My/Thy Will

I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. John 5: 41-42

Three days home, sequestered as a family of five. Feels like the spiritual thermostat of our house has been turned up. The highs are higher. Warmer if you will. We’re laughing more as a family. Playing more games. Leaning into one another. Today, while finding a geocache out at a local park, I heard my son comment to his brother “we just made a memory.” Never before and probably never again will we have this kind of intentional connection time with family members.

But the lows are lower. I’m seeing my desire for control rear it’s head over and over again with my short-temper, my hurry-it-up tone and my desire for doing things my way. If ever there was an opportunity to feel the cold chill of my flesh, it is in this season of being together all of the time and in every way.

We were talking this morning in our men’s Bible study about self-will. How self-will, the need to have it done, seen or thought about our way infiltrates our attempts at honesty or compassion. We do this in a number of ways. Shaming our kids with a simple “why did you just do that?” Guilting our spouse with a single word add like “you forgot to start dinner, again.” Scolding our roommate or parent with a roll of the eyes or a shake of the head.

So what does John 5:41-42 have anything to do with self-will? Jesus says “I do not receive glory from people” and then makes a sober statement about the heart condition of the Jews who were seeking to kill him: “you do not have the love of God within you.” Why set those two statements side by side?

Because a pursuit of glory from people is rooted in self-love - my way and my will. A pursuit of the glory of God is rooted in His love - Your will and Your ways. The first pursuit, glory from people, is all about someone needing to be validated by others as worthy, important, significant, powerful, interesting. The second pursuit, the glory of God, is all about someone else being validated as worthy, important, significant, powerful, interesting. The first pursuit we go to whatever lengths to be the lord of love. The second pursuit, God demonstrates He went to the greatest lengths, death on a cross, to extend to us the Lord’s love.

When we have this, the “love of God within us” we are secure in Him. Jesus bought us with His blood. And nothing can separate us from His love. So we don’t need to solicit or manipulate approval or acceptance or control or power from any other human being. His glory is something we believe not something we have to work by our own efforts to receive.

Father, help us be more aware of our self-willed efforts for other people’s approval to be loved. Instead, help us rest in the well-pleased approval we have through the glory of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who loved us to death. Amen.

Thoughts for Reflection

Where do you see your attempts to seek glory from others? How are you looking for people to approve of you?

What would change about the rest of the day look like if you lived as if you are fully and forever loved and accepted in Christ?

Chad BaudhuinMarch 19, 2020All Saints Church