Closing Words: A Letter to All My Students

In case you have not heard the news, Geoff and I will be moving soon. We are starting a new chapter of our life…in Illinois, of all places!!! J A new chapter is always exciting. However, please know - We have no intention of ever closing the chapter of knowing and loving each one of you. We will always, ALWAYS be there for you. With Facebook and Skype we can always stay in touch, but even beyond that, we pray we stay personally connected to each of you. Knowing that we’ll soon be packing up and moving on, I’ve had a deep longing to give each of you a glimpse into my heart concerning you.

So, what words can I leave you with? First off – know that my prayers will not stop for you. I never felt very good at connecting with you guys on a ‘buddy’ level like Geoff could. I was always envious of Geoff’s ability to be fun loving and down to earth with you all. But know that no one ever loved you more than me. My affection for you, although different from Geoff’s, has always been poured out in the secret place of prayer. I have brought your name…yes, YOUR name…before God’s throne time and time again and I promise you I will continue to do just that.

It is actually from the place of prayer that I am writing this to you now. In asking the Spirit what I should say to you, I believe I felt led to tell you exactly what I have prayed for you tonight. I’ll do my best to put it into words.

As you walk with God through your life, there are two extremes that will pull at you. On one side is the extreme of Legalism. This is the side that says you have to work to please God; that you have to follow all the ‘churchy’ rules and traditions in order to ‘have it all together.’ From this extreme, you will sense a lack of freedom in worship, in devotion, in passion….even among other believers and even in church services. You will feel a frustration with never being ‘good enough,’ never doing enough to be right with God. This extreme of Legalism will try to put your walk with God in a nice, clean, controllable little box.

On the other side is the extreme pull of Lawlessness. This is the extreme that says to chuck off all the churchy rules and live however you want to live. Part of this extreme will say that GRACE covers every sin so keep on sinning because Jesus has already taken care of it. Another part of this extreme of Lawlessness will say that all roads lead to God so just ‘be good’ and God will take care of the rest. In other words, be a good person and accept all people no matter their lifestyle, choices, or religion and you’ll be right with God.

Legalism is all about Rules while Lawlessness is all about Rebellion. God has called you to neither. What has he called you to? His word makes it clear:

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to DO JUSTICE, LOVE MERCY, and to WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD?” ~ Micah 6:8

 

Each of you are facing a world of Lawlessness. For those of you in college or going to college, you are being bombarded with a ‘if it makes you happy, it can’t be sin’ message from Professors and from fellow students. For those in high school, it really is the same message. The gospel is being watered down into a feel good fable that no longer requires REPENTANCE from sin. Sin, itself, has become a dirty word. Lifestyles of compromise, perversion, and flat out rudeness are becoming acceptable and even applauded. American’s foundations politically, morally, and spiritually are eroding under your feet. So what is my prayer for you in the face of Lawlessness?

DO JUSTICE.

In a world where truth is diluted into delusion, God has given each of you the courage to take a stand. It would be really, REALLY easy in this day and age to just get washed away in the rising tide of moral haziness. Even in the church, where many Sunday School programs are watered down baby-sitting stations, it can be easy to begin to see black and white truths as confusing grays. However, I am praying over each of you for courage to DO what is RIGHT…to DO JUSTICE. Now justice does not mean to take up a sword and start a war. It does not mean to start heated debates and arguments with people you disagree with. To Do Justice means to take a bold but loving stand for Truth…no matter how unpopular the Truth is. Remember, TRUTH is a person. Jesus said, “I AM the Truth” (John 14:6). That means any time you truly take a stand for Truth – your attitude, your actions, your words will look like Jesus. To DO JUSTICE is to DO WHAT JESUS WOULD DO. In the face of compromise, do Justice. In the face of religious persecution, do Justice. In the face of abortion, same-sex marriage, racism, human trafficking, and yes – constitutional violation – Do Justice.

So, let me talk to all you church kids out there who are a bit angry, frustrated, or disappointed with the church’s attitude towards Freedom. Religion stinks. You bet it does. And, no doubt, you’ve had your fill of it. You’ve tasted and seen MORE of Him than many around you have. You KNOW that a relationship with God is more than a check list, more than making sure you follow traditions, more than boxing worship/devotion into a denominational experience. I get it. Trust me. You may believe that others in the church are just stubborn and even hateful at times. You may believe that they just won’t get it, no matter what. So, what does the Lord require of YOU, oh frustrated worshipper? What is my prayer for each of you? That you would

LOVE MERCY.

Here’s what I mean. YES, it may be true that you’ve tasted and seen a different walk with Christ – one that is free from religious traditions that bind you up. YES, you may think differently than others who have gone before you when it comes to certain man made doctrines. But haughtiness and frustration are not from God. Your ‘righteous anger’ towards other believers is not from God. True maturity in Christ is shown in the ability to be flexible, humble, and loving when others disagree with us. If you run into people who are crazy stuck in dead-dry religion, don’t get angry…simply LOVE MERCY. What do I mean? React in love. Give them room to be right…and….give room for you to be wrong. Even if they are in the wrong, Mercy always triumphs over Judgmental attitudes (James 2:13). You are called to mercy, so simply love the person and close your mouth in humility. Jesus is not only Truth…He is also Love. He is Mercy. Above everything, at the center of everything, at the bottom line of everything in your life, there MUST be love. If you are in a church service where you cannot worship freely, then simply Love Mercy – respect those around you and then when you are alone with God, let your freedom fly! If you have a conversation with a church goer who is super dogmatic over doctrine or tradition, then simply Love Mercy – listen to them and consider what they are saying. Then when you are home alone, search out answers in the word of God.

Notice that the instructions from God in Micah are not to LOVE JUSTICE and to DO MERCY. No. We must always love first and foremost. Our actions? They are called to be an outflow of that love. Of course, what ties these two things together is the HUMBLE ATTITUDE you carry in your walk with God. Show me someone who is angry at the church and I’ll show you someone who needs a Humility check. Show me someone who is angry at the world and I’ll show you someone who needs a Humility check.

Last but not least, my prayer for you tonight and in the days to come will be from Song of Songs 8:6-7

“Set Me (Jesus) as a seal on your heart, as a seal upon your arm. For Love is as strong as death…it’s flames are flames of fire, the flame of Yahweh. Many waters cannot quench Love, nor can the floods drown it.”

 

If you will set Jesus as a burning, flaming seal over your heart…if you will let Him be the fire in your soul, then you will absolutely LOVE MERCY. His Love will consume you! You will be more passionate in worship, in devotion, in evangelism….you will look more and more like Him. You will look at other people, and LOVE them like He does! And, if you will let that same fire be upon your Arm? Well, the ARM symbolizes ACTION…what you DO. If you let the fire in your heart burn, it WILL effect what you say and do. You WILL DO JUSTICE. You will love like Jesus loves, live like Jesus lived, and do what Jesus did.

My dear ones, embrace passion! Embrace it! Love deeply! Take leaps of faith! Stand up in courage! Embrace the cross of suffering AND the Joy of resurrection Life! I have told the Lord that I don’t want to lose a single one of you. I want each one of you to receive your full reward in the Day of God. When we all stand before Jesus in the Day of Judgment, I want a long, unbroken line of students to be beside me so that I can turn to Jesus and present YOU as my reward, as my inheritance. Yes – YOU.

I love you each more than you know.

Desiree (3 John 1:4)