A Walk with Nova

This afternoon I went for a stroll with my granddaughter, Nova.

As we were walking, I was thinking about the predictable pattern of our relationship. Every time I see her, even while she is living in my house – and I may see her more than once a day – I do more or less the same things, in the same order.

When I first see her, I smile. Then, I move towards her in love. Next, I demonstrate my affection for her with a hug or a kiss or most likely a lot of both of them as I sit her in my lap! I see myself as squeezing as much love into her little body as she can contain. 

After that we talk, she babbles something I don’t understand and I speak to her identity, “Hello beautiful! How are you today?” “Hi princess! I love you.” If she’s with me for a little while, we play games or read books, and I try to teach her a few new words and speak blessings over her.

Why am I telling you all this? Because, I’d like to suggest that this is actually the same way our Father relates to us, whenever we draw near to Him.

The first thing He does is smile. Then, He moves towards us in love. Next, He demonstrates His affection for us with a gentle hand on the head or an arm around our shoulders, or even picking us up and sitting us in His lap. 

However He shows it, He is squeezing as much love into us as we can handle. After that, we say a few things which are largely incoherent nonsense and then He speaks to our identity as His son or daughter. And, if we stick around for a little while, we might read together with Him and He gently teaches us a few things and He always blesses us.

There is no striving in this place, not for Nova with me, not for us with our Father. 

Pete Scheller is the pastor of Destiny Christian Fellowship in Madison WI. He and his wife, Alison, lead conferences focused on the heart of the Father, the Mind of the Son, and the Power of the Spirit.

www.heartmindspirit.us
Schellerpete@gmail.com

Rethinking God

Jesus was constantly revealing God as better than our understanding.

He kept doing things God wouldn’t seem to do. And it confounded everyone around Him.

He healed people on the Sabbath, something God wouldn’t do.

He ministered to children in a way that was better than how God would do it.

He interacted with women in a way that was better than how God would do it.

Same with gentiles and even gentile women!

He especially seemed to enjoy spending time with sinners and the poor. Something God wouldn’t seem to enjoy. Certainly, something God’s church leaders were not fond of.

He didn’t call down fire on that village even though His disciples believed it was something God would do. They even had Biblical reason.

He didn’t punish that woman caught in adultery even though everyone knew that’s what God would do. It also could be backed by Scripture.

He said, “Father forgive them, they know not what they do,” even though it seemed like they knew what they were doing.

Jesus constantly did things that were way better than how God would seem to do them. Even better than how the Bible described what God would do. And all along the way, in every act of kindness and forgiveness, in every act of generous mercy and stunning grace, He offended people with how good He believed God was.

He offended people, even those he loved, simply by believing, acting and teaching that God was better than their best thoughts about Him.  

Humanity had “God-boxes” and Jesus kept blowing them up. Humanity was convinced God was one way and Jesus kept contradicting those paradigms. Humanity had God-thoughts that were absolute, and Jesus kept wrecking those absolutes with His always-good love.

He was better than humanity could think or imagine…

And nothing has changed.

He continues to reveal that He is better than our understanding, even better than many of our best Biblical interpretations.

We all have God-boxes, but thankfully, He won’t stay in them.

It’s the goodness of God that leads us to change the way we think. It’s a revelation of His kindness that causes us to repent; that leads to a renewed mind. (from Rom 2:4)

And we are transformed as our minds are renewed. (from Rom 12:2)

Jesus continues to reveal God as Father and as always good, better than our ability to understand, better than our best thoughts, beyond what our imagination could even imagine and better than our best Biblical understanding. Jesus continues to challenge our God absolutes with one great absolute – His always-good love.

Humanity continues to be confronted with Jesus’ revelation of God being better than our best interpretations. Christians often offensively so. God’s love is still better than we think, and He continues to challenge our best Biblical understanding with His goodness. 

I have been wonderfully offended by His goodness and because of His kindness and by His grace, I have thankfully repented. And my life is infinitely richer because of it!

I believe God is better than I think He is. And on the days when I don’t, I repent. And I am being transformed!

I am willing to be offended by how good He is. I am saying yes to His kindness and along the way, He continues to blows up my God-boxes. He continues to be better than my best thoughts, imaginations or biblical interpretations. And I continue to discover the freedom found in repenting, in rethinking.

I would encourage you to be willing to be offended by His goodness. To be willing to have your God boxes blown up. Not by religion or biblical interpretations, but by His actual measureless, generous, transformative kindness.

He is better than your best thoughts, imaginations or biblical interpretations. Truly.

So repent, rethink and revel in His kindness!

May you grow sure in love today.

NEWS:

In the very near future (weeks), I will be launching a new podcast called, “Rethinking God, with Tacos.”

We have already started recording and have some incredible interviews with amazing people like Brad Jersak, Wm. Paul Young, Chris Green, François Du Toit and more.

Stay tuned as we dive into discovering the goodness of God, with Tacos.