(these are from my daily readings from Ransomed Heart Ministries – John & Stasi Eldredge)
The Greatest Dignity of All
He enables us to love. He gives us the greatest treasure in all creation: a heart. For he intends that we should be his intimate allies, to borrow Dan Allender’s phrase, who join in the Sacred Circle of intimacy that is the core of the universe, to share in this great Romance.
Just as we have lost our wonder at the world around us, we have forgotten what a treasure the human heart is. All of the happiness we have ever known and all of the happiness we hope to find is unreachable without a heart. You could not live or love or laugh or cry had God not given you a heart.
And with that heart comes something that just staggers me.
God gives us the freedom to reject him.
He gives to each of us a will of our own.
Good grief,
why? He knows what free-willed creatures can do. He has already suffered one massive betrayal in the rebellion of the angels. He knows how we will use our freedom, what misery and suffering, what hell will be unleashed on earth because of our choices. Why? Is he out of his mind?
The answer is as simple and staggering as this: if you want a world where love is real, you must allow each person the freedom to choose.
The Freedom to Reject Him
In an attempt to secure the sovereignty of God, theologians have overstated their case and left us with a chess-player God playing both sides of the board, making all his moves and all ours too. But clearly, this is not so. God is a person who takes immense risks. No doubt the biggest risk of all was when he gave angels and men free will, including the freedom to reject him-not just once, but every single day. Does God cause a person to sin? “Absolutely not!” says Paul (Gal. 2:17). Then he can’t be moving all the pieces on the board, because people sin all the time. Fallen angels and men use their powers to commit horrendous daily evil. Does God stop every bullet fired at an innocent victim? Does he prevent teenage liaisons from producing teenage pregnancies? There is something much more risky going on here than we’re often willing to admit.
Most of us do everything we can to reduce the element of risk in our lives. We wear our seat belts, watch our cholesterol, and practice birth control. I know some couples who have decided against having children altogether; they simply aren’t willing to chance the heartache children often bring. What if they are born with a crippling disease? What if they turn their backs on us, and God? What if . . . ? God seems to fly in the face of all caution. Even though he knew what would happen, what heartbreak and suffering and devastation would follow upon our disobedience, God chose to have children. And unlike some hyper-controlling parents, who take away every element of choice they can from their children, God gave us a remarkable choice. He did not make Adam and Eve obey him. He took a risk. A staggering risk, with staggering consequences. He let others into his story, and he lets their choices shape it profoundly.
(Wild at Heart , 30–31)
I had been meaning to write the story about what happenend in Rome…
Something that i hadn’t experienced before…
…well, Rome. While we were in Budapest, Hungry there was an opportunity to GO to Rome… we were all excited. Things weren’t exactly “set in stone” on where we would be staying and what we would be doing, but there was a tug on our hearts to go and finacially we could make it happen (IF) food and lodging were provided…
while praying for “what” we were suppose to do in Rome… i had felt on my heart HOSPITAL MINISTRY. i don’t know why… and i was kinda hesitant to say it, cuz i didn’t want to do that… no a BIG fan of hospitals, but am open to whatever i suppose, and by now we were in our last 3 weeks of the race so i was really like “whatever God… just do it”
ok.
we get to Rome and stay with a woman who graciously opened her home to us. Her fist time hosting missionaries… maybe her last? Anyway. One morning we were praying and worshiping and asking for direction from the Lord, what was it He wanted to use us for… It was put upon my heart… that God wanted to ROMANCE ROME… and the way we were going to be a part of that was to give flowers, chocolates and a love note to people at the local hospital. i really felt like it was primarily suppose to be for the workers…
So we went out and got flowers, wrote notes, and added chocolates to several “gifts”.
Look how excited everyone is! ha ha…
So here’s what happened… it was pretty chaotic. We went into a hospital with no real agenda… walking around and handing out these notes. Well… as we went into hospital rooms where people who were sick were just laying there doing nothing… some of them were recovering after surgeries or something, but just laying bored. i walked in with a smile on my face and a gift in hand and start to say “hello” and hand them the card, flower and candy and they turn me down. they put their hand up and said “no, no” – – i was confused. No? why not? They thought they had to pay for it… apparently that’s what people do, is they come around and drop things off and then return to ask for payment… but in a HOSPITAL? really?
i told them, “it’s free… you don’t have to pay… it ‘s for you…” and still they rejected it.
i mean i wouldn’t say i was personally hurt… but i was shocked that they were so CLOSED OFF. Stefania our host said this is how it is everywhere. They keep to themselves and don’t want to really open up to anything… very proud people.
Stefania went to use the restroom somewhere and the team was waiting in another part of the building… as i sat and asked the Lord what this was all about… why did He have us go there… why Romance Rome?
He showed me a part of His heart that grieved… He showed me how He feels when He is rejected.
That He pursues, and pursues… Diligently – – that He waits and waits, Patiently… and
still He gives us the Freedom to Reject Him.
I hated this feeling. I had never felt His heart hurt for something like this… For a place ROME that He so dearly loves… For crying out loud it’s a Book in the Bible… He cares about these people! He sent His beloved sons, His disciples to REACH THESE PEOPLE… and on this particular day… i felt like He sent me. (not to reach the entire city persay…)
How frustrating… How sad.
They are surrounded by History, and Evidence of the Life of Christ yet SOOO many of them don’t know the LIFE that they can have IN CHRIST… HE LIVES TODAY… He’s not a figure, a character in a book… lessons, or just past stories…
He’s REAL and He moves and breathes… IN US, AROUND US, THROUGH US…
ONLY if we open our HEARTS to INVITE HIM IN… He doesn’t intrude, take over, or make changes where we haven’t allowed Him to do so…
So i guess we are left with the questions…
*Do we desire change in our lives?
*Change to live a life for Christ and In Christ?
There is no way to tell what that looks like… and that’s called … Stepping out in Faith.
Don’t just go to God when you NEED HIM…
*Have you first INVITED HIM into your HEART ?
*Then allow HIS WILL TO BE DONE… it’s what’s best for us anyway… why wouldn’t we ask Him? and Allow Him?
I pray that everyoneFinds the Romantic God that desires our hearts… ALL of our heart!
It may come by asking these questions of ourselves… inviting Him to live in our Heart and allowing Him to do His will.
5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:5
