The Proposal

So I proposed to Rachel last weekend… That’s not your typical small talk. It’s an exciting time in an even more exciting life. But if you are hoping this post is the actual story of how I did it, you’ll be disappointed. If you want that, just ask me—or read Rachel’s blog post about it here. Instead, this post is about a revelation I had at the end of that wonderful day. As I laid my head to rest, I began to thank God for just how beautiful the day had been and how wonderful the proposal went. Then, like a whisper, I felt God say “Didn’t it feel great?! I know what it’s like. I proposed to my creation with a cross.”

The Proposal

I spent a titanic amount of time and money on getting the right ring for Rachel. I researched. I lost sleep over it. I compared and matched options. I just wanted it to be perfect. I wanted to give Rachel the best thing I could give. I want it to be the most precious and valuable thing I had to offer. It was no small sacrifice. God did the same thing with us. He wanted to give us His best. He wanted to give us what was most valuable to Himself. He wanted to bring His relationship with His people to a new level. So He proposed. And what did He use as the proposal object? The life and blood of His very own son, the most precious thing He had to offer. As far as we know, it costs God very little to give us nice things. But instead, He gave us His everything, His son. Just as I wasn’t satisfied with being Rachel’s friend, or even girlfriend for that matter, God was not satisfied with the relationship with His people. He wanted more. Likewise, just as the purpose of me getting engaged to Rachel is to one day marry her and spend the rest of my life with her, God’s purpose for sending His Son as a proposal to woo a wasting world was so that He might spend forever with His people. We are the Bride of Christ and Jesus proposed with the purest thing He had: His blood.

Not only did God propose in the most sacrificial and loving way possible, but He proposed to an adulteress girlfriend. At least I can say Rachel has been faithful in dating me. God is setting Himself up to marry a bride that is unworthy and unfaithful. But that’s just how powerful Christ’s blood is. And that’s just how great His grace is. His love covers a multitude of sins. I find that when I am not excited about my relationship with God, it’s because I don’t understand just how much He loves me.

God is head over heels in love with His people, and He has done everything it takes to woo His people with a proposal. Some say yes, others say no, but one thing remains: God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever accepts His invitation to live a life with Him, will not perish, but have eternal life.

Engagement

Now that I have proposed, I am getting ready for the impending marriage. There is a guest list to prepare, decorations to pick out, money to save, and so on. In order to make it to the wedding, I need to do things to prepare for it. It is the same way with the Kingdom of God. Jesus has proposed to us, and now we are engaged. If we want to make it to the celebration, we have to get ready. We must grow the fruit of the Spirit for the party. We must do our best to increase the guest list. We must teach others proper wedding etiquette. We must learn how to dance. We must learn how to give, and not take. To make it to the celebration, we must invest our time and resources in the “here and now” for the “there and later”. So how do we respond to God’s love? Check out Romans 12 for the answer to that.

For my wedding, I want everyone to be invited. I really do. I wish everyone could celebrate with me at my wedding. But unfortunately, there is a limited amount of space and money, which causes me to be selective. Pssst! If you ask me, I’ll give you a secret invitation, even if you’re not on the guest list. God, however, doesn’t have that restriction. In the end, there is going to be a huge wedding celebration. All those who want to attend, can! And all those who are too busy with this world and the hollow things it has to offer will miss it. The only requirement to enter His wedding will be to wear the clothes of righteousness the Christ gives us. If we try to enter the wedding (The Kingdom) without the proper attire, we will be cast out. I don’t know about you, but if I were thrown out of a wedding that belonged to Jesus Himself, I would probably weep and gnash my teeth.

God has proposed to you. His gift is invaluable. I hope you’ll RSVP yes. My excitement for my wedding is great. My excitement for His wedding is even greater.

My wedding is coming. His wedding is coming.

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Love Enjoys

Love enjoys. It’s a simple phrase. But for some reason, it has struck me silly. I was just chilling in the shower—where most deep thoughts happen—and bam, “love enjoys.” I’m not quite sure why I think this so profound. I guess the following is my meager attempt to explain it.

Love Enjoys People

I was at a wedding this past weekend and 1 Corinthians 13 was recited. Love is patient. It’s kind, it doesn’t boast, it never fails, and so on. But for some reason, I feel like “love enjoys” belongs in that litany of love. Because when you think about love, don’t you think about enjoyment? We all enjoy the love of a friend, a parent, a sibling, a pet, or a spouse. But I think it’s much deeper than that. Love enjoys people. Jesus enjoys people. That’s what He did then and that’s what He does now. He loves; He enjoys. Likewise, when you love someone, you enjoy who they are, not what they do. I can think of no better example than my love for my friends in the Woodhill Community. I love them, but not because of proximity, or utility, or facility. I love them because God shoots His love through me. I am just the middleman. I enjoy these people because God enjoys them. I choose not to let their location, or economic status, or race, or religion, or sexual orientation, or beliefs determine the measure of my love for them. Rather, my love for them allows me to enjoy them, flaws and all. Another example love enjoying is Rachel’s love for babies and children. Wherever she goes, there is a little kid in her arms and three more hanging off her legs. She is like the golden retriever from UP, except instead of squirrels, little humans demand her attention. She loves children. She enjoys children with ever fiber in her. In the same way, Jesus let the kids hang all over him because He enjoyed them.

It seems that loving others allows us to enjoy others. I say I love my parents, but do I enjoy my parents? I say I want to love the poorest of the poor, but do I enjoy the poorest of the poor? I say I love serving others, but do I enjoy serving others? I say I love my God, but do I enjoy my God? Love begets enjoyment.

Love Enjoys Blessings

I’m at a point in my life when everything seems like it is going right. It’s like I’m hitting every green light on the road of life. What do you do when everything is going seemingly perfectly? How am I supposed to handle these blessings? I literally cannot fathom why God is so good to me. I feel like it’s supposed to be harder. Jesus promises me trouble, but right now I’m walking on sunshine. So how do I respond to all of these marvelous blessings? I enjoy. But I don’t enjoy in the same way the world wants me to enjoy. The world says take. The world says get as much pleasure as you can. The world says you fail if you’re not having fun. I don’t want to enjoy as the world enjoys, because right now, the world is pretty miserable. I want to enjoy as the One who is Joy. I want to give thanks for the harvest because I know the God is most glorified in me when I am the most satisfied in Him. The world isn’t impressed when rich Christians like me get richer and thank God for giving me that awesome parking spot. No, the world is impressed when I am so satisfied in Christ that I freely give everything for His sake. So what does that mean? It means I have been blessed so that I might bless. To whom much is given, much is expected. Jesus has blessed the snot out of me and the only right response is to bless those around me.

Don’t you just love it when you get someone that perfect gift? It’s so hard to wait for them to open it because you know it’s just so perfect. The anticipation kills you. When the time comes for them to receive it, giddiness just overwhelms you at the sight of their thankful face. Isn’t that a great moment? Is it any different with our wonderful God? He delights in giving us amazing gifts. If we know how to give good gifts, being the selfish and idiotic people we are, then how much more does God know how to give good gifts to us? He wants us to enjoy them! The problem comes when we try and dictate what gifts He should give us. We take God’s marvelous gifts and turn his truth into a prosperity gospel, where He exists simply to serve us. But when has the master ever been subject to the slave? When has the Father ever been subject to child? When has the King ever been subject to the butler? We deserve nothing, so everything is a gift. Likewise, every gift is not only for our benefit, but for the benefit of those around us. God’s into this whole “gift that keeps on giving” idea.

Love Enjoys Serving

My friend once told me about a time when he was with a fellow Christian in the bathroom. He noticed this Christian methodically wiping down the seat and cleaning up around.  You know how everything is just someone sopping wet in bathrooms? It’s like someone finds joy in taking water from the sink and playing patty cake until the floor is covered. Anyway, the Christian finished cleaning and proceeded to wipe his hands. Not only had he cleaned the counters, but he cleaned every stall, not just his own. Jokingly, my friend asking him if he was looking for a janitorial position. The man simply smiled and responded “Nope. But as a Christian, I try to leave everything better than I found it, because that’s what Jesus did.”

Isn’t that just it? Jesus comes and finds our lives looking like a trashed truck stop gas station, yet He delights in cleaning us up and making us better. Now I’m not saying we need to start wiping down every toilet seat we see, but I am saying we are supposed to infiltrate the filth and dirt in other people’s lives to bring them the hope of a savior who loves and enjoys them. Love enjoys service, because love enjoys people.

Love enjoys. It’s a phrase that I have never really heard before last week, yet I don’t think I’ll ever understand the profundity of it. Love enjoys justice. Love enjoys hope. Love enjoys rest. Love enjoys peace. Love enjoys grace. Perhaps the greatest thing about this reflection is the fact that you can replace ‘love’ with ‘Jesus’ everywhere in this post, and it stills fits perfectly.

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