My grandfather has been studying the bible for forty plus years. It is his passion. I do not agree with him on everything, but he is the one that has 5, 6, I don't know how many books out. But one hit paydirt with someone.
His name was not revealed to me, but he got in contact with my Gdad cause he wanted to thank him for his book "The Truth Revealed In Romans." It saved his life, not spiritually, but literally. He had decided to commit suicide, but for some reason, this book caught his eye on Amazon. He bought it, read it, and realized, "Hey, God loves me just the way I am." And God does. (No he did not commit suicide, otherwise he could never have called my Gdad.)
The reason I know this, is God sees us in our most embarrassing situations. My favorite is thinking of him watching when I run out of toilet paper in the kids bathroom. No one home to help, and me walking half naked, through the house, with a poopy butt, in search of paper. I have to look like a real genius about that time. But he loves me in spite of all of the dumb things I do.
Also, he likes people that don't lie to him. Like the liars that think God only watches them when they go to church. That all of the less attractive things they do, don't get noticed by God because it wasn't Sunday, or they weren't in church. My favorite saying from them is, "God deserves your best." Referring to the way they dress and act at church. My response is, "But doesn't he deserve your best always, just not on Sunday?" Then I get that queer look, and they conveniently find someone else to talk to. So be yourself, be honest with God and yourself. Do not worry at what others think. They are not the Judge, Jesus is.
The biggest thing to understand is. God does not only love you, but he likes you. As you are. Don't try to be anything that you don't want to be. Don't be ashamed of the things you like. Have a couple of drinks now and then, I do. Go and see a concert of head banging metal guys, I do. One ticket, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, and Metalicca. Great show. Don't worry, I did no fornication, did not become possessed by demons, and my head never spun around once. And God still blessed me afterword. Just be who you are and have fun with it. My brother likes to think that the Kingdom of God will be one big party. Well then, bring yourself, and God will let you in.
5 comments:
Great post - made me laugh, too!
The idea that God only sees what we do in church cracks me up, sad but true, some people do act that way.
Ever read the lyrics to Gavin DeGraw's song "I don't wanna be..."?
"I'm surrounded by liars everywhere I turn
I'm surrounded by imposters everywhere I turn
I'm surrounded by a identity crisis everywhere I turn
Am I the only one to notice?
I can't be the only one who's learned
I don't want to be anything other than what I've been trying to be lately
All I have to do is think of me and have peace of mind
I'm tired of looking 'round rooms wondering what I gotta do
Or who I'm supposed to be
I don't want to be anything other than me."
And that sounds like a killer concert you went to, My husband and I would have enjoyed that, but only since we left the church ;-)
Thanks Erin,
I just wanted to give encouragement to those who feel they are under God's thumb, rather than in his heart. And yes, I like Gavin's song, and thought of how people would look at me in church being myself, rather than what they thought I should be.
Delightful :-)
reading this brought back a phrase that was thrown at me twice last year in discussions with pastor and elder. "the freedom of the cross is a 'freedom from', not a 'freedom to.'"
not because i agree with it, but because i think that it is one of the bigger dividing lines in thought between evangelicals and those of us who prefer to defy labels. (how about "the label-less"?) :-)
love it.
i agree with you, we don't need to do anything to get notice by God nor we need to pray aloud to be heard by Him.
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