Just People part 1
This Rant series is pretty much a continuation of the last one. Because I'm stuck. And my pastor told me if I get stuck on something, I should preach it (or write it) until I'm empty on it. I'm calling this one "Just People" because as important as I hope we are now starting to understand people are... at the same time we need to start taking people AS they are. And we're all just people. We're messy. We're complicated. We make mistakes. So if we hold ourselves, or each other, to some impossible standard of what we think "holiness" is... well... that's where all of the condemnation comes from. There's a line from a movie that says, "I keep my expectations low, that way I'm never disappointed." And, really, I think that's how we should interact with each other. I think expectations are killers. And, honestly, how often does something live up to your expectations? Like, if something seems too good to be true... it probably is. But it's probably not as bad as we think either. So what we do is we miss out on what it ACTUALLY is. When Jesus said, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10) the thief He was talking about was trying to enter into the sheepfold any other way but through the door! He was talking about human effort. He was talking about dead works. He was talking about US robbing OURSELVES by trying to earn a gift that can't be earned. He was talking about that impossible standard of "holiness" that the Law demands, but cannot produce. Jesus said in another place, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). But, as usual, this wasn't Jesus giving us an impossible mission. This was Jesus telling us HOW to be perfect. We are perfect as He is perfect. Because as He is, so are we in this world. How much more perfect could you possibly be than to have the Perfect One living in you, and through you, and as you? Perfection isn't the goal, it's the reality. This everlasting-life-long journey is not about "becoming" perfect. It's about God revealing to us what it MEANS to already BE perfect. Because we ARE complete in Him. Already. Because of the cross. Done deal. It is finished. And what it means to be perfect, as He is perfect... is receiving and releasing His perfect love! Any other standard falls away. It's all about love. That's our nature. True human nature is the love nature. And that's what it means to be human. That's what it means to experience the abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of Jesus. It's a life of love. People loving people. Doing everything we do because of love, and with love. "Why did you do that?" Because I love you. Period. Because we're all just people doing the best we can. Because you're worth the love that my Daddy filled me to overflowing with. Because we're all just people.