Sunday, January 27, 2013

Sunday Faith Blog

"Our love is the only thing God could not give himself." 
I was in a classroom Saturday morning and heard those words from a 16 year old during a Socratic Seminar on the word FREEDOM.... I wish you could have heard what got them from freedom to that statement.

Later, I asked the teacher where the student, might have got that and he said he has mentioned it in class.  He added that he's sure it isn't exactly from him but doesn't remember where he got it.  The important thing is it made that big an impression on Georgia and she used it in just the right place in that discussion.

"Our love is the only thing God could not give himself."   I found that compelling and hoped it might be an amazing entree to some great conversation here at geeeeZ today.  I hope so...please tell me what you think.   Do you believe the statement?   If so, why did God set things up in that manner? 

"I love those who love me, and those who seek me, find me."  Proverbs 8:17

Have a gorgeous Sunday...seek Him. 

z


18 comments:

Always On Watch said...

"Our love is the only gift God can't give Himself."

He gave Man, created a little lower than the angels, free will. Apparently, angels also have free will.

Unknown said...

That is a wise observation.

I am in the camp that holds that God needs nothing. He is perfect and complete within himself.

Why does he do what he has done? It is beyond the comprehension of our human minds.

Right Truth said...

God is all powerful and he could have made us so that we had no choice but to worship and love him. But that was not his plan. He created us with free will, so that we could choose to love and follow him, or not. What kind of love would it be if it were forced, if we could not give it freely?

He truly is an awesome God. The ONLY God

Debbie
Right Truth
http://www.righttruth.typepad.com

sue hanes said...

Z - There is a picture that I have always remembered - and that is of Jesus standing at a door and knocking. The door has no handle on the outside - so that the only way He could get in is for the person on the inside to let Him in.

We represent the door and although He knocks at the door - we have to let Him into our heart.

That picture made quite an impression on me and it illustrates that thought more than words can say.

Thus - Our love - or inviting Him into our heart - is the only gift God can't give Himself.

Have a great Sunday - Z.

FreeThinke said...

Like Mr. Fouts -- he of the Conan he Barbarian look ;- ) -- I see it the other way 'round:

God's LOVE -- and our very LIVES -- are the things we could never give to OURSELVES.

I don't believe God "needs" us. I like to think of all of us act as "little mirrors" that REFLECT Divine Love with varying degrees of clarity.

The cleaner we keep our "mirror," the more brightly we project God's Love into the darkness of this world.

Anonymous said...

Great words. Wish you a wonderful sunday from beautiful Ushuaia. Can't reach you by mail, it always comes back. Can you pls send me a direction where I can reach you? Love, Ms Z

Z said...

Such good responses...thanks!

God does not need anything but I love that He does want us to come to Him on our own accord. There is an interpretation (backed by a lot of Scripture) which says He's already selected who will spend eternity with him but I believe that's been a hard sell for pastors and so they've weakened that. There is also a lot of Scripture backing "Anyone can come!"..much happier and easier to sell, huh?

Now's not the time or place to get too much into that (we've done it before here, anyway!) but it is so integral to this question that I thought I'd mention it.

I love that Scripture also tells us that God is a jealous God and does want our love. It feels lovely to think he loves us so much as to be jealous of us.

Sue, I think I know the picture but never had pointed out to me that there's no knob! that is fascinating. Thanks. Perfectly illustrates this point.

And I believe that more than our love, he wants us to be holy, to follow the only book He left behind by which to know how He'd like us to act...the Bible. Our happiness is nice, our holiness is his greatest gift, I think.

He can't give it to Himself ... How much love does a mortal man feel when he's married a woman he is pretty sure married him for his money or his stand in the community?

If God birthed us loving Him, what's the point of this life, if you believe that this is our chance for eternity based ONLY on our salvation through believing in Jesus Christ?!

I'm rambling because I'm hurrying, but I'll be back later and look forward to more comments.

AND I look forward to visiting most of your blogs for a while today..I miss them and I have a few hours between making butternut squash enchiladas for friends tonight! mmm
wish me luck!

Z said...

http://www.youtube.com/embed/OvN1jTkzXbY?rel=0

A friend from Indiana who sometimes comments here just sent me the video above showing Reagan talking very publicly about Christian faith in America and the peril ahead if we turn our backs to it.
Please don't only watch half and comment; I'm hoping you watch all of it, it's only maybe 3 minutes long and feels like a balm to the soul for those of us who took such strength from his strength in God.

What a better world we'd have if people would come back to the faith that made this country what it is.
He well and properly explains the religious clause in the constitution, too. Very important that the naysayers realize he did not (as the secularist liars implicate) say no other religions deserve respect, etc.

Amen.

Z said...

Ms Z...weren't you in Santa Maria, Brazil before Christmas? have you heard there was a terrible nightclub fire in which approx 230 people have perished and it could be more?

elmers brother said...

For it to be otherwise we'd be no better off than the atheist...reduced to being automatons controlled by a mindless mechanism.

elmers brother said...

an excellent watch

Milepost 154 said...

It has to do with the answer to most atheists who always ask: "Then why does God allow such horrible things to go on in the world?"

The answer?

Because He gave us Free Will.

BZ

Z said...

Elbro...that link is FABULOUS. I'm about `1/4 of the way through and have ever intention of listening to the rest soon..but I'm cooking downstairs .
thanks SO much.

Milepost...yes, but I think the question is WHY free will as far as loving HIM? And I think the probable response is that He wants us coming to Him through that free will, right?
If everyone was born a believer, what's the point of this life?

sort of...?

Milepost 154 said...

Z, correct. We have Free Will. To do bad or good.

We come to recognize a higher power in the form of God, that is the individual -- again -- making a CHOICE.

MP154

Z said...

Milepost, I was just about to leave this comment so I'll include you in it:


LISTEN TO THE LINK ELMER'S BROTHER LEFT ABOVE............IT IS AN HOUR LONG AND IT IS AMAZING.

I may use it as a blog post some day soon.........EVERYONE should, MUST, listen to it.

I listened in bits...please try to find the time, everyone.

AMAZING.

elmers brother said...

Dr. Lennox is amazing. He's debated Dawkins....has three Phd's ..a great apologist.

Z said...

Elbro, I Googled and did watch some of a Dawkins debate; FASCINATING.
Thanks very much

In MY Humble Opinion said...


It wasn’t that we lost the election because of a bad choice in our candidate, I believe that Mitt Romney did exactly what he should have done. No one else would have done any better. Obama won because he had the full support of blacks which was 96 percent, He had the Hispanic’s and other minorities votes because he promised them the world including, future citizenship for their illegal relatives, and all the Liberal, white votes thrown into the pot. It’s a fact that he played the race card as did Joe (“they want to put y’all back in chains”) Biden and if anyone see it any differently they are wrong! The numbers speak for themselves! Obama has created a racial divide in this country that may never again be bridged! And that my friends is very sad for all American’s.