Giving or Taking?

The whole message of the Bible is not about a God who wants to take from you. It's about this God who wants to give to you. The fact that the Creator made (everything you see) means He actually loves us and wants to give to us and if you miss out on that you miss the whole point of your life - Frances Chan.

Perfectly said. Yes. God wants to bless us every day. Yes, He does love us with an everlasting love. Yes, we can receive this from Him. But I need to add (as Chan did later) that our life will not be without problems. Although we start with the basics of Jesus loves me there comes a time when we should begin to go deeper where we realize that we need to love Him back in the midst of our troubles. We give back to Him and cease our taking.

There are Christians whose lives are filled with trouble. Some more than others. Some can smile and be about their lives knowing in their hearts this will pass, even if it's at their death. They realize the end result in a relationship with Christ. They just plain trust Him. There are others who cannot shake the hangdog look, who play the victim game, who want a handout, are offended when a hard word of truth is offered and who can't understand why they are going through tough times if God loves them. I believe they are the ones who do not wish to go deeper and learn the more intimate things of God. They're stuck on taking.

We need to understand the two big things God wants to take from us is our sin and captivity. That alone should bring us contentment. If we are joyful in tribulation we have overcome our captivity. We know our sins are removed and we are enjoying our newfound freedom, even when things don't go exactly as we would want them to. In the midst of trouble we have a deep sense of peace. Hard to explain, but it's there! We still have the capacity of reaching out to others to offer something...a word, a smile, encouragement, a promise from God...instead of a word of defeat.

If we have not allowed ourselves to let go of those things that consume us (self-pity, anger, addiction, hopelessness) we have not overcome. We have clung to the things that hold us captive. If we don't let go I believe it will seem as though someone has it out for us, maybe even God. If we can't shake the "why me"'questions we're never going to get beyond our circumstances.

Israel was removed from their Egyptian captivity. There was no army. It was singlehandedly done by God. That's a picture of what Jesus does for us. Nothing we can do can remove our captivity. We can try to stuff something so deep that we forget it...until one little reminder crosses our path and all the hurts or guilt come back. The problem is we're still captive to those feelings.

Upon receiving the Word to depart from our old ways and enter into a new life on our way to our Promised Land, we are set free. Although they were free to receive God's blessings, Israel grumbled and complained. They imagined the "good" things they had in captivity which they believed they no longer had. The truth was they didn't have those things; they were servants. God, however, wanted to prove to them He would provide all things for them. They didn't recognize that though. What a shame. As long as they grumbled they wandered the desert. 

As long as we complain about how tough life is after receiving Christ who has given us all we need...forgiveness and eternal life, and an underlying peace and joy...we will not fully experience His blessings. It's as if we are still needing more when He has given us the most important thing. 

We are to praise Him each day, not complain about our circumstances. I fail occasionally, I admit it. We all do. Sometimes I don't realize I am. I think it happens without my really meaning it. It just comes out. (And there's another blog in the recesses of my mind on this!)

Chan suggests that even God's commands to us are a blessing, not meant to be harsh but out of love for us. Obeyed they bring blessings. It is we in our sinful, stubborn, proud manner who look at them with a thought of how dare anyone tell me what I should do? Shame on us. If we all did what He said we'd all be better off! Laurie, did you hear that?!

Do you realize that some day we will all stand before God and have to account for all things we've done...even after we have received Christ? My flaws, insecurities, sins will be laid before Him. He might ask Why did you do that? What was the purpose in saying that? How is it you didn't trust Me in that situation I put before you? I'll tell you, this hangs heavy in my soul knowing I've not always done what I should.

Here's the clincher though. God doesn't take a look at me and say I'm better or worse than others. He looks at us all the same. We're all guilty by His standards. That's why we cannot do good enough, we cannot strive to earn God's approval. Yet we are still called to receive Him and His forgiveness. It only comes through our acceptance of Jesus Christ. By God's grace, which is unmerited favor...we don't ever, ever deserve it...we receive our holiness through Christ's blood shed on the cross. Christ stands between God and us and has taken our sin upon Himself for all the people that have ever lived, are alive today and will live. Can you imagine that? Pretty incredible.

Those who have not received Christ will be rightly punished. He still loves but if His first command, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, is not received, they will not enter into Heaven. Those who make this choice to accept Christ will be judged but not punished. 

Christ died on that cross for you and me. The Roman form of punishment for crimes was crucifixion. In some Christian movies about Jesus, you might see a road filled with crosses with the bodies of criminals for all who pass by to see. Believe me when I say we all should be hanging on those crosses. But we have a God who loves us so much He sent His Son to do it for us.  

Look at all God has given us. The earth and all that's in it. He has given us life. That in itself, if you give any thought at all to, should cause you to be lost in wonder. But the thing is, you should think about it. We need to do this occasionally. We need to consider the heavens and the things of the earth and the One who created them. I know it can be a daunting task and beyond understanding. That's exactly where a better knowledge of God will help. 

At the end of our lives we do not get to judge ourselves. We do not get to say, Well, I know I did this better than so-and-so. God only reserves the right to judge. How good we think we are doesn't matter. That's pretty sobering. The Bible says there is not one good person. Just reach out to a God who wishes to give to us all we need. His forgiveness and His good thoughts toward you is all that matters.

Accept Christ. He will take that heart of stone and give you a new one. That's being born again. That's letting go of the old man and taking on a new one. Taking the worldly man and replacing it with a spiritual one. Does that stir something in your heart? We still are not perfect. That only comes when Jesus returns. He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 28:26, Proverbs 3:5)

He wants to give to us: freedom from condemnation and guilt and a relationship with Him. He wants us to stop looking at ourselves as our own savior and look up to Him, the only One who has done the work of saving us. It's not about religion. It's about relationship. Religion is works, relationship is receiving! It's standing in the presence today of a holy God totally accepted by Him upon our receiving Him into our lives. It's no longer having to rely on anyone or anything but Him.

When you ask Jesus into your life, you ask Him to forgive you of all your sins. He will remove them as far as the east is from the west and as deep as the oceans. They are forgotten. Don't you want anything you've ever felt remorse over having done removed? Unconfessed sin will trouble your heart. You can go to God Himself. He's waiting for you. You can do it in silence or out loud to Him. He will hear. When you receive Christ, you receive forgiveness. 

Psalm 32:5 - I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.