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~ Rejecting the gods of our culture since 1998.

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Tag Archives: commandments

The Love Letter

05 Wednesday Jul 2017

Posted by braddahr in Discovery, Spirituality

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Bible, commandments, Exodus, God, Jesus, Love, relationship, Testimony

Rules are hard to follow. Sure the ones we directly benefit from are easier to keep but generally we try to bend them here and there. I mean, have you seen what people do at stop signs? Have you noticed that the best motivation is love?

One of the most beautiful parts of the Bible is God’s testimony*, a revelation of his character, what most people call the ten commandments or in other words, rules. People struggle to keep these rules – even those that believe they’re valid. Others, thinking they are hard rules, ignore or undermine them. What we miss is that they’re not rules. This testimony is beautiful because it’s an invitation into a loving relationship. My friend José Sánchez recently shared God’s testimony this way:

Today, my personal love letter to Jesus based on Exodus 20 says:

Jesus, as I meditate on what you did at the cross for me, my heart overwhelms with joy
and love.
1. I can’t imagine living without you!
2. Nothing can replace you!
3. I’ll never take you for granted.
4. I’m looking forward to spending quality time with you.
5. I’ll treat my parents as you treat your Father.
6. I’ll love others as you love me.
7. I’ll love my spouse as you love your church.
8. I’ll be content with the blessings you provide for me.
9. I’ll be just to others as you are with me.
10. I’ll rejoice when I see how you’ve blessed my friends.
Thank you for your love, Jesus. I love you, too.

Isn’t that beautiful?

*Over and over the Bible refers to what we call the ten commandments as God’s testimony. Even the box they were held in was called the ark of the testimony. 

 

Good Lust

09 Tuesday Dec 2014

Posted by braddahr in Observations

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Abuse, Adultery, Anger, commandments, Compasssion, Jesus Christ, Love, Lust, marriage, Passion

Whenever I’ve been around a conversation that includes the topic of lust I have noticed that at least one person will ask, “Isn’t a little lust a good thing?”

I get where they are coming from. From what they say, they typically mean that between partners, it’s good to have some passionate desire for each other. That’s certainly true. The thing is, that’s not what lust means.

Lust is when we have a desire and we want to use another person to satisfy it. It’s selfishness because we put our needs above the other’s needs, it’s objectifying the other, dehumanizing them. It’s an abuse. With that understanding, asking “Isn’t a little lust a good thing?” is similar to asking, “Isn’t a little abuse a good thing?”

When Jesus was showing us our deep need for healing, he pointed out that adultery isn’t just a physical offence but begins in the heart and concerns how we treat or mistreat others. When we lust after another person, even if we don’t or can’t follow through with a physical act, we’ve already done the worst of it – reduced the person to just a thing to satisfy our needs.

How do you know if you are loving or lusting; passionate for your spouse or objectifying them? To me, the simple test is asking how you feel when your partner is unable or unwilling to participate. If you feel angry or annoyed with your lover, rather than compassionate towards them, you were probably lusting rather than loving.

Simple

16 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by braddahr in Observations

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christian, commandments, intimate, marriage, relationship

In a small group I belong to, the question was asked: “What does it mean to be a Christian?”

There were several comments made, all interesting and generally descriptive of the Christian experience. There was acceptance of the Apostle’s Creed (which by the way wasn’t the Apostle’s creed but that’s another story), keeping the commandments, baptism, fellowship in a faith community, love, etc.

I offer you what I offered the group: What is the key, foundational, difference between a single person and a person who is married?

To me, the key, foundational, difference is that the married person is in an intimate, trusting, exclusive relationship with another person. All the other aspects of what it means to be married come from that one specific choice.

Many times over, our creator invites us into a covenantal relationship that is described in terms of marriage. There are all sorts of things that happen once we accept God’s proposal, things that some call being Christian, but they all come from the one foundation: an intimate, trusting, exclusive relationship with the one who has loved us from the beginning.

So what do you think?

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