God's "Primary" Motivation Isn't for Us to Stop Sinning

God's primary motivation in our lives is our healing. It isn't for us to stop sinning.

There is a misunderstanding that adds a step into this equation. It says, "I want to stop sinning so that God will heal me." This statement turns healing into a reward process rather than a grace process.

The true statement is, "God's desire is already to heal me" (Matt 23:37). I mean He fought and died for me at the cross. He's put Himself inside of me. There is no prerequisite to His desire for my healing.

In this perspective, we might desire to stop sinning, but this is because it is part of the healing process. It is no longer a means to attaining healing. It is simply part of it.

Furthermore, because God's desire is my healing, and because He has already taken all my sin and shame away from me and heaped it upon Himself, He never turns His back on me when I do sin. He never says, "Why can't you be more like so-in-so?" He's never ashamed of me. He never condemns in any sense of the word. If He did so, it would lead in the opposite direction of my healing, which is exactly the direction He doesn't want to take me in.

Why then does God desire us to stop sinning? The answer is my healing (Matt 23:37). Again, we have to be careful not to make it into a two step process. He doesn't want us to stop sinning so that by reward or obligation that He will heal us. Sin is more like pouring salt into our wounds, the very wounds He desires to heal. Do you see here how much more direct it is? There is no reward or punishment. It is a direct assault upon our healing.

Therefore, since God desires our healing, His primary reason for warning us about sin is over the salt we are pouring into our wounds. God's punishment already rests upon Himself at the cross, to our rescue. Since there is no condemnation left for us (Rom 8:1), the only motivation left is our healing.

This tender heart is to His credit and to His glory.

Tasty Communion

I've enjoyed taking communion at church lately because they're using these little saltine crackers that taste pretty good. Plus, the grape juice is a little sweetness washing down the saltine.

This is a spiritual metaphor. Jesus' broken body and blood represent the horror of what he underwent, but it also represents His joy in fighting and dying for us.

This is an idea that "tastes good" to me.

Jesus on Electric Guitar

I watched our electric guitarist this morning during our worship service. I realized that since Jesus created him to play music and play it well that Jesus must love electric guitar as well. In fact, since Christ dwells inside of our electric guitarist and since Christ also created all forms of music, I realized further that Jesus himself thoroughly enjoyed playing for us this morning. It's like He was playing, not just our guitar player.

Looking at our electric guitarist as a picture of Jesus exercising his creativity and love for music, I found myself in worship. Not the guitarist, but Christ inside the guitarist.

That's Jesus on Electric Guitar.

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Okay, now picture Jesus going freestyle with some rappers. He's right there with them. I'm serious. I'm going to Jesus' freestyle-rap-sessions when we get to heaven. I'm gonna learn to freestyle there. This is part of the gospel - rapping with Jesus.

Relational Imperfection

My new goal is relational imperfection.

This might sound strange, but when a person has been striving for the perfect words in each and every conversation, the perfect interactions, and a total fear of disappointment or miscommunication with others, this is a very difficult goal to attain. It requires an entire paradigm shift. God help me if the other party doesn't "get me" or "understand me".

Yet, this is where our health resides. Imperfection. Miscommunication. Imperfect interactions. Not being "understood" by everyone. Not even being liked by everyone. It gets messy and unpredictable. The weirdness can feel overwhelming.

Unhealthy lifestyles you might identify with include: work perfectionists, parental perfectionists, athletic or music perfectionists. My default unhealthy lifestyle is: relational perfectionism. Maybe some of you can identify.

My new goal is relational imperfection. Not as permission to harm others, but permission to try to communicate imperfectly. To try new things. To set healthy boundaries. To be okay with making relational mistakes. To forgive and be forgiven instead of running away from the imperfection. To be okay with broken relationships that need time to heal or relationships that are simply changing or evolving. To rejoice in maturing relationships as well.

This is one place where God desires to heal his children. Relational imperfection.

The Simplicity of Communion

I really like taking communion. It isn't the ritual involved. I understand the good feelings that come from the rhythm of rituals. Nothing wrong with that. But what I really keep getting blown away by is this whole thing about the God of the universe fighting and dying for me. When I look at that piece of bread or that wine, I declare to God that I believe He really has forgiven and accepted me simply because He has decided that He wants to forgive and accept me. I do this despite any thoughts of self-condemnation I might be suffering that moment. The way I think about myself and the way that God thinks about me are two different things. When I tell Him that I believe in His acceptance despite any self-condemnation, this is the greatest tribute I can ever make to Him.