For the next several weeks at Pipe, our messages will be based on a book called, Living a Life That Matters, by Harold Kushner. It is a book that I wish I had read much younger in life, so ideally it will resonate with all of you.
This book is based on the premise that all of us have the desire to be good, to be known as being good and to matter in this world. In short, it is an honest appraisal of some very basic human desires that all of us, to some degree, wrestle with on a daily basis. All of us, whether we are in middle school, high school, college or mid-life, have a desire to feel like who we are and what we do matters.
We need validation in world full of messages aimed at convincing us that there’s only one way to get it: success/celebrity/notoriety/popularity.
There’s nothing inherently wrong about the desire to be successful, to be known for something you’ve achieved. The desire to be a good person, and to be known as a good person, is perfectly normal as well. That said, it is not normal to be perfect. In fact, no one is perfect. Fortunately, God does not expect perfection from us, so we should not expect it from ourselves or others.
These desires can be in conflict and that, in essence, is what this book is all about.
I spent the better part of 20 years around Jim Pope, and in that time I’ve probably heard one thing more than any other: God loves us as we are, not as we should be. This was borrowed from one of his favorite authors, Brennan Manning, and seared into the brains of students and sponsors alike.
If we accept this one basic truth about God, we don’t need to deflect, blame others or try justify our screw ups in life, as we try to convince ourselves and others of our inherent good. God loves us unconditionally — no more at our best than at our worst. This is one of many truths about the character of God that we must remind ourselves of every day.
“Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.” – C.S. Lewis
Sunday night, we will talk about how God often speaks to us in distinctly different voices. One is commanding and firm, urging us to strive to better ourselves and not succumb to sin that easily entangles. The other is full of grace, forgiveness and assurance. The God who knows that we are more than the sum total of our bad thoughts and deeds; the God who loves us no matter what; the God who offers us grace in our time of need.
We will talk about what happens when our need to be seen as good people collides with our need to be recognized as successful, important people.
See you there!
The Pipe 