He Gets Us

During my watching of the Olympic Trials (I do love watching many of the events) I noticed a significant number of the "Jesus Gets Us" ads.  I won't give you an opinion of the ad series, or my estimation of any of the ads.  I have some theories, which, for now, I will hold close.  But, I do want to make a statement about the tagline, "He Gets Us."

I think the ad campaign is attempting to say that Jesus understands people ... all of them.  And this is a universal truth.  Jesus knows every hair on our head (Luke 12:7).  He knew us before we were formed in our mother's womb (Psalm 139).  But the tagline seems to "approve by affirmation."  Yes, Jesus knows us, but Jesus doesn't seem to be in the practice of affirming our behavior.  "Go, and sin no more (John 8:11)," he tells the woman caught in adultery.  "Sell all you have, and give it to the poor (Matthew 19:21),"  Jesus tells the rich young ruler.  Jesus knows EXACTLY what we are up to, including the hidden motives.  He does "Get Us" but He doesn't seem to affirm all of our behaviors and choices.  He does "Get Us" but He seems to want something better than affirming our choices that do not line up with Scripture.  He loves us more than any human can possibly love us, so He desires us to 1) repent (turn around), 2) grow (learn His precepts), and 3) follow (become His disciples).  None of these things affirm us, but they better us by bringing us closer to the Lord of life.

Our misled and misleading culture desires to redefine love as affirmation.  "He Gets Us."  But ask yourself this ... what loving parent or what loving God would leave His children to the mercy of a predatory and perverse culture, and tell them "I get you!  I want you to find your path, without any interference from faith-founded values.  So, when you are heading for that cliff, I get you, and I affirm you!  When you are in the depths of addiction, I get you, and I affirm you!  When you are drifting away from family, faith, and the solid rock of Jesus, I affirm you and just want to be your friend.  Folks ... we have a friend in Jesus, but He is such a good friend He will snatch us from the very fires of hell and give us a way, a truth, and a life everlasting.  We need a Lord and a Savior ... not a cosmic affirmer!

I am hoping we will do an old song at 1st service Sunday.  It is called, "When Its All Been Said and Done," by Don Moen.  It has a line that sums up what is important.  "When its all been said and done, there is just one thing that matters, did I do my best to live for truth, did I live my life for You?"

Yes, "He Gets Us."  And this is the reason we can only find life abundant by giving our lives to the one we call Lord and the one we claim is our Savior.  "He Gets Us," should scare us out of our apathy, our self-centerdness, and our belief that we are on equal ground with the God who created the heavens and the earth!

Exiles

Michael Frost writes a book called Exiles.  The book describes how we, as Christians, are often living   at odds with a world that offers both attractions that take us off-point in our Christian walk and opposition that does the same thing in a different way.  Paul reminded us that we battle against powers and principalities more than flesh and blood.  I have certainly seen this in my personal and church life.  Here are some thoughts about our life as exiles in a world that, by nature, opposes us:

1. Realize that people you view as friends don't always live out your expectations.  In my recent days I have watched outwardly acceptable 'Christians' use words like prayer and fasting to justify behavior that runs directly opposite of Scripture.  They invoke the Holy Spirit and tell others how noble they were in their efforts.  I say, give me break! Don't blame the Holy Spirit for your failure as Christian brothers and sisters and your laziness in being a friend.  Forget that time beside the deathbed of a mutual friend.  Forget those prayers when you were in financial turmoil.  Forget the many opportunities you could talk face-to-face about any issues as a friend.  Friends like that are dangerous and remind me the motto of X-files might be right ... "TRUST NOONE."

2. One of the greatest barriers in our faith walk is the barrier of self.  I am my biggest obstacle to walking in faith and fullness of a life in Christ.  I want to believe my sins and my mistakes are somehow better than those of other people.  There is a story about a great Rabbi who dies and then returns to tell his people about heaven.  They ask him what is the greatest sin in heaven?  He replies ... "The greatest sin is believing you are better than anyone else."

3. Remember that we, as Christians and exiles, are doing what an Amy Grant song called "shining all our light in the sun."  The point is that the good that we do (hopefully helping people, investing in the lives of others, risking ourselves so others can be saved, doing those little things that will never be seen or acknowledged) is done in  the light of an amazing and big God.  So, when we get no credit, persecution, no slack for the things we have done for others, no credit for hours spent in the trenches, it is just fine.  Matthew 5 tells us we do good deeds so that our light will glorify the Father in heaven.

That is a good note to end on.  While we are small we are also fearfully and wonderfully made.  So Lord ... life us out of the boggy mire and set our feet on solid ground.  And if my light is as insignificant as a 'breeze in a tornado' that is just fine.