Love.

Something’s been bugging me about the grief blog, I didn’t mean you shouldn’t trust God when you’re grieving, you should always go to God with everything and trust Him. That trust does build with knowing Him as well, I find. But what I meant is, don’t use ‘trust God’ as a glib response to anyone who is upset and/or grieving, as a response which actually means ‘stop going on about it’. When we have that response to people, things just get pushed down and remain undealt with and that is never good and prolongs things. Out in the light is always good, as in Jesus being the light, confess to one another and Jesus. Pray for one another. Can’t go far wrong.

Contrary to what I’ve occasionally heard people say before, a depressed person or anyone with any problems (so anyone basically) can actually bring Jesus to people just as much as someone who isn’t/hasn’t. Mainly because it is actually the Holy Spirit who does that mainstay of that work anyway. We just abide in Him.

I can remember being on a course and meeting someone who really, truly didn’t see that she was any good in any way, she was extremely low and yet she knew God was good and loved her and she really loved Him and she brought Jesus to people because of her extreme dependence on Him and her wonder actually that He could love her.

We aren’t a robotic people, we are the people of God. And the truth is, none of us is any good when it comes down to it. Y’know the slogans that are all over the place ‘you are enough’ ‘live your own truth’, Well, none of us are good enough, there is no truth apart from God, truth is truth, it cannot differ. You can’t be ‘good enough’ for God’s approval and yet our saviour Jesus, chose to die for us anyway. He didn’t leave us to it, He didn’t leave us as orphans (as the bible says), He lived His life on earth with humans, He died for us, He experienced hell for us and then He rose again and is still alive and well and in heaven. He will come back and He will renew the heavens and the earth.

It’s so wonderful, none of us is good enough or can make ourselves acceptable, but at the same time we are good enough, simply because we don’t have to BE good enough, we are sinful, but wonderfully made, and loved, he knows us from the foundation of the earth and we are made in His image. All we need to do is come to Him. Then we become His children, not only His children, but His friends and fellow workers.

Jesus has conquered sin and death and your mission should you choose to accept it, is to choose Jesus and live your life in Him. The man, the God, who chose to go to the cross for the joy set before Him (me and you) ‘despising the shame’ (Hebrews 12:2). He gave His life for you, even though He didn’t actually have to or need to. God doesn’t ‘need’ us. He chooses us. He saves us from hell.

A quote from Tim Keller on the gospel – You are more sinful than you could dare imagine and you are more loved and accepted than you could ever dare hope.

And I pray now, for those who are sleeping, to be woken, for those who are hurting to be consoled, for those who are broken hearted to be healed, for those who are lonely, to be set in families, for those who are hungry, to be fed.

He really does love you (and me).

Cathy.