Beloved of God

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who

begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. . . . Beloved, now we are children of

God . . . if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. . . . he who

loves God must love his brother also. . . . My little children, let us not

love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

1 John 5:1, 3:2, 4:11, 21, 3:18

There is very little more heartbreaking than families at odds.  Yet the family of God is all too often a chaos of arguments, grudges and breakups -- where is the unity that the Scriptures call for?  Believers fight with each other even while trying to win unbelievers, and wonder why their efforts are in vain.  This is perhaps our enemy's favorite secret for our failure: break up the ranks and he can laugh at our pathetic confusion.  Yet the cry of Jesus' heart is that we all may be one (John 17:21).

"Children of God" seems to be just a figure of speech to many Christians -- our first mistake may be that we don't literally see ourselves as a family, with God as our Father.  Family is forever: you will be stuck with these people for eternity, so you might as well learn to get along now!  There is no such thing as passing friendships among believers.  Circumstances may separate you physically, and limited earth time may disallow investing in friendship as we know it, but nothing should ever separate you in spirit and heart from your brothers and sisters.  A spat with a sibling is a hindrance to our relationship with the Father -- if we truly love Him, we will love His other children.

So easy to say, so hard to do!  Yet so rewarding to realize.  Just think what a privilege you have to belong to God, His child forever.  And around the world, millions of others have this same privilege.  You belong to the greatest family on earth, and every member, great and small, is beloved of God.  Should we not, brothers and sisters, be beloved of one another?

Too Perfect

It's hard for me to imagine absolute perfection.  My life is very good these days, so good it almost feels wrong.  What am I to do when everything seems just too perfect?  Looking back over my old posts, I get the feeling that I wrote better when life was tough.  Now, there just seems so little to write about, which for me as a writer means that something must be lacking.  It's conflict, of course: I'm around a bunch of people that I like, doing things I like, in a place I like, and I'm as happy as I've ever been -- no conflict.  But something in me doesn't want a smooth and happy life all the time.  I'm so used to struggling, it feels normal and even good somehow, and I know it is, because struggles strengthen.  So when things seem too good, I get a little uneasy, because I know that a flat calm with no wind for the sails can kill a sailor as surely as a hurricane if it goes on long enough.  When life is easy, complacency can set in and stop forward motion.

But it doesn't have to.  I am truly thankful in my happy circumstances, and I know I am being changed and shaped as God desires even in the good times.  Though He often does, He is not bound to working through hard times.  Furthermore, I do not have to struggle any more than I have to sin.  I have been given the victory!  (1 Corinthians 15:57)  I suppose it is my pride that wants a problem to focus on, a trial to conquer, just so I can feel myself working.  But it is a mark of maturity to come to the place where I can love God without being forced to run to Him because I'm in trouble.  His aim for me is perfection -- joy and confidence in Him that are not dependent on difficulties for contrast.  Because one day, life really will be completely perfect.  A world without battles is so foreign, it's hard to grasp, but I must learn that the glory is not in the fight, it is in the celebration of victory.  And that victory is already won.  Why should I not be happy?