"Jesus loves you, but I'm his favorite!" I saw that stuck to the back of a minivan the other day. I had to stop and take notice. You see lots of bumper stickers that say "Jesus loves you" "Smile God loves you" or other such nondescript niceties about the love of Jesus. This one was unique in its cynicism, yet also unique in its honesty.
I say unique in its honesty because isn't that what the sinner in us truly wants to believe? Sure Jesus might love you. Sure he loves everyone. But He loves me the most. Isn't that what's behind this "purpose driven" craze that has invaded the church?
Call me cynical, but I believe that it is. We are not content that Jesus simply love us, that he simply give us heaven for free, that he simply wash us clean from our sins. We want more. We want life with meaning. We want life with a purpose. (And if we were truly honest, we want, no... I want Jesus to give to me a purpose that Jesus hasn't given to you!)
Let's be honest. We want to be special. We want to be the favorite. We want to be numbered among those spiritual elites who have found their purpose. We want to be the guy who puts his arm around the less fortunate brother who doesn't have a purpose and tell him we'll pray for him, we want the smug satisfaction of knowing that we have found that one place that God wants us to be and that we are living a glorious life as the result of it. Isn't that what's it's all about? A glorious life? A favored life? An I'm-better-and-more-chosen-than-you kind of life?
Truth be told, God does have a plan and he does have a purpose; but not the type of plan that most of us are looking for. (Isaiah 55:8) God's plan is salvation. God's plan is that your sinful will and mine be broken and that we be turned to Him in sorrow for sin and then turned to Him in faith for salvation. God's plan is that we be saved from this world of sin and be sealed for eternity. And God's love is too great to be so exclusive. It is his free gift for you and not just for you but for the whole world. (1 Timothy 2:6; 1 John 2:2)
I think some people find the littlest things to complain about. I think its very cute and sweet. I think that you should be happy that someone would want to be jesus' favorite.that shows exactly how much they love him. Kinda like he loved us..like we were his favorite. God wants us to know that he has o favorites but wants you to FEEL like you ARE his favorite.......
ReplyDeleteGod wants us to know that he has no favorites but wants you to FEEL like you ARE his favorite
ReplyDeleteGot a verse for that? I'm thinking of the persecuted.
Get over yourself. Do you honestly think the almighty God has no sense of humour. As for the lack of a mission in your life, have you asked for clarification?
ReplyDeleteSo I guess I am not really sure how many anonymous posters we have here and I am not sure what the second anonymous post is hoping to address. I can only take my best guess and go from there.
ReplyDeleteThe first post refers to "it" as cute and sweet. It was my impression that the bumper sticker was somewhat cynical and tongue in cheek. To say I am God's favorite implies that YOU are not. I don't think that is intended to be cute. To further the point, contemporary relationship gospel likes to preach that Jesus loves us because we are so lovable; like there is some quality in us that make us desirable for saving. I believe the scripture presents it differently; God saves us for his sake and because that is who he is rather than because we are so lovable. He saved us because he couldn't live with himself knowing he broke a promise or was faithless or merciless or loveless. The impetus comes from God and how faithful and merciful and loving he is in his own nature and not because of lovable we might happen to think we are or should be.
The second response really bears no need of rebuttal. There is no argument as such and is really only an ad hominem.