The call to vulnerability…

One day, a while back, I was standing in my kitchen, and suddenly, for just one second, something like a portal opened up before me and it revealed the heart of Jesus.  Of course, it was very passionate. But the the thing that overwhelmed me was how vulnerable and sensitive His heart was. I fell to my knees, overcome at this revelation of how vulnerable He makes Himself to us — that He desires intimacy so greatly with us that He would open Himself so much to being hurt by us.

And He calls us to this same vulnerable intimacy.

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Heaven is better…

“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” (1 Corinthians 15:19)

I see a lot of articles saying that we perhaps should not be longing for heaven, but should be seeking to see heaven come to earth. I know there is truth to this, and Jesus taught us to pray for this. But there also definitely is and always will be a huge difference between what we can attain to and experience here vs. being in heaven. In heaven there is no sin, no tears, no trials, no pain, no trauma, no war…and there is the unfiltered Glory of God.

Yes, it is thrilling what we can know of God and His blessings this side of heaven — what an awesome adventure! But ultimately (IMO), the experience of living in heaven will always trump any place we can live in on this planet. And I think this is very hopeful, because no matter what our earthly experience is, there will always be something even more wonderful to look forward to.

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;” (Philippians 1:21-23)

 

Jesus or the World…

“Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4)

A big part of dying to ourselves and successfully following Jesus is deciding that you would be willing to risk rejection by the world and the world system in order to please God. Popularity and peer approval are not fruits of the Spirit. And every Christian generation must decide who is their god — Jesus or the world.