“Tessa heard more words roll through her mind and recorded them in her journal as they did: We want the benefits of intimacy without the risks of transparency. So our lives are always made up of games of hide-and-seek. We want to be found and yet we want to hide from the consequences of being found. Intimacy is the license that you give to someone else to hurt you the most.”
from “Checkmate: The Bowers Files” by Steven James
We act like this with people.
Wanting love, but not really wanting it – because it’s scary.
Wanting the “chase” for love – but not wanting to actually have the love – because the chase is more fun.
Not wanting the intimacy – because that will ultimately be followed by hurt and pain.
We do the same thing with God
It’s “fun” to be a new Christian. There’s the excitement. Lot’s of people are happy for you.
Even the Heavens rejoice.
Lk 15:3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
It’s an amazing experience.
But it doesn’t last.
At least the feeling with your fellow Christians doesn’t last.
After all – they’re people. Just like you.
That’s not unexpected either.
The Parable of the Sower
13:1-15 pp — Mk 4:1-12; Lk 8:4-10
13:16, 17 pp — Lk 10:23, 24
13:18-23 pp — Mk 4:13-20; Lk 8:11-15
Mt 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
…
Mt 13:18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
We realize the problem here when we see that the seed that falls on good soil is the one where we are not congratulated by others for our success. A small number of people, like Billy Graham, will become well known for their evangelism. Most of us will never reach that point. Truth is – it’s a good thing, because we couldn’t handle the pressures and the likelihood that pride will come with it and ruin everything. We just have to have the faith that what we’re doing is producing results. Even if we never see them.
But we aren’t like that. Satan convinces is that not seeing results means there are no results.
So we start the “chase” – we start to grow because we love God.
But then, the “fun” is gone – the excitement is gone – it starts to become “ordinary” – and we chase after something else.
Why?
Because we look at people’s “love” for each other – and think that’s what the word means.
We should be looking at God’s love for people – because that’s what really counts –
A Prayer for the Ephesians
Eph 3:14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Eph 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
God’s love is something that we’ll never understand on this side of Heaven.
It takes faith.
And that’s why Paul always prayed things like the verses above.
But how often do we pray that for ourselves and for our fellow Christians?
Jesus warns us about the pressures on us to give up on His love. He’s talking about not just the ordinary or the lack of excitement. Jesus is talking about people actively working against our faith. It’s getting even harder.
Mt 24:9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
As the quote says, we want to be found, but at the same time we hide.
Because it’s hard. And painful. And avoidable.
And we don’t understand that all of the stuff coming from Satan is a lie.
I’ve always thought it was cool that the following verses were in the Bible –
Mt 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Jesus inviting us to knock – and He will open the door.
Rev 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
Jesus knocking – right there at the door if we open it.
Jesus knows what we’re like.
Jesus was involved in our creation.
Jesus lived as one of us.
And so Jesus does everything He can to overcome the problem in the quote –
Jesus is chasing us –
at the same time wanting us to chase Him –
increasing the chances of us being found.
If you haven’t been found yet –
if you’re still playing the chase game –
if you’re getting bored because you don’t see anything happening –
when the next time comes –
please, don’t run away.
Don’t run.
Because the next verse after the one about Jesus standing at the door knocking is this one –
Rev 3:21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Jesus is the One instance where love and intimacy has no chance at all of ending up hurt.
That’s worth the wait, isn’t it?
Hint – the answer is Yes!