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Some unformed thoughts on relationships
Relationships are like the vein that God has his people in right now. A vein because veins bring blood back to the heart. So much has been said and done in the name of God and the church that has moved a long way away from God’s heart. He’s using relationships as the vehicle – the vein – to move people back toward his heart. For example, I believe completely in God’s power to heal, transform, deliver, create – real world, real life miracles. I believe. But I believe the church has made such a sideshow of the idea of his power that any expression or attempt toward that power has moved a very long way from his heart. Jesus expressed his heart in Luke 19: “The son of man has not come but to seek and to save that which is lost.” Examine all of your experiences with “moves” of God’s power… is that what they were about? Really?
Relationships are bringing us back to his heart. They are moving the blood from wherever it’s been and bringing it back to the source. It will go in there and be transformed and purified and sent out to bring life to the whole body.
The relationships we have with people are the relationship with have with God. They do not “represent it” – they are not “impacted by it” – they are it. If I can’t be real with a person I call my friend because I’m afraid of what he’ll think of me then it is because I am not real with God for the same reason. I think I am fooling my friend with my phony attitudes and my attempts to control his perception of me just like I think I’m fooling God by my religious allegiance and strict adherence to the rules of my Christianity.
Jesus said that people will know we are followers of his by the way we love one another. Not by the way we claim to love him, but by the way we love one another. Our relationships with each other tell the world whether or not we know Jesus. John asks, “How can you claim to love God whom you have not seen if you do not love your brother who you have seen?” (1 John… I’m paraphrasing from chapter 4).
I want so much for people to like me. I do things and say things in hopes of making people like me. But the ugly reality is, I know everything about me and I don’t like me. This is what I do to God. I perform in hopes that he’ll like me… Right now, I don’t want to click “Publish” because I’m afraid that if you read this, you won’t like me anymore.
I am only beginning to have genuine relationships with other people when I accept that before I made my attempts to get God to like me, he was already loving me extravagantly… *click*
Lisa Mongold said...
1Being genuine is scary. I’ve always ‘liked’ you just the way you are. How was it you put it? A sanctified jerk? I believe you said something to that effect in LBTC. I never thought of you that way (as a jerk), but the ways in which you think or act differently than me never made me like you any less or think less of you. I’ve been thinking about relationships a lot lately, and I’ve found myself coming up lacking. I think there’s a fine line between saying whatever you want to say in the guise of being transparent, and really being transparent about who YOU are.
01/17/10 11:59 PM | Comment Link
Scott said...
2Hey Lisa,
I think you make a great point that just saying whatever you want to say is not the same thing as truly being transparent. We are called to be as harmless as doves even if we are being authentic. I’m faltering and failing at that but really looking to figure it out.
What I’m finding a better approach to transparency be is that I stop attempting to do things or say things in effort to influence what other people are going to think. We do this sort of stuff all the time – trying to figure out what other people are thinking and then massage that thinking in some way that makes us come off best. I think that is clear evidence of the way we interact with God. What we tell ourselves is prayer, is actually nothing more than an attempt to manipulate him to look favorably upon us.
Maybe I’m not making a lot of sense, but I definitely appreciate and understand your comment. Thanks!
01/18/10 2:12 AM | Comment Link
Pam said...
3Hey Scott.
I have really felt that God is giving us his heart again. I see it happening all over. It’s pretty painful and I think some of us think we’ve lost the plot and are stepping out of where everyone else seems to be, for me , I know this has been God calling me back to Him.
I loved connecting with you again at Easter Camp and wanted to know where via the internet we could continue the conversations. I know you don’t really facebook and you’ve not updated this blog since January – I also suspect you are listening more than wanting to talk right now so I get that but should there be someplace where this conversation is taking place, point me in that direction.
Stay blessed Scott
Pam
04/11/10 9:08 AM | Comment Link