Lately I have listened to Christian epigrams with a skeptical ear,
Compelled to test them against the standards of holy writ:
And when I heard someone say, “Jesus loves you so much that he would have come to save just YOU”—
My skeptical mind reasoned that scripture never makes that claim,
Focusing instead on how much God loves the WORLD.
Would Jesus have set aside the riches of his glory,
The purity of his holiness,
The command of legions of angelic host,
And his station as creator and king
To redeem one lowly soul?
But then I read the story of the ninety-nine sheep
And the single lamb who wandered off on the path of his choosing—
And I realized that even if the ninety-nine were multiplied by ten billions of billions,
God’s love is great enough to cover the single lamb who wanders away.
So perhaps that claim is more biblical than I realized.
Yet when I think of the One who spoke creation into being,
Who created time and all that dwells within it—
Who fashioned the night and day and seasons and sunshine—
Who created grand canyons and the microscopic ballet of cellular life—
I am confounded that he notices me.
And when I realize that this One who lived in holy union with the Father and the Spirit—
When I consider the holy purity by which he created a good world,
In which lies and envy and hatred and greed and avarice and hedonism and death were not found:
But into which my resentments and envy and bitterness and pain intruded—
When I realize that he set his majesty aside to come to this twisted world in order to cleanse and restore it—
I am speechless that he sought me.
His mysterious grace covers me.
Improbable love.
So I will never say that Jesus is my boyfriend,
Or glibly clap and sing that he does everything for me,
Because I am not the center of his universe, but he of mine,
And to him I am indebted for every blessing and breath.
--Angela Hunt
8 comments:
What an excellent thought to start the day. Thx, Angie! Clyde
Oh wow. This is so, so good. I have wrestled with this very thing. Sometimes I think folks today interpret Romans 5:8 as "God demonstrated that I was worth it by Christ dying for me." Noooo, it demonstrated His LOVE.
A popular Christian song has always bugged me where it says "But You would rather die than to ever live without us."
It's not about me!
I like. A lot.
"confounded that he notices me" - amen and amen
"I am not the center of his universe, but he of mine" - and again, amen and amen.
Aaaaah, almost speechless, Angie. May God bless you, sister, for your faithful sharing with us, inviting us to a right perspective and respect for God. Mary Kay
So well stated, Angie. I, too, have often questioned that idea that "if you were the only person in the world, Jesus would have died for you." Thank you for shedding light on this subject.
Christian music often falls into the trap of focusing on man instead of God. I don't think there's anything at all wrong with a testimony in song expressing praise for all God is and does for us, but i'm not sure I'm comfortable in singing that when Jesus suffered and died on the cross, "He thought of ME above all." Really?? Am I the only one who finds that just a little self-centered?
Could you print this as a flyer or as a poster?I would to be able to hang it where I can read it often.
Oh Angie! What a chord you struck as you penned (typed just doesn't cut it sometimes) those words of encouragement that touched my heart and soul in glory to God. It is NOT about me - you are so right. It is All about HIM. It is improbable love, yes - immutable, ineffable... beyond our words or comprehension. Thank you for once again being the voice to express the depths of my heart. (Liz Volk) Obviously, anyone who uses "penned" doesn't know how to get her name properly signed on here.)
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