Do you Desire the Love of Christ?

I have a fundamental issue with criticism. It doesn’t help anyone. I am not free from this flaw, I catch myself doing it much too often. I see what is wrong with the with the world, and I complain or say what should be done instead. I am not sure people actually change because we tell them not to do something and make them feel bad about it. There could be some possible behavioral change, but I don’t think that change comes from a good place. People should want to change, their heart should want a desire to do “better”. If we really care about someone, shouldn’t we start by caring?

There are moments people come to me for advice, and I then try the best I can to analyze a situation and offer my perspective. Giving unwanted advice usually leads to hurt feelings and distrust. God is not ignorant to this fact. He wants people to be saved, He wants people to want to change their lives. I think the desire to change is more important than the actual change itself. God doesn’t want robots to do His bidding. No, He wants people to desire the best life possible. God is after the heart, and He knows the best way to that heart is through love, not condemnation.

Sometimes I think we are too smart for our own good. We look for what is wrong in ourselves, others, and society. Deep inside we want to fix something, but that fixing needs to start with us. God wants to change us, inside out.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Jeremiah 31:33

What a world it would be if we could accept each other. To love each other. To help others and ourselves see the scars in our lives. To allow God to love us, that we might have the courage to change. To see people and ask not “what is wrong with them”, but rather “what happened to them?” To understand before we try to help. To Love before we start to change. God will not be mocked, He knows what evil and sin looks like, and He will burn it out of us. He knows it is sin that keeps us down, and God’s Love will never give up on wanting the best for us. Instead of the finger pointing, let us be the hands for holding. Our world needs us, it needs Jesus, let them know they are Christians by our Love.

Connected to the Vine,

-Pastor Danny