It seems like people who lived lives of pretty blatant sin were attracted to Jesus. Even though he never seemed to compromise who He was or where He stood.
While a lot of people who have questions about life, God, etc. seem attracted to me, and to others around me, I don’t really see a lot of people engrossed in their sin attracted to me. Or to Christians I know.
What’s the deal?
Early yesterday morning I walked into a Starbucks for my daily consciousness-raising, looked around absent-mindedly, and there was an attractive woman sitting off to my right. She smiled at me.
I am not saying anything negative about her or positive about myself. She was probably just a friendly person. She probably smiled at everyone. But I did not like even that nano-second of undefined connection with a woman who is not my wife.
I immediately went into hyper-focus on that venti-Pike-with-room I came in to buy, plus the glazed donut. As soon as I was back in my truck, I called Jani and told her what happened and how uncomfortable that moment felt. One defense against my own sinfulness is my wife’s awareness. Sweet lady that she is, she wondered if I was overreacting. But I’d rather err in that direction.
I want nothing between my wife and me. I want to go the distance with integrity. The Lord deserves that from me. Jani deserves it. My family deserves it. My church deserves it. My city deserves it. That woman deserves it.
“I will run in the way of your commandments” (Psalm 119:32). Lord, keep me running there, and there only, all the way home.
-From Ray Ortlund
Do actions like that characterize your relationship with temptation, confession, and love of Christ?
I came across a C.S. Lewis quote today:
If our giving does not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say it is too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot because our commitment to giving excludes them.
Man, that’s convicting. But it seems right. A lot of my life is spent making sure that I am giving in the first place - but the point isn’t to cross “generous spirit” off my to-do list. The point is to give in light of how God has given to me. If I’m doing that, there should be all sorts of things that I’d like to do, but that I can’t because I gave too much away.
And in that situation, it shouldn’t be about the fact that I can’t do what I’d like to do. It should be about the fact that I’d rather give like my Father than do other things that, though appealing, aren’t nearly as satisfying.
On top of that, I shouldn’t be so prideful that I won’t let others give to me in the same style. We don’t give because it shows our position of power, or our personal generosity. We give because it shows that we didn’t deserve what we have, so we don’t mind sharing even when it hurts. That kind of generosity is quick to give, and is also quick to receive. We should be used to being on the receiving end of things; if we’re not, it means we don’t understand the gospel.
