LIVING HOLY.

Why?

Toward what end?

By what motivation?

For what purpose?

My boys are still at that age where they eagerly “pick flowers for mommy” whenever they come across a patch of dandelions. Like many men stuck in the practicality of things, to my husband, they are clearly weeds. =) But to countless mommies across the nation, those dandelions are precious gifts of love. Demonstrations of innocent, simple adoration.

My daughter has outgrown the dandelion-giving stage. <sniffle> But now she writes me poems, calls me at work, offers massages, and hugs me tight. All three of our children will often to put together “concerts” and skits for us. They’ll design and practice a little presentation and then they’ll announce, “Dad and Mom!!! It’s time for a concert!” Our daughter holds her hairbrush microphone while our youngest son beats on the ottoman with his tinker-toy crafted drumsticks and our other son rocks his heart out on their toy guitar. The home-spun lyrics flowing from our daughter’s mouth will vary from, “We have the best parents in the world” (no lie!) to “I had a fun day today. What about you?” Yes, those are our creative, fun loving kids!

Why do they behave this way? Why the dandelions? Why the massages? Why the hugs? Why the poems and concerts? To guarantee a warm place to sleep tonight? To make sure they’ll be provided a nice dinner tomorrow? To avoid Mom and Dad’s wrath? To make us like them better? NO WAY.

The answer: It’s love.

Our children love us enough that they jump at opportunities to please us. Oh yes, they bicker! They disobey. And they act like immature little children. And so I ask… Will their immaturity result in “No dinner for you!”? Will their disobedience be cause for sleeping out in the cold? Will their sibling rivalry result in being put up for adoption? NO WAY. And they know this. They are comfortable in the security that they feel in our home. They know that we will always be their safe place and that they don’t have to earn rank in our hearts by their performance. Their motivation for pleasing us is in their love for us. When my son holds that dandelion in his chubby little hand, yeah… it’s just a weed. But it’s all he’s got. And to him, it’s a demonstration of his adoration for me.

So let’s translate this parent/child love-relationship over to the love-relationship that our Father God wants to share with us.

LIVING HOLY.

Why?

Toward what end?

By what motivation?

For what purpose?

We were taught under the Institute in Basic Life Principle’s teachings to uphold a higher standard in order to please God. And we please Him in order to appease Him. And we appease Him in order to ensure that things will turn out right. For me, living holy was once a means for manipulating something to success (friendships, church, activities, random decisions, marriage raising children, and so forth). But once I began to figure out the truth about grace, it occurred to me that I was looking at this holy living thing all upside down! It is BECAUSE OF grace that I have the desire and power to do His will. And it is BECAUSE OF my love for my Heavenly Father that I am compelled… I am DRIVEN to live for Him. As I have mentioned before, Bill Gothard trades the result for the cause in his re-defining of grace and his twisted promotion of high standards.

I’ve read a few comments around this site from people who are still enamored with ATI who will throw around statements like, “You just don’t like rules,” or “You must be rebellious,” or “You’re just looking for a license to sin.” And to you I will respectfully respond with this: “You’re hearing me all wrong.” No longer is it about holding to a man-made set of old-fashioned principles so that I can feel like I am measuring up to God to accomplish thus-or-such. I am so over that Tower of Babel philosophy. Because really… all I’ve got is filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). My dandelions are weeds. I’ll never measure up. I’ll never be holy enough.

But I will.

Yes, I will.

I will continue to gather the dandelions. And I will write my awkward poems. And I will continue to present my off-key concerts of praise. And I will offer my hugs to my Father in the form of service. Why? To earn His favor? To ensure my success? To make sure He doesn’t let go of me out of displeasure? NO WAY.

The answer: It’s love.

ONE DAY God knew I’d never measure up. He knew I’d have no flowers to offer. Just weeds.

SO ON ANOTHER DAY, He sent His Son to walk up the hill of Calvary so that my sin-debt could be paid by His death on the cross. Jesus. He did that. For me.

AND THEN ON ANOTHER DAY, I made a conscious choice to accept this gift called Salvation.

AND SO TODAY I want to know Him more. I want to love Him more. I want to please Him more. I want to live for Him more. He’s not the fella that “saved me” from hell. He’s the Lord of my life who rescued me from myself!

LIVING HOLY.

Why?

Toward what end?

By what motivation?

For what purpose?

The answer: It’s love.