The bombings at the Boston Marathon again have people shaking their fists, pointing fingers, and asking, “Where was God?” The first instinct of many when something tragic occurs is to blame God for not preventing it or even to accuse Him of orchestrating it. Strip away everything else you know about God and you will be left with an incomprehensible love. Love does not maim; it does not kill. Love protects and heals. There is no part of the bombing that was part of God’s plan, despite what some seriously misguided individuals might have you believe. Sickness and hatred were behind the bombings. These traits are the antithesis of who God is.
Love
Becoming God’s Will for Your Life
In a recent post (see “God’s Will Today”), I wrote that “God’s will isn’t something you do, it’s someone you become”. I wanted to spend a little more time on this because it is the key to living a fulfilled life, one that is spent following Jesus. We spin our wheels and waste so much time in futile pursuit of what God wants us to do with our lives. The question should not be, “Lord, what do you want me to do with my life?” Instead we should be asking, “Lord, who do you want me to become in my life?”
Love One Another
I recently heard Andy Stanley talk about how if we would only get one command from Jesus right, we would absolutely revolutionize our world. That one command is found in John 15:12-17, where Jesus told His disciples to love one another just as He had loved them. This was an urgent command from Jesus, as He was literally running out of time and His betrayal was imminent. If you knew you were about to die, you wouldn’t waste time with small talk. You would tell those closest to you the most important and urgent thing you could think of. This was one of the final commands of Jesus, and thus it carries extraordinary weight.
Hands and Feet
A reader asked if I could give some examples of ministries I’ve seen honoring God. Since I spend a lot of time encouraging us to engage in following Christ with all of our hearts, I thought it was an excellent suggestion and an opportunity to highlight some people and ministries of which I have become aware. I have added a new section on the “Resources” tab of this site that lists several ministries I support and endorse. But I wanted to highlight a few people and organizations that I have personally witnessed being the hands and feet of Jesus, walking in His footsteps and reaching out to people in need.
Lead Me to Calvary
Tomorrow is Good Friday, the day we remember the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. We’ve talked a lot in recent days about surrendering everything to Jesus and truly making Him the Lord of our lives. Everything we do should be to glorify Him because of what He did for us. In thinking about this post, the old hymn, “Lead Me to Calvary”, kept repeating in my head. As we prepare our hearts for solemn remembrance tomorrow, it seemed good to reflect on the words of this powerful song.