Loving the Unlovable

"For you are a chosen people.

You are royal priests,

a holy nation,

God's very own possession.

As a result,

you can show others the goodness of God,

for he called you out of darkness

into his wonderful light."

1 Peter 2:9 NLT

A friend of my daughter's recently pointed out how easy it is to fall into a pattern of criticizing the lost around me.  Of  focusing all my attention on what needs to change instead of on the One who can bring about transformation.  Of becoming a Pharisee.


Jesus disapproved of the Pharisees, the outspoken members of Jewish society who considered themselves to be experts of both the written Torah and the oral tradition passed down through Moses.  Their very name means "the separated ones" and they thought of themselves as devoted to God and His ways. 


The problem with the Pharisees was that they became so caught up in their own holiness, that they grew in stature until they began applying God's Word to others instead of to themselves.  They believed they were doing pretty good themselves so it was their duty to help others reach their level of devoutness.  


Unfortunately, as well as the Pharisees knew the Law, they did not know the One who wrote the Law, and therefore missed the Messiah as He walked among them.  They were so focused on eradicating the darkness that they missed the Light.


This brings me back to the words of my daughter's friend, Mary Catherine.  She said, "If people only know what I am against but not what I am for. . . then I have failed in my mission to make known the incredible love and sweetness that only comes from the truth of the gospel.  Jesus loved, me, the unlovable. . . now I have the exciting opportunity to love those around me. . . even though I fail every day.  His grace is enough."


How do I guard against becoming more of a Pharisee and less of a lover of the unlovable?

Chosen People

I didn't choose my family, I was born into it.   It's the same with God's family.  We sometimes like to think we chose God, but Jesus made it clear when He said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you. . ." (John 15:16)  

The Apostle Paul expands on this belief in Ephesians 1:4-5.  "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.  In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--"

As one of His chosen people, I am in the company of many flawed individuals who are saved by grace, not by my outstanding character, amazing abilities, or remarkable potential.  I am chosen because it was a part of God's plan.  God, in His unspeakable grace and out of His great love, chose me for no other reason than that He loves me.  I am not lovable.  I have no potential in and of myself.  I am hopeless.  But God loves me anyway!  

In light of these truths, how should I then live?  Compassionately, kindly, with humility and patience, always giving others a break, forgiving at all times, and freely and liberally loving.

But the only way I can live this way is if I constantly keep my brokenness before me.  To forget who I am without Christ is to become a Pharisee.  I will have the devotion to God, I will have the knowledge of His Word, but I will not have love.  And love is the hallmark of His chosen people.

Remembering the truth of the Gospel keeps me humble and able to love the unlovable, of which I am one.

Living Sacrifice     

When I think of worship, I usually think of singing my praises to God in a group of believers.  But true worship takes place in the day to day living of my life.  The Apostle Paul said, "I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you.  Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind he will find acceptable.  This is truly the way to worship him." (Romans 12:1 NLT)

Can I say, as Elizabeth Elliot has, "Lord, do anything you want with me.  At any cost, work your will in me."?  That is what I want to be able to say.  To let go of all my fears, desires and wants and let God do as He wills.  

This is my living sacrifice; that God gets His way in my life.  In order for that to happen, I must surrender my will.

If I offer myself up as a living sacrifice, there will be no room for the judgment of others, the disappointment in the behavior of those around me, or the desire to help someone do the right thing.  Instead, my being will be completely taken up with the love of God. . . and that love will spill out to those around me.

Offering myself as a living sacrifice means there will be more of God and less of me.

Dwell in the Light

Jesus proclaimed an astounding truth as he lived among His creation.  He claimed that He was, ". . .the light of the world.  If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." (John 8:12 NLT)

I am no longer without choice.  I don't have to do things the way I used to do when I had no hope.  I see people all around me who are still living in that state; without hope.  They follow their hearts desire, doing what they think to be right, only later finding it brought no fulfillment but only emptiness.  

Without Jesus, I would be the same.  I would be searching, frustrated and angry at how meaningless my life feels.  I would be lost.  I would be hopeless.  Instead, Jesus drew me into His love and I now belong to Him, following Him toward life.

My family used to go camping quite often.  One of the things I remember is the darkness that would envelope our campsite at night.  Without the aid of artificial light, the darkness was oppressing.  Consequently, we would build a campfire and sit around it, drawing close as the darkness crept in around us.  The fire gave a sense of security and comfort in the inky blackness.  

This reminds me of something Oswald Chambers wrote in "My Utmost for His Highest.  He said, "To walk in the light means that everything that is of the darkness drives me closer into the centre of the light."  The evil of this world serves to draw me closer to Jesus.  But some of that darkness is within me.  His light makes my sin painfully clear to me, serving to drive me even closer to Him in a quest for the forgiveness He offers in the cross.  

The closer I get to Christ, the more I see my need for Him.  And the more I see my need for Him, the more I want to shine His Light to all those around me so they can also travel the road that leads to life. 

Loving the unlovable is difficult.  Judging the shortcomings of those around me is easy.   In order to move from the easy to the difficult, I must remember my brokenness as God chose me,  that I am called to offer myself as a living sacrifice so God will be glorified in my life, and to dwell in the Light of life.  Then I may be able to love as God has loved me.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will not forget my own brokenness.

In what ways am I working on my own holiness and forgetting who I really am, without Jesus?

How is my coming closer to the source of Light exposing sin I didn't know existed?

Into the Light

"But you are a chosen people,

a royal priesthood, a holy nation,

God’s special possession,

that you may declare

the praises of him who called you out of darkness

into his wonderful light."

1 Peter 2:9

The three hooded men followed us, staying in the shadows as the four of us walked along a deserted part of the village.  We picked up our pace, praying as we looked around for someone that might be able to help us.  As we turned the corner, I snuck a peek back at the menacing threesome.  They walked into the light of a lamppost and I noticed a lock of hair slip out from the hood of one of our followers and realized the threatening trio appeared to be a harmless group of girls.  The light had removed the threat and revealed the truth.

As God's chosen people, we are not called to walk in the darkness where temptation and evil dwells.  Instead, we are children of the light, belonging to a God who is the Father of Lights, Author of all good things.  As a dweller of the world, I am constantly tempted to step into the darkness, out of the glorious illumination that comes from my Savior.  I am called to the light, but I do not automatically dwell there.  I must struggle to walk in the light, as He is in the light.

God is Light

When we bought our house, I remember asking the Realtor if we could have smooth ceilings instead of the usual popcorn texture.  She explained that the textured surface helps to hide flaws in workmanship, uneven surfaces and a myriad of defects.  For this reason it is the preferred surface treatment.

Darkness has a similar concealing effect.  There is no darkness in God: He is light.  If I claim affiliation to Him, yet am constantly giving into the sinful desires of my flesh, I am not being honest and truthful.  I am in the shadows, allowing it to hide the stronghold Satan has on that part of my life.   

If I am instead honest with God about my struggle, bringing it into the light and letting Him illuminate the sin, I am claiming His power over the hold that sin has on me, thus releasing it to Him.  The light breaks the strength of the iron-grip that transgression held upon me.

His Light severs sin's grasp.

Fellowship is Restored

Hanging out in the shadows of my sin hampers the bond I share with my brothers and sisters in Christ.  If I am not being honest with God about my struggles, then it follows that I am not being honest with my family, either.  God created us to live together in community, as one Body. 

I recently was suffering from some knee pain, and it effected my entire body.  My other leg had to carry more of my weight as I favored the bad leg.  I utilized the railings when negotiating the stairs, putting more stress on my upper body.  My calf began to ache because I had unknowingly altered my gait in order to protect the bum knee.  Once I recovered, I needed to do some retraining to begin doing things the normal way, the way God intended my body to function.

It is the same with the Body of Christ.  When I am not honest with my struggles, choosing to hide them in order to save face, I effect the rest of the Body.  Others have to pick up the slack where I am unable to serve due to my affliction.  I am not pulling my weight, functioning as God intended because I am too busy trying to hide my issues. 

Once I step into the Light, I can function as designed within the family of God, sharing all the gifts God has given me, loving others as He has loved me, and supporting those who need extra grace. 

The Light dissolves the fear of discovery and I am free to be me!

Purified from Sin

Once my sin has been exposed by the Light, my fellowship with others has been restored and I can benefit from the purification of my sin by the blood of Jesus. 

When Jesus died on the cross, one of His final words were, "It is finished."  The purpose for his coming to the earth, suffering at the hands of His own creation, and dying a brutal death was accomplished.  God requires death as a punishment for our sin, our failing to live up to His standard, but He loves us so much that He sent His Son to take the penalty in our place.  Once Jesus gave up His Spirit as He died on the cross, this objective was complete.  Our sins were covered, our penalty paid, our judgement resolved.  I am forgiven.

But I don't always live like I'm forgiven.  I act as if I have no other choice but to give into the temptation to do things my way instead of God's way. I wallow in the guilt of past sins, continue to suffer from the pain sin has caused, or nurse the bitterness stemming from the sin of others.   

I do, however, have a choice.  I can step into the light, into the cleansing radiance where the contamination of sin in my life is removed. 

In the Light, guilt is gone, hurt is healed, and anger is absolved.

I am called into the light, but stepping into the light takes effort, a sense of purpose and a strong will, all of which are powered by the love of God.  Then my fellowship with others is restored, and my sins are purified.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I can stop trying to hide things from God, instead choosing to be honest with Him who loves me beyond all scope of my imagination.

Where do I play games with God, pretending not to see the so-called pink elephant in the middle of the room?

What relationships have been hampered by the shadows in my life?