I am growing more and more convinced that relationship is the single most important thing in life. Everything else is designed to be used as tools to facilitate relationship.
My family culture put a high value on education. My mom stayed home to homeschool all seven of us. You'd think that relationship would have been easy in a big family, but it was a big unhealthy family. Relationship was only based on being together and intellectual discourse. No one shared their heart because it was unsafe. No one really knew anyone because it takes safety and trust to get close and we had none.
I want to use the term know as it was used in Genesis. The Hebrew term is yada, as in, Adam knew Eve. No, it does not mean sex. It means to know soul and spirit intimately. Because Adam and Eve were husband and wife, it also included body. Sex is merely a fruit of intimacy, but it is not the only fruit.
If I could paraphrase the two greatest Commandments as Jesus referred to them, it would be as follows: God says, Know me, Know yourself, Know others. Everything else does matter, but it should matter out of the abundance of these three.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Better Than Truth
Ever wonder why Jesus didn't respond to Pilate at his query, "What is truth?" I have. The best I can come up with is that Jesus is truth. But even that conclusion is shabby. Truth simply means what is true, that is, what is most accurate. As believers we tend to think of the things of God as truth, but actually God and His ways are higher than 'most accurate'. 'Most accurate' infers that we have made a judgement according to the set of facts before us. When we believe what the Bible says about God, hopefully there is more behind our belief than just the assumption that the set of facts before us is the most accurate. If we only base our faith on our understanding, then we will lose our faith as soon as we hear a better set of facts or a better argument.
Bill Johnson once said that knowledge of God must lead to an encounter with Jesus, or it just becomes religion. Religion is a lifeless set of rules.
I think the reason that Jesus didn't answer Pilate is that He was the answer. Not in the sense that He is truth, but that relationship with Him is to be preferred over truth. Jesus must come first.
We were created for relationship, not for knowledge. Knowledge without relationship will bring death. Because in that sense, knowledge is not true. Knowledge without encounter and relationship is just the best our minds can come up with. We can look at an apple and attempt to understand and describe it, but we are limited by our set of facts about the apple.
Jesus' gift to us was restoration of relationship, not Rules 2.0. Behavior and knowledge should be a fruit of spending time with Him.
The best picture of 'true' I can come up with for myself is a compass. When you point the compass to the north, the needle aligns with the big N at the top. Any deviation from true north makes the needle bounce. I could study about the north and map out a way to get there, but without a compass I would make lots of unnecessary deviations and would probably get lost. When I focus on my relationship with Jesus, His heart is my true north, and it's like my husband's and my eyes meeting across a crowded room. In that moment is eternity, and it's better than truth.
Bill Johnson once said that knowledge of God must lead to an encounter with Jesus, or it just becomes religion. Religion is a lifeless set of rules.
I think the reason that Jesus didn't answer Pilate is that He was the answer. Not in the sense that He is truth, but that relationship with Him is to be preferred over truth. Jesus must come first.
We were created for relationship, not for knowledge. Knowledge without relationship will bring death. Because in that sense, knowledge is not true. Knowledge without encounter and relationship is just the best our minds can come up with. We can look at an apple and attempt to understand and describe it, but we are limited by our set of facts about the apple.
Jesus' gift to us was restoration of relationship, not Rules 2.0. Behavior and knowledge should be a fruit of spending time with Him.
The best picture of 'true' I can come up with for myself is a compass. When you point the compass to the north, the needle aligns with the big N at the top. Any deviation from true north makes the needle bounce. I could study about the north and map out a way to get there, but without a compass I would make lots of unnecessary deviations and would probably get lost. When I focus on my relationship with Jesus, His heart is my true north, and it's like my husband's and my eyes meeting across a crowded room. In that moment is eternity, and it's better than truth.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
No Worries
I was explaining to my husband last week that although I didn't think I was stressed, my body kept saying I was. My stomach had been upset for three days straight. Adam said, "Jess, you ARE stressed. You have a lot to be stressed about." Then he listed everything. Yeah, that wasn't helpful.
I thought that since I wasn't mentally fretting about what is going on with my life currently, I must be at peace. Evidently not. My heart and my body were my filthy, evil betrayers. :)
I think God wants me to pray more. Last week the Holy Spirit seemed to illuminate Philippians 4:6-7 and then broke it down into four parts. I needed baby steps. ;)
6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all [a]comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Step 1. Don't be anxious. Do not worry. AT ALL.
Step 2. Pray. Supplicate. Supplication just means to bring it before Jesus and entreat Him to act on your behalf.
Step 3. With Thanksgiving. You don't have to be thankful for everything, but in everything. Maintain an attitude of thankfulness. Look for the little things.
Step 4. Rest in the promise of peace. He promises that peace beyond our ability to perceive or understand would be given to us. To guard our heart and our mind.
(Don't argue yourself out of it. If you get a feeling of peace, just be ok with it. Don't look for more to worry about.)
Sooo...that's what I've been working on. Obviously I'm not terrific at it yet, because my tummy is upset again today. I'm going to post this and work on a little supplication. A bath and this verse might be helpful too. ;)
1 Timothy 5:23 No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.
I thought that since I wasn't mentally fretting about what is going on with my life currently, I must be at peace. Evidently not. My heart and my body were my filthy, evil betrayers. :)
I think God wants me to pray more. Last week the Holy Spirit seemed to illuminate Philippians 4:6-7 and then broke it down into four parts. I needed baby steps. ;)
6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all [a]comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Step 1. Don't be anxious. Do not worry. AT ALL.
Step 2. Pray. Supplicate. Supplication just means to bring it before Jesus and entreat Him to act on your behalf.
Step 3. With Thanksgiving. You don't have to be thankful for everything, but in everything. Maintain an attitude of thankfulness. Look for the little things.
Step 4. Rest in the promise of peace. He promises that peace beyond our ability to perceive or understand would be given to us. To guard our heart and our mind.
(Don't argue yourself out of it. If you get a feeling of peace, just be ok with it. Don't look for more to worry about.)
Sooo...that's what I've been working on. Obviously I'm not terrific at it yet, because my tummy is upset again today. I'm going to post this and work on a little supplication. A bath and this verse might be helpful too. ;)
1 Timothy 5:23 No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.
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