As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece – throughout both Macedonia and Achaia.
1 Thessalonians 1:7 NLT
Living as an authentic Christian is a huge challenge. Anyone who has experienced a deep friendship knows that it requires a measure of accommodation. I have to learn to recognise and respect the preferences my friend exhibits. If we are to get beyond fondness to a meaningful relationship, then adjustments must be made. Such adjustments are mutual, and may cause each one angst and frustration. Yet I freely choose to make them because I want the friendship more than my own satisfaction. So it is with God. As a disciple, I slowly accommodate my way of life. I also experience God’s love for me even when I fail to make any adjustment. This true love, unselfish and all-embracing, can no longer be taken for granted once I have met its source.
When my first wife died I knew I’d been in a wonderful relationship. Then I was blessed by another great friendship with Jayne. While the legal framework of marriage and the principles are the same, the nature of my accommodation is vastly different. Katey was a completely different person to Jayne. We needed to learn how we might create an authentic marriage, which takes time and work. It was back to school for me, for what was appropriate in my first marriage was not transferable to my second; not if I wanted authenticity.
Others discern real authenticity; it is something I can claim, yet may only be confirmed through the testimony of external witnesses. It was one reason why Jesus made so great an impact in his own life. Such authenticity is the greatest gift we can bring to a world so often in confusion.
QUESTION
How could you change your life preferences to make more space for the love of God to fill your heart and home?
PRAYER
Your invitation to follow demands all of me, not just the parts I am ready to yield. I invite you to show me where I am holding back.
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