"The love of Christ compels us" 2 Cor 5:14
Tomorrow morning we´re taking the team of interns for a 3-day beach retreat to reflect on the summer experience and cast vision for the final month of our trip. Julie and I chose to begin the retreat with a short devotional time based on this verse. What are our motives? What are we doing down here? Why are we doing it?
I wish that this were our answer: the love of Christ compels us. I pray that this is our answer. But I´m not so sure.
Lately I´ve been reading Paul´s letters to the early churches. I hope to grow this summer in passion for Christ and the church. I hope to be compelled to action by Christ´s love. Reading the end of the book of Acts, I want life to be a miserable, terrible adventure of God´s glory revealed. I want to experience love so compelling that prison, beatings, even death no longer matters. (Mom, don´t worry. I´m not going to seek out prison, beatings or death.)
What would a life look like, compelled by the love of Christ?
If every day, I wake up compelled by Christ´s love, my life would definitely look different. What if that love began to impact, to compel others? How could a community be changed by this compelling love?
The eight weeks of this summer provide a manageable snapshot of Christian life. How is Christ´s love compelling us in Barahona? In the rest of life, with undefined boundaries, it´s often harder to observe the fruits of our motives. I get the feeling that this challenge will last longer than the 3 days of this retreat, longer than the 4 weeks left in Barahona.
Christ´s love never changes. We can choose to experience it or not. His love compels.
Monday, July 6, 2009
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Ephesians 5
Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting – all of which are out of character – but rather thanksgiving. For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth – and find out what pleases the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. But all things being exposed by the light are made evident. For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says:
“Awake, O sleeper!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you!”
Therefore be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord’s will is. And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church – he himself being the savior of the body. But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, so that he may present the church to himself as glorious – not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great – but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
And His love boggles our little minds.
ReplyDeleteSo glad for what you are learning. Only when God compels us and we listen can we change the world to glorify Him. I know God is with you and you will be safe no matter the struggles you encounter. Love you much Mom
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