Frustration

I'm sure that almost every woman has experienced the frustration of liking a guy, but the guy doesn't seem to notice her at all. [Who knows? Maybe guys experience this too, but I wouldn't know...since I'm not a guy.] Not only this, but it may also be that the guy notices everything but her. How frustrating! Well, God gave me insight about how this might mirror humans' relationship with God. All Christians have most likely heard how God loves them and wants to have an intimate relationship with Him. He'll send things along the day to remind people of His love. Yet, they don't seem to notice. In fact, perhaps they might notice His love, but then they'll choose to reject it in the name of doing homework or, worse (and all too common), doing "ministry." All throughout the day God gives people signs of His love, but they keep on turning to oftentimes worthless things. As a woman might be frustrated that her crush does not notice her, so too, one can imagine God's frustration when He continually pours forth His love upon people, and they don't notice or they reject it. But, remember, this is God we're speaking about; the human analogy does fall short. Humans didn't create the person that they have a crush on. Humans didn't die for the person that they have romantic feelings toward. But God did. Finally, humans can't love the way that God loves. Zephaniah 3:17 says, "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." How amazing! The Lord is calling out to you today. Will you notice and answer to the call of intimate fellowship, or will you leave God pleading, "I just want you to notice me"? Don't leave God frustrated.

I am the Worst Sinner

Take a moment to think of the worst person/sinner you know. Some of you might have answered Adolf Hitler, considering the horrendous number of Jews that he had killed. Some of you might have said Obama, considering his recent address to Planned Parenthood. Some of you, with the Boston Marathon incident still in mind, might have said those "terrorists" who bombed Boston. Still others might have named some other well-known or not well-known person from history who did something extremely horrible. Well, I have news for you. These persons are not the worst sinners...I am. Yes, that's right. I am. Yes, Leah Rebekah Jarvie--sweet; gentle, a good student; a person who wears white T-shirts underneath her regular T-shirt for the day, so that her brothers in Christ might not stumble from seeing the color of her bra strap (ridiculous, I know)--is the worst sinner. You see, beneath all of that exterior, there's manipulation, infatuation, and, worst of all, loving other things/people more than she loves God; and she's still yet to see all of the horrendous deeds that she's capable of. Ephesians 5:19-21 is scary, for it is written to believers and it lists everything (though perhaps not exclusively) that I am capable of: "sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like."

Though, I've already admitted to being the worst sinner, I would still like to argue that I am not alone in being the worst sinner. In fact, every human being on this earth is the worst sinner along with me. (I know that grammatically and logically that that doesn't work, but hang in there.) Yes, you are the worst sinner, as well as me; and I think that it's healthy, as Christians, to have this mindset. You see, I don't really think it's possible to "honor one another above [oneself]" (Romans 12:10) if one does not view oneself as the worst sinner. If some other person has that title, how can one honor that person above herself or himself? An attitude of humility is necessary when relating to other brothers and sisters in Christ, and part of this humility, I would argue, is considering oneself the worst sinner. Even Paul said that he was the worst of sinners (see 1 Timothy 1:15).

But, I do believe that there is a huge difference between me and Hitler, even if both of us are the worst of sinners. There is a huge difference between me and Obama, even if both of us are the worst of sinners. The difference is Christ. The good news for us worst of sinners who are Christians is that God loved us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross, so that we might have an intimate relationship with Him again. The difference between me and Hitler is that I've responded positively to that message (by the grace of God), and Hitler did not. So yes, I may be the worst of sinners and you may be the worst of sinners, but, if you've responded (by the Holy Spirit's prompting) positively to the message of God's love, there is a difference between you and Hitler, though both of you may be the worst of sinners.