The Most Excellent Way

“…But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.  If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge and have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:3

My speech – my spiritual gifting or ability – my wisdom – my knowledge – my faith – my generosity – even my surrender matter not if they are not born out of and guided by love; not human love which waivers, but divine love which is constant.  This passage came alive to me as two of my learners at home and I memorized it and recited it day after day.  The implications of this particular passage of Scripture were enormous in my life – as so much of my Christian life was lived out of doing “what was required” rather than out of being “loved by my Father.”  

As a child growing up I was not well loved as a result many times I do not love well. Early on in my journey with Christ as a young adult I determined to tear down barriers to loving and being loved, but it seemed at every turn I came up short.  Somehow I devised if I could get it all “right” then love and grace and joy and peace and the whole-nine-yards would abound.  Bible study and prayer with the goal of attaining holiness, wisdom, and knowledge became my life.   And indeed I excelled!  

Yet, something was missing – something was lacking.  Internally, I struggled to find a deep abiding sense that I was loved.  I knew all the right answers, but I didn’t feel the sheer delight of my Father’s love towards me. What I didn’t know then (that I am keenly aware of now) is that all my striving was an effort to make myself pleasing and acceptable to my Creator in hopes of being loved and knowing His love; it had been about me, because somewhere along the line I missed His love, the truth that I already had His love.

Through painful circumstances God opened my eyes to the misconceptions I had about Him and His word – even about myself.  Sometimes in our Christian lives we can wrongly place so much emphasis on personal holiness, righteousness, and self-examination that we are unknowingly led into spiritual narcissism, and once there it is hard to hear the simple truths given to us through Paul…”follow the way of love…the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love…God’s love compels us…nothing can separate us from His love…”; and John, the Beloved Disciple, “God is love…God  lives in us and His love is made complete in us…so we know and rely on the love God has for us…there is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear…let us love one another, for love comes from God.” (1 Cor 13, Galatians 5:6, 2 Cor 5, Romans 8:38, 1 John 4:8,12,16,18, 7)

The pieces of the God’s puzzle keep coming together before me.  First Corinthians 13 through God’s Holy Spirit illumines my mind and these words echo, “It’s all about love; it’s all about Love.”  Nothing I do can manufacture love.  Plenty of what I do can make me feel better (or worse depending on the day) about myself, but at the end of the day when it’s just me and God nothing I do warrants His love. The vessel cannot mold or fill itself; and that is exactly what I am – a vessel. I must be molded and filled by the One who created me.  Only the One who breathed life into me physically and spiritually can impart His love to me and enable me to share His love with others.

I now know that I was loved as well by those who were in charge of my care as they were loved; they could only love me to the extent that they had first been loved or received love.  I find it a rule in my own life that when I am loving poorly it’s because I have failed to perceive and receive the love God is continually pouring out on me , and when I am loving well it is only because I am fully aware that I am standing under and soaking in the deluge of God’s love. (Romans 5)

Friends, nothing we do matters apart from being loved by God and allowing Him to love others through us.  Let us choose the more excellent way; the law of love over love of the law.  May it be His love for us and His love for others what wake us up in the morning and puts us to rest in the evening.

A Re-Telling of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15)

Once upon a time, there lived a King in a majestic land.  Noble and fine, this king was generous and good to all he knew.  His two daughters - princesses - lived in the court of the King.  One day his youngest princess approached, "Father King, present to me the share of your goods that belong to me."  So, the good and noble King divided everything he had between his two princesses. He gave them his life, his resources and his wealth.  Now, the young princess was very satisfied with what she received - so much so that she gathered all she owned and left the kingdom for a far away land.   

During this time, far away from the comfort and safety of the kingdom, she wasted all her Father King had freely given to her.  She lived in reckless abandon and great excess.  A dreadful famine fell over this distant land and before long, everything she had was gone. Suffering tremendous deprivation, the young princess ached and longed for all the good things she once had...everything she had been graciously given by the King; her Father. 

 

Desperate and broken, her mind was filled with the deepest sense of failure, shame and lack.  The only solution she could see was to hire herself out as a servant to a master of a farm.  This master was no King; this master shooed her away to feed his pigs and neglected to care for her most basic needs.  But the young princess steadfastly gave herself to her work.  Day after day she labored and labored.  The luxuries of the castle were a distant memory; so far removed from her mind that she forgot who she was - a princess.  Perceiving herself as nothing more than a servant girl, she longed to feed herself with the slop of the pigs.  Relief could be found no where; there was no one willing to give her reprieve.   The young princess once so eager to break away from her Father the King had become disillusioned by the world and stripped of all selfish ambition. 
 
One day the fair maiden was awakened - it was as if her mind was opened for the first time to all she had been given and all she had forsaken.  Her thoughts returned to the kingdom, "My Father has many hired servants in his kingdom and they are well taken care of while I am slaving away and starving to death."  The young princess orchestrated her return.  "I will return to the kingdom and tell my Father, the King how wrong I was."   I will plead with him, crying, "Please, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I know that I am not worthy to be your princess any longer - please hire me and I will serve you well."  Determined to earn her way back into the kingdom, the young princess set out for home. 
 
Meanwhile, the King had been struck with grief over the loss of his young princess.  Every afternoon he stood out on the watch-tower canvasing the land hoping with all his heart to see His young princess coming back home.  Most kings would have considered such a wayward child "dead," but not this King.  This King was able to look past the hurt inflicted on his heart.  His love was strong; stronger than any offense and much more powerful than any sense of justice he would gain by turning away from his youngest princess by cutting her off from his kingdom. Her place in his heart was secure.  This was clearly seen by everyone, day after day, as He paced in eager expectation of her return.  
 
Then one day - one fine day - through strained eyes, the King caught a glimpse of what he was certain was the young princess.  Without a moments’ hesitation he girded his regal robes around his waste and ran swiftly and certain toward his princess. No sense of royal duty restrained him; no sense of position or authority held him back.   His love for his princess could not be contained.  Weary and tired, the young princess fell into the strong arms of her Father King.  He grasped her weak body and held her close, weeping for joy over her return. 
 
Shame covered the young princess.  Pulling away from her Father she pleaded, "Oh, King, I have hurt you.  I have sinned against heaven and before you...I am no longer worthy to be your princess...if you only knew where I have been and what I have done..." She could not even bring herself to look the King in the eye.  Gently, the good and noble King cupped the burdened face of His daughter and lifted her head.  He looked into her questioning eyes and instantly, she knew His love.  Her Father's love covered her shame and commanded her guilt to leave.  His love restored the young princess to her rightful position within the kingdom.  She refused to resist his love again.  Seeing her Father for the King He was, the young princess embraced His love.
 
"My daughter, my princess, has come home.  This child of mine was dead and now she is alive; she was lost and now she is found.  Cover her with the royal robes, place a ring on her finger, sandals on her feet and prepare the fattened calf for we are going to celebrate," the King jubilantly proclaimed to his servants.  What followed was a lively celebration complete with music and dancing.
 
On her way back home from the fields, the elder princess heard the festivities.  Perplexed, she summoned one of the servants and inquired, "It sounds like a party, what seems to be going on?"  The ensuing answer incited anger deep from within the princess.  "My lady, your sister has come home. Your Father, the King, has killed the fattened calf because he has her back home, safe and sound."  She could not understand how her Father could be so eager to welcome his wayward and rebellious daughter back home, much less how he could throw her a celebration worthy of the fattened calf.   The princesses lack of knowing her Father's heart prevented her from rejoicing with Him; bitterness refused to allow her to take part. 
 
"Come and join in my joy, my daughter," the King pleaded,  "for your sister has been restored."  Dissuaded, the princess answered her Father, "I have been with you all this time - serving you and obeying you in every way.  Yet, you never once gave me even a young goat that I may celebrate with my friends. But when this daughter of yours who devoured your livelihood in unspeakable ways comes home, you slaughtered the prized calf.  How could you?"
 
"My daughter," her father affectionately replied, "You are always with me and everything I have is yours.  I have never withheld anything from you.  Don't you understand, we had to celebrate - you and I, need to celebrate, for this is your sister.  I thought she was dead but she is alive.  She was lost, but now she is home."

Questions to ponder:  "Are you at home with God's love?  Have you joined in the unwarranted, unmerited celebration of His love for you...or are you still out in the "fields" as the dutiful daughter?"

Books to consider:  Experiencing Father's Embrace by Jack Frost, The Power of the Blood Covenant by Malcolm Smith, Abba's Child by Brennan Manning, The Rest of the Gospel by Dan Stone