God Spoke to Me Today

This is my first blog and what a blog it is. I had an experience I have only felt once before in my life but this one hit much harder than the last. Have you ever felt like God looks you in the eye and tells you something you really need to hear, straight from His mouth? I mean goosebump chilling, stomach dropping, God speaking to you. Well, that happened to me today.

I went golfing at Hefner Golf Course today. It started off as just another day of going and practicing the game I love to play (I’ll admit the only reason I went today is because I really want to beat my dad when we go play golf in Hawaii this summer, sounds horrible huh?). But God had different plans. I started off by hitting a few bad shots but I found a groove there and played alright. But the golfing itself was not where I learned a valuable lesson. I played with a guy named Terry. He owns a construction business and is a blessed man, and he will tell you that. We rode in the cart together and got to know each other. You know the small talk, hi how are you? What do you do? Etc. We were talking and around the 8^th hole we started to talk about church a little. We talked about different worship styles and what we prefer. Then we moved on to just talking about people. I told him that I am a Worship Ministry Major at ACU and he thought that was cool. But then things got really interesting.

You ever feel like one of the Pharisees of Jesus’ time? And I don’t mean the scholarly men that they were but I mean the bad guys. I mean the hypocritical, judgmental, hateful Pharisees. That’s exactly who I felt I was being today. It’s the 9^th hole and I am in the cart with Terry and I shared with him my disappointment of kids my age who have no passion to dig into scripture. I said, “You know Terry, I feel like the kids today have no desire to understand scripture. They just feel that they can just have a relationship with God, and go to church and hear scripture from the pulpit guy and that will be enough for them.”

Terry stopped me dead in my tracks. He mentioned that he had goose bumps and he was about to share something with me. This is when I felt like God just spoke straight through Terry to teach me a lesson. Terry said, “Wade, you are forgetting one of the most important aspects of being a Christian. And that is to LOVE (I nod my head) No stop nodding your head Wade you’re just a kid and I’m trying to share something with you.” He looked me dead in the eye and told me something I will never forget. “Wade, it’s so easy to get caught up into looking at others and finding the bad in them. God LOVES those kids and by you saying that you are saying you hate something He loves.” Let me just say I was shocked at this point. Terry never lost eye contact and I literally felt like God was calling me out on something that I really need to work on. He continued, “We need to always find the good in people and lift it up. Look at Jesus he found the good in everyone. If we can’t LOVE one another and lift each other up, we can’t be good Christians.” He continued on even more but I can’t remember the exact things we talked about. (and on a side note, Terry knew very well what he was talking about. He wasn’t just blabbering on about love he knew exact scriptures, I mean to the book, chapter, verse that pointed out lots of things. The man knew scripture--better than I.)

I got such a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. That feeling that I had been failing God for so long. I so often think I have it all figured out. I think I know so much when I really know so little. I am an educated person and I am going to a great Biblical school and I know all. I have that mentality, just as the Pharisees. But Jesus called out the Pharisees on everything. They didn’t get it and I didn’t either. I mean how hard is it to look for the good in everyone? I hope I can figure that one out. I will only be tearing down His kingdom. Slowly sucking the bad out of everything good God is doing in people’s lives. 

You know kids today may not know as much scripture as our elders. The modernist view of religion is scripture based. Memorization was everything 20 years ago. But now as we are shifting, and many would argue already in a post-modern view of Christianity, scripture is not as big of a deal. It pains me to say that because I want to know that book inside and out. Reguardless, kids today are way more in touch with the loving others thing (me aside obviously, I need to work on it). And is that so bad? No. And I will show you why.

Matthew 23:34-40

The Pharisees (me) come to Jesus and say, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is greatest?” What a stupid question! These men knew the law. They knew what was greatest. They didn’t have to ask Jesus. “You shall LOVE the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first command. And the second is like it: You shall LOVE your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang ALL the laws and the prophets.”

The Pharisees could do part one. They couldn’t handle part two as well. I am the same way. I have no trouble LOVEing God, it’s the other part I struggle with. I am going have to start looking for the good in everyone. I have to quit seeking out the bad. Or I will only become one of the “bad guys” of the bible. A Pharisee. I will be very educated, but I will use that education to point out how I’m right and others are wrong instead of looking for the good in others and learning from them. I’m feeling real down on myself right now. Almost like I have been a stupid blind sheep. I feel that I have failed God and he spoke through Terry today to show me what is most important. I highly doubt there is going to be a Scripture trivia game in heaven and the one who knows the most is going to get to hang out with God more. The people who get to heaven are gonna be the ones who can LOVE the Lord their God and love their neighbor as themselves. I thank God for showing me this through speaking through Terry today. Go ahead and shoot a prayer that I look for the good in others and love them. That’s what Jesus did, That’s what I want to do.