One of the primary purposes of the 'C is to get you a reminder (or first notification in some cases) of all things Kingdom related that are happening here in Toledo each week. This week I have no calendars yet, nor was I upstairs to hear announcements, so I cannot be held responsible for anything you read below. In fact, I can guarantee some of the listed events are not gonna' happen. Can you figure out which ones?
There are lows in life, and then there are lows. Sick-to-your-stomach, don't-even-look-at-me, why-do-I-exist, I'm-a-disgrace-to-humankind lows. Those moments when you feel so alone, so separate from any form of acceptance and love, and so upset over something you've just done that hope has been replaced by impending judgment and self worth is only measurable in loathing. Typically they result from a continued failure in your life, something you're aware needs correcting but seem to mess up in time and time again, but sometimes it's just one of those actions without forethought. Regardless, many of us have had to stare at ourselves in the mirror after such a moment and it's in those moments that all our accomplishments, our success, our victories, our faithful acts of love seem completely useless, replaced by a feeling of disgust.
I remember at one of these particular moments in my life, Dave asked me if I felt so low that even God couldn't help. Obviously the answer to that is that it's impossible to be that low, to have messed up that bad (minus that whole blasphemy of the Spirit thing of course), to be beyond God's assistance and helping hand. But even though I knew that to be true, it certainly felt like I was indeed beyond repair, like that had been the last in a long line of straws to break the camel's back and now there were no more fixes.
LUKE 15:17-19
In the parable of the Lost Son, we read about a man who comes to this very conclusion, who believes he is, "no longer worthy to be called a son." He's hit the bottom. He's realized his choices and the absurdity of what he's done and it has struck him hard. But then he realizes something, something we should all remember and something Nick (thankfully) pointed out to me — where else can we go? What else is there but God? Like Peter's realization about Christ, the Words of life only come from one place and once you've tasted that truth, no other paths seem right in life.
And that's the conundrum. We know the truth, we've embraced the truth, we've loved the truth, we've served the truth, but we suddenly find ourselves a hypocrite and a willing rebel of the truth. What are we to do? It's simple really. We do what that son did, we go home. We go to God. We acknowledge what we've done, we comprehend our weakness and need of Him, and then we stand in awe of His boundless love. We accept His gift of a ring, a calf, a party.
Do you think that lost son was perfect from that day forward? Do you think he never messed up again? Do you think he never dreamed or had brief moments of fondness while thinking back to his days of recklessness that may have caused slips in his behavior? More importantly, when he did mess up again, do you think his dad's response was any less loving?
We are never beyond God's grace. We are never beyond His help. The parable of the Lost Son is as applicable to your life now as it was when you were outside the Kingdom. Remember, Christ died for us when were still enemies of God (Romans 5), why wouldn't His death cover you if you're now a son or daughter?
Brett "Sometimes I wonder if I've ever repeated a middle name" Hibbler
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