Here's a quote from Jonny Diaz, [the artist in the video] from 'Sports Spectrum' magazine which I recently read: "My parents did a great job of raising sons that ultimately love the Lord," Jonny says. "Part of that is loving others and ultimately loving yourself. There comes a point in every young person's life where they have to decide to serve the world or serve the Lord, and my parents made sure we knew what that meant." (italiced words by me)
Is it true that ultimately we are to love ourselves and the Lord?
The bible says: "For people will be lovers of self, .... . Avoid such people."
Our Lord Jesus tells us to hate our life if we want to keep it. And He commands us to deny ourselves, not love ourselves. We are to love our Lord first and foremost, but also we are to love our neighbor as our self. These two charges from God fulfill the whole law. There's not 3 commands here though; just 2.
The loving myself is a given, and not only that, it's our biggest problem.
We are to esteem others higher than ourselves. A low self esteem is what pleases God. When we have a correct view of our sinful selves, then the grace and love of God becomes vividly amazing, and our hearts are filled with joy unspeakable. That's what the Apostle Paul had in mind, and experienced, when he said "I am the chief of all sinners." (I'll have more on that in my next post).
I will say this musician is a good pop-country singer, and he certainly means well for young woman and girls, though it misses the mark methinks. The theme of the song leaves so much out, and leaves me with a bad taste in my heart.
"There could never be a more beautiful you"??
I could go rambling on here with all the thoughts in my head, but I won't.
What do you think? Maybe I'm being to serious, and "doctrinal".
4 comments:
I think I understand the essence of what he wants to say. If he is saying that we should not buy into the materialistic culture of shallow, outward beauty, I'm all for that. I agree that we need to be careful about how we express that message, though.
Neither sound doctrine, nor artistic expression should suffer when we engage our culture. Unfortunately, we are sometimes only given a choice between one or the other. Why can't we have both? Really.
That's why it makes me nervous to see skits at church. The artistic types are taking a teaching role (whether they admit it or not), but did any of them study the Bible lesson the same way a preacher does? Too often, they didn't.
Thanks Craver for those good thoughts.
They help.
While it is true - we are to deny ourselves and "hate our life"...
Although - HE also tells us that we are His treasure. (buried in a field sometimes). "The LORD has declared that you are His people, His treasured possession, as He promised you, and that you should keep all His commandments..." Deut. 26: 18
He tells us that we are His creation, His beloved, His cherished ones.
If we humble ourselves - then He will lift us up.
While, yes we are to deny ourselves - but we are too keep in mind - we are to do so in order that HE can be exalted through us.
Being a New Creation in Christ calls us to know Who we are. I am a son of the MOST High King...
There is again two extremes in Christianity today (both of which I believe are incorrect)...one says that "I am God's child - therefore - I am 'invincible'" (so to speak)...and the other is "I am a lowly scum of the earth not even worthy to tie someone's shoes becuase of my awful sinful self"...in either case - we are not.
Scripture tells me that when I am weak - then He is strong. When I humble myself HE lifts me up. Scripture tells me that becuase Jesus is with the Father in heaven now - that I carry the same authority that He had when He was here on earth - and even more so now becuase He is seated in Glory.
Our identity and understanding who we are becuase, for, and in Christ will make a huge difference in how we live from moment to moment.
I believe this song speaks to the truth of what many young women struggle through...the feeling of not meeting anyone's expectation. What I believe the writer is telling them is that 'you meet every one of Jesus' expectations - and as His daughter, He loves you becuase He loves you becuase He loves you.'
Thanks for your thoughts Chris.
I hope he's not singing a song to all girls, even those who are unbelievers.
I think many today think God loves every human exactly the same. It's a mind set.
But the truth is that God does love His own, those whom He called, and who love Him.
But those who are under His wrath, are not His children, and so His affection is not theirs. He loves them in a benevolent way. He sends the rain for them, though they are ungrateful and rebellious.
I think the Church has this truth of God's love confused for the most part.
Those who never come to Christ will one day be judged for their sin, and cast out into darkness, which is what we all deserve really.
This is a fine line, but it needs to be expounded in our day methinks.
I could say to a young girl in my neighborhood, Jesse, that she needs to get right with the Lord, which i have. She had her first child at 13, and now at 15 she has two babies.
Should I tell her she is beautiful on the inside? No. Because she's not. She can be, if she repents and comes to Christ.
I love her, and have known her for 10 years, and so we talk. i let her know what she is doing is wrong, and yet I pour out much grace and kindness as well.
I'd love to hear someone write a song about how a young girl like Jesse who has two babies and is till in high school needs to repent and call out to Christ for forgiveness, so that she will not be under God's wrath any longer. And also, as hard as it will be for her, the Lord can do great things, even with such a mess as her life has become.
Post a Comment