“…The soul is so constituted that it craves fulfillment from things outside itself and will embrace earthly joys for satisfaction when it cannot reach spiritual ones… The believer is in spiritual danger if he allows himself to go for any length of time without tasting the love of Christ and savoring the felt comforts of the Savior’s presence.” (from The Journey of Desire Workbook, John Eldredge)Tasting and savoring are not words to describe my experience with God lately. Nibbling and ignoring seem more accurate. Sniffing around and then being drawn away. Complaining of hunger, and yet not eating.
I am in spiritual danger - danger of eating all the wrong things. My soul was made for delight, for experience, for fulfillment. These desires, if left untouched, will not fade away, but instead become more rampant, more demanding, and more desperate. I will seek their fulfillment in whatever ways possible. It is a universal inclination towards treachery. When I’m not seeking God, I’m in spiritual peril.
Yesterday, my Pastor spoke, ironically, on being plugged into the power source. (see previous post “Disengaged”). The final portion of his message detailed one clear indicator of continual connection with God - obedience. Usually this is not a word that evokes strong enthusiasm in my heart. In fact, I tend to quickly discard its importance, in an effort to highlight God’s love and its lack of dependence upon my actions. However, the truth is love and obedience consistently coexist. They are not separate. One is born from the other. God’s love motivates my obedience and grows my love. If I love God, I will obey Him. Pastor shared a practical example involving one of his own children. He and his wife, Lyn, had been repeatedly dealing with their daughter on an obedience issue. Lyn asked the young girl, “Do you love Mommy?” and she replied quickly, “Of course.” “Then you won’t do this,” Lyn replied. The next day after school Lyn gently asked, “Did you love Mommy today?”.
Did I love Jesus today?
The focal point isn’t the obedience (the detailed list of actions); it’s about the love (the choice that motivates them). If the love is there, the obedience will follow. If the love is there, I won’t feel the need to disobey or the compulsion to seek my fulfillment from earthly joys. When the love is there, then I’m escaping the danger zone. Jesus said, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you… I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:4, 11) When I remain plugged in, I remain outside the perils of dissatisfaction. My joy is made complete; my need for outside stimulation disappears.
Today my complaining about my relationship with God stops. I cannot complain about our lack of connection, when I have made no real effort to remain engaged. It is my desire to begin this process again, day after day… to not ‘go for any length of time without tasting the love of Christ and savoring the felt comforts of the Savior’s presence.’
Today, I will love Jesus.
2 comments:
Thank you for your transparency. It reminds me of my life verse. Phil. 3:10-11 "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurredtion from the dead."
I was touched by the example Pastor used, too.
How simple. Faith and works boiled down into one simple question.
Do I love Jesus?
Yes. So I don't want to hurt Him or our relationship. It's a no-brainer, really. Just like I don't want to hurt my children by "sinning" against them, or my husband by treating him as if he's not important. The list goes on and on.
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