you complete me. really?
"...we know a good thing has become a counterfeit god when its demands on you exceed proper boundaries." Timothy Keller
In chapter two of Counterfeit Gods, one of the most important chapters written on love I have ever read, Timothy Keller once again brings some biblical and cultural insight that shatters commonly held perspectives. In particularly, he exposes the dangers and idolatry of letting our passions for love, sex and purpose in relationships with each other be our end or our final longing. I can not begin to do justice in writing about this today due to the fact that my perspective has been exposed to light, my heart is full of hope, and my confession to God and Sherry are in order. Sherry can not bear the weight and expectations of my worship, but she can be lifted up and encouraged as God receives my full worship and meets all my hearts longings.
Keller breaks down the story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel masterfully. Jacob's idol was Rachel, Leah's idol was Jacob. We read it in our culture today as a great romantic story of persevering commitment and love, but is it? Keller exposes idolatry in a way that is hard to argue with.
Our relationships on earth cannot complete us, redeem us, save us, justify us or make us whole, things we long for and try to find in each other. Our relationship with God through Jesus can. It is when we find that our life is hidden in Christ, we can then be true lovers, true neighbors, true friends and run the race in freedom and allow other believers to do the same. In order really love and receive love well, we must seek ultimate love first and foremost in the overflowing source of love, God.
A few quotes:
Our fears and inner barrenness make love a narcotic, a way to medicate ourselves, and addicts always make foolish, destructive choices.
...reorient the entire focus of your life toward God. C.S. Lewis
If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world [something supernatural and eternal.]." CS Lewis
love. holiness. purity.
Some of the topics we have been looking into during our SOR have been extremely helpful to me and my family. During some men's time we were challenged to think about how we love others. As I went away to read scripture and think about love I was reminded how often we come to certain topics of life with assumptions and presuppositions. Where do I get my definition of love from? Hollywood, friends, magazines, Oprah, Dr. Phil, family, Sunday school teachers, pastors, or Tina Turner? We need to turn to God's Word to see where love comes from, what it looks like, and how to love. Usually when we think of love we think of a feeling and that special someone we know loves us. Love does consist of this, but it is much bigger. I won't write out my thoughts here now, but I want to encourage you to study the topic of love in the bible and ask God to help us really love.
the way of love
If I don't have love, I am just an impatient, unkind, envious, boastful, arrogant, rude, selfish, irritable, resentful, celebrator of wrong, person. I am just a noise maker, I am nothing, I gain nothing. I can't bear, believe, hope or endure anything.
If I have love, I am patient, kind, happy for others, a celebrator of others, humble, polite, giving, peaceful, forgiving, a celebrator of good, Christian. I am not a noise maker, I am something, I have gained everything. I can bear, believe, hope and endure all things. I have and experience a love that will never end.
Are you like me, in that you see inconsistency in how you love and how you lack loving? Jesus has set us free by His love, to His love, to acknowledge His love, and express His love. The life, death, resurrection, and accomplishment of Jesus is our perfect experience and example of love. The holy Spirit will use God's Word to put the unlove in our lives to death as we submit in faith.
The way of love is much more than flowers, chocolate, and some ink on a card, although these are good. Love is expressed in death to self, to know that my unlove has been crucified with Christ should make me let go of me and hold up others. The way of love will not look like the worlds way of "love", it may not even look like your family's, church's, or own way of love.
How is your love?
1 Corinthians 13
13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have a prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, b so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 c If I give away all I have, and d if I deliver up my body to be burned, [1] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 e Love is patient and f kind; love g does not envy or boast; it h is not arrogant 5 or rude. It i does not insist on its own way; it j is not irritable or resentful; [2] 6 it k does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but l rejoices with the truth. 7 m Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, e endures all things.
8 Love never ends.
