Kill Us, Make Us Stronger

I am a fun-sucker. Ask anyone in my family. When we watch movies, I say things like, “That could never happen.” When we listen to music, things like, “That’s not true.” I even turn down the music to lecture on certain topics. So, I am busting at the seams over Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).” I like her. I like the song. I sing it out. I just have a problem with its theology — if you care to listen?

“Some perennial weeds have deep root systems that make them very difficult to pull completely from the ground. If any bits of root are left behind, these persistent weeds will sprout again and come back even stronger than before.” -Mike McGroarty

I just want you to know that I’m cracking up right now because this is what I do. If you don’t know my sense of humor, please know that I’m turning down the music and yelling through the car right now, “Do you know what else is made stronger if not killed? WEEDS!”

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23)

Die. Die so that you can really live! Let him kill your will. Your want. Life everlasting is found in the submission of dying to self. There is no beckoning to avoid the tragedies in life that may feel like death itself; there is a call to die so that the tragedies in life are under his care with our wills submitted to his.

So, what exactly makes us stronger?

Is it the killing? The dying to self?

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

In death we find life.

In our weakness we find his strength.

We’re in a pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps-kind-of-world. We believe we can overcome any obstacle if we fight hard enough, and we publicize our words boldly, but we go home and cry because we know it’s not true. Our only hope in this world is to subject ourselves to the only one who can give us strength, the only one who calls us to simultaneously die and live because he loves us enough to sing truth over us.

Now, there is another side to this story. I do believe “we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame…” and if that’s what “Stronger” is trying to communicate, please excuse my rant.

Jesus Wept

I’m not sure if I’ll be able to convey the thoughts I’ve been having since Sunday’s sermon.

But, the question I have in my mind is:  Would it be easier to “be removed” and die or “get involved” and die?

The only example I have been able to think of in human terms is having friends move. We recently have had friends move into our city, then into our church, then into our small group.  They are only passing through, on their way to another country.  I have a choice to make:  to withhold myself from them or give myself to them.

When we stay removed from a situation, we are able to somewhat guard our hearts, protect our feelings, spare our emotions.

When we get involved, our feelings can’t be spared, the protection is removed from our hearts, emotions are unguarded.

So, when I think about Jesus coming to earth and making friends, I just think about the alternative —

What if he came and died for sins but was somehow removed from the pain that the involvement of true friendship can bring?

He wasn’t.

Jesus was sad and angered by the death of Lazarus because he loved him (John 11).

He wasn’t removed, and he didn’t withhold human feelings but got involved.  He had relationships with real people, enough to hurt over them.  He didn’t just appear from heaven — to a cross — then back.

When I think about my sinful self, I think of how willing I am to get involved.  Maybe I’ll “do” for people, maybe I’ll even invite you into my small group, but if I know it will result in hurt or even seeing your sinfulness, I should probably stay somewhat removed.  I know it’s Christ and not me, but if it were me, I might do better dying if I were removed.  If I were involved, it would be hard to see the depth of sin.  It may be even harder to be friends.  It would just be easier to stay removed than get in the mess.

Jesus knew he would hurt.  

He knew they would hurt him.

He knew he would see the depths of their sinfulness.

He got involved.

Beyond the involvement of any other man.

“The miracle of the incarnation is that we don’t have a distant God who treats our sin, suffering and death like an impersonal business transaction.  Since  sin and suffering are personal, Jesus is personal.  He’s the God who feels our pain, weeps over suffering, and involves himself in our mess, in order to identify with us and rescue us.” Greg Gibson

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7-8)

The Gospel Of LOVE

God is LOVE.

He defines LOVE. He provides LOVE. He produces LOVE. He sustains LOVE. He epitomizes LOVE.

His LOVE is unfailing, unconditional, great, relentless and eternal.

God so LOVED the fallen, broken, sinful world he created that he sent LOVE to earth to be our atoning sacrifice.

He demonstrated his LOVE this way – while we were still sinners – Christ died for us.

There has been and there will be no greater LOVE than this. That a man would lay down his life for his friends.

How great is the LOVE the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

God has poured his LOVE into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

And, nothing can separate us from the LOVE of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In LOVE he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ.

We LOVE because he LOVED us first.

LOVE the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

LOVE your neighbor.

LOVE your enemies.

This is LOVE for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.

LOVE as fruit, compels and abounds, lets them know who we are, is a breastplate, is patient, kind…

Perfect LOVE drives out fear.

LOVE will return for us.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who LOVE him.”

God is LOVE.