In the end of Romans 8 it says:
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor deamons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:38-39 NIV
Romans 8:38-39 NIV
To me that is the most encouraging verse. I make bad mistakes all the time. God still loves me. I say or do something that hurts someone. God still loves me. I think terrible thoughts at times. God still loves me. I turn my back away from God. God still loves me. How does he do that? It would be the hardest thing for me to love someone after they hurt me or was mean to me, yet if I hurt God He still loves me with all of his heart. Now this doesn't mean I can just go around doing bad or even terrible things because God will still love me anyway. No, God wants something more out of me. He wants my life. He wants me to live for Him, and Him alone. The reality is this. Nothing I ever do will make God love me less.
I probably accepted Christ at a younger age than most. I was 4 (almost 5) when I accepted Christ. I was raised in what today we would call a "sheltered home." In fact, I lived in a parsonage on the church property. I attended that church, went to the Christian school sponsored by my church, and went to all of the church events. Through my whole childhood I lived well within my comfort zone until a sunday school class got me thinking (see "Captivating") and a youth pastor in 2004 challenged our youth group to break out, to be a rescue shop to those "unsheltered kids" in our neighborhood. Here was a problem. I couldn't look past what these kids have probably done or were still doing. I just couldn't see the point in reaching out to these people. I couldn't see how He could still love them. But God loved them anyway. He knew their hearts and he looked past it all. He forgave them. Nothing could seperate them from the love of God. I still had not quite grasped it. That winter my grandpa died of esophogal cancer and that just did not help my perception of God's will at all. It was a missions trip that opened it up for me. In June of 2005 twenty-seven of us embarked on a 13 hour journey to Denver, Colorado to serve for and among the homeless and those in rehabilitation. Bang! It felt like a smack to the head. I got it! I finally got it! There was no one that could do anything to make God not love them. God's amazing love is what is bringing people to know Him and have a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Showing God's love, the inseperable love of God, is how we can reach out to people and share with them the next step: a relationship with the One who loves them.
I probably accepted Christ at a younger age than most. I was 4 (almost 5) when I accepted Christ. I was raised in what today we would call a "sheltered home." In fact, I lived in a parsonage on the church property. I attended that church, went to the Christian school sponsored by my church, and went to all of the church events. Through my whole childhood I lived well within my comfort zone until a sunday school class got me thinking (see "Captivating") and a youth pastor in 2004 challenged our youth group to break out, to be a rescue shop to those "unsheltered kids" in our neighborhood. Here was a problem. I couldn't look past what these kids have probably done or were still doing. I just couldn't see the point in reaching out to these people. I couldn't see how He could still love them. But God loved them anyway. He knew their hearts and he looked past it all. He forgave them. Nothing could seperate them from the love of God. I still had not quite grasped it. That winter my grandpa died of esophogal cancer and that just did not help my perception of God's will at all. It was a missions trip that opened it up for me. In June of 2005 twenty-seven of us embarked on a 13 hour journey to Denver, Colorado to serve for and among the homeless and those in rehabilitation. Bang! It felt like a smack to the head. I got it! I finally got it! There was no one that could do anything to make God not love them. God's amazing love is what is bringing people to know Him and have a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Showing God's love, the inseperable love of God, is how we can reach out to people and share with them the next step: a relationship with the One who loves them.
This is awesome.
ReplyDeleteGod really uses mission trips. I've seen so many lives blown open by them (including my own).