The Boy

RISKY BUSINESS OF BEING A CHRISTIAN

Risk believing the radical message of the good news –you are loved and forgiven.

Means knowing that you sin, that you do and think life-taking things.

By trying to control others, by criticizing your family or friends, by not speaking or withholding love and affection; blaming those around you; not taking responsibility for your actions; living and believing you are a victim; believing you know what is best for other people; forming opinions about others without actually hearing them; letting your fear come out as anger.

We can come here feeling above the sinner out there, certain that we must be better than someone – at least we are in church are we not? Human nature to want someone to be more awful than you – hierarchy in prison amongst the worse criminals, even they want someone to be more sinful than they.

If you know that you sin, then you will feel the amazing grace of God – the sweetness of being in the presence of pure love for YOU. It may bring you to tears – being loved like that.

Risk showing abundant, shameless love for others.

Means being willing to show your most vulnerable self to everyone, to anyone. Whether you are loved in return or not, whether you will embarrass those around you with your heart right out on your sleeve, it will mean offering up your tenderness with no thought for what might or might not come back to you – a pure offer of love with no expectation, loving for the absolute delight of loving. No gain, no conditions, no shame, no holding back. Shocking kind of love.

This is loving in the image of God.

Risk going in peace.

Means letting go of all your fear and living in the peace that passes all understanding – the peace of God. How do we do that? Let go of all fear? We live in a fear filled world – terrorists and war; gang fights and random, fatal accidents; worry about paying bills or facing medical conditions; dealing with ageing parents or growing teens; fear we are not accepted or loved; fear that if others really knew us, they would flee from our presence; worry that we are talked about; dread that no one will talk with us or notice we are here or not there; worry about diet or the air we breathe, fear for our church, our job, our life – you name it, there is a fear for it.

Doubt is not the opposite of faith, fear is. Let go of the fear, face it with faith. Faith that God is, that you are never without the love of God, that nothing can separate you from that love, that you are forgiven that you have been imagined by God and that God is cheering you on from the sidelines every minute of every day. That kind of faith will cause a peace in your heart that is way beyond your understanding. That is where God wants us to live – in the middle of that peace.