God... instead I saw judgement and death.
BUT the church isn't called 'the body of Christ' for nothing. It is through the unity of the church that we are called to make God, and his wisdom, known. (Romans 15, Ephesians 2&3 and more) God can, and will use his church to show expressions of himself.
This last couple of weekends God has been showing me expression after expression of his love for me through many, many people in my church. At first I missed that expression of love.... focusing not on what was done and said but on that which lacked....Focusing on what might happen in the future rather than what was happening now. But reflecting back this morning on what happened this weekend all I can see is God's amazing, amazing love for me.
My God is so good to me ... he has blessed me with an amazing 'family' here in Hong Kong but I've been missing it. I can only apologise if I've been looking for negative things in you and what you do and missing that of God that is within you...
It doesn't end here though.... I am determined to be a part of a body that reflects Christ to all around me...I am determined not to pull back from what God has given me and I'm determined.... well I'm determined to do so many things... but my determination means nothing without the power of God in me...rather I resolve to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified along with you all. I resolve to seeking him and him alone...being part of that journey with you all...
I have no clue how the heck that is going to work... but I'm beginning to realise that I don't need to... It is enough to simply know Him.
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