"I've been thinking." " A dangerous pastime." "I know."
I just borrowed that line from Beauty and the Beast, but it's true.
I can get lost in thought sometimes. Especially as of late, I find myself spacing out a lot. A lot is on my mind. I'm making decisions, figuring plans, and contemplating information. I've been reading a lot lately so there's plenty of information circulating around my brain alongside my college studies.
Over break, I had the opportunity to see the movie "Les Miserables" twice. I'm not usually the type of person that sees movies twice, but it was with two different groups of people. I definitely liked it better the second time through since I had watched the 1935 version before seeing the musical. The older version ends where the musical still has about 45 minutes of singing left- so, you can probably understand why it seemed to drag on the first time I saw it. I was glad that I saw it the second time; I could notice much more that I had missed and appreciate the beauty of it. I thought it was a wonderful movie with very powerful emotions in it. (No, I did not cry, but I was as close to as I had ever been before in a movie.) It also displays Christ's work of redemption in a practical way- not a perfect example, but a glimpse nonetheless. The movie shows the grip that legalism can have on an individual and I could somewhat relate to Javert. I have an inner pharisee mentality that looks down on others, even though I know I am the exact same as the people I am looking down upon. It's an area that God is working with me.The movie is not for everyone since there is a gratuitous amount of singing in it, but some people that I did not think would like it have told me that they have loved it. My favorite quote from the 1935 version of the film was not included in the musical.
Bishop Bienvenu: "Long ago, Jean, I learned that life is to give, not to take. Let me give. And in return, promise me that you will give, also."
I have been very challenged by the Holy Spirit to give that which God has first given to me. I've been realizing that God has given me sooooooo much, and that I need to be sharing what I have with others. I've also been challenged to be reading much more of God's Word than I have in the past. I've been wanting to want God and I feel that this desire has finally grown to some fruition. I don't always desire God, but it has been a more recurring desire recently. Yay!
I've also been reading from men of God and older men. I know they're not perfect and sinners just like me and I have to run whatever they say through the filter of God's Word, but they offer a lot of insight into what God says and show different perspectives on certain issues that I am nowhere near understanding.
Speaking of learning, we learned a story to share in my Bible study tonight. And since this is my blog, I figured I'd like to share it with some people. (If anyone still reads this. I'd like to apologize for this being my first post of 2013. :/ )
It comes from Luke 7:36-50, so you can check it out for yourself if you'd like to.
Jesus was invited to a pharisee named Simon's house for dinner. He was a very religious type of person that I picture being similar to Javert, but Jewish. At this dinner, a woman comes in with a jar of perfume that is worth a year's salary. She weeps, pours it on Jesus' feet, kisses His feet, and wipes them with her hair.
Wow. That's what I would call humility.
Simon's friends that are over for dinner, as well as Simon, know that this lady is a big-time sinner and start to mumble to themselves.
Jesus sees this misplaced pride in their own goodness and decides to tell Simon a story.
He tells a story of a man who was owed 50 denarii (their currency) by one man and 500 denarii by another man. This man forgives both of them and Jesus asks Simon which man will love this man more. Simon says the man who was forgiven more and Jesus says that he has judged correctly.
I believe the relation was made clear in Simon's mind, but Jesus points it out to him still. He states that Simon had not washed His feet, greeted Him with a kiss, or given Him oil for His head (customary things for the time period); however, this woman had gone above and beyond the traditional greeting and humbled herself to worship at Jesus feet. Jesus saw her faith and repentance and told her that her sins are forgiven. At this point, the pharisees began to grumble because by claiming to be able to forgive sins- Jesus was claiming to be God. (I'll take this opportunity to point out the fact that you cannot state that Jesus was just a good moral teacher. He claimed to be God- a lot. So He was either God in the flesh, an insane person who thought He was God, or a great liar. He cannot be just a good moral teacher.) Jesus then tells the woman to go in peace.
There are a lot of takeaways from this story, but I think one of the biggest ones is- don't judge others as being below yourself. See that you are human just like everyone else- a sinner. (I am preaching largely to myself at this point. It's something I struggle with, even as a believer.) But, if you realize that you are a sinner, know that Jesus died for those sins and that He stands offering eternal life and forgiveness for your sins. You just have to ask for forgiveness and repent of those sins.
Some people say that a life lived for God is boring, but believe me- a life lived for God will not disappoint.
