Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Unity and Significance (and Steve Martin's Brother)

I went to Bible study the other night with very little expectations. I must admit that I haven't been getting a lot out of anything I do with my youth group lately (something, I realize, may be partly my fault). It’s kind of sad—but that’s not what I sat down to talk about.
So, at my study we’re going through The Truth Project, which is a series of videos basically asking us (Christians everywhere) to examine what we believe and determine why we believe it. This particular video was on the relationship between God and Man. It was all about oneness, intimate fellowship, and the mysterious union of the trinity and the church, and Christ and His children. I got a few things out of this video, but the thing that stuck with me the most was this:
The speaker (who looks like Steve Martin’s brother—this has absolutely nothing to do with what I was saying…) leaned close into the camera and asked with great solemnity (something he does quite well, unlike Steve Martin),
“What keeps us from unity?”
This is a rather heavy question, but its weightiness might be overlooked if the term unity isn’t further expounded on. Here’s what Jesus has to say about this word:
“…That all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one: I in them and You in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.” John 17:21-23 (This whole chapter is an awesome one—just in case you’ve never read it before.)

Did you catch the astounding marvelous-ness of His meaning?

We’ve essentially been given a spot in the Trinity.

Now, I don’t mean that we’re gods or anything like that, but we’re invited into Him and He will be in us. This is what God desires, this is why Jesus came, this is what the Holy Spirit has accomplished.

Alright, now that we’ve got that down (if that can ever be “gotten down”), let me tell you how Mr. Martin answered his question of why we’re not taking full advantage of this mind-blowing-ly incredible gift of oneness with God. (I was on the edge of my seat for this one, because I’ve been wondering a great deal lately why there is such a gulf between me and Christ.)
He said,
“Our hunger to be significant keeps us from unity with God.”

Wow.
This significance thing has definitely been a huge part of my life for a long long while. And I know that it’s been a problem, but I just didn’t know how big.
I want to have people love me. I long for it. And when I’m not loved to a point that satisfies this craving, I’ll imagine it into being. Let me know if I’m wrong, but I think a lot of girls struggle with this problem, better known as day-dreaming.
Mr. Martin says that we were given this desire for significance, just as we were given a sexual desire. It is good when used as God intended it, but evil after being twisted by the world.
How do we turn this hunger into something God can be pleased with?

We must turn to Him, and allow ourselves to be fully satisfied with being significant to Him. Because, really, not being satisfied with our importance to God, and looking to quench our thirst elsewhere, isn’t only futile and idiotic, it’s so incredibly disrespectful and hateful to Christ.

Augh, so I know that this isn’t something that can be solved in a day, but the sooner resolved the better. We can comfort ourselves by knowing that this desire of ours (to comprehend and to take part in unity with Christ) is God’s desire as well. And with the two of us working together (and His strength being made perfect in our weakness), the odds for victory are pretty good.