(unmarked journal entry – matthew 18)

i don’t think we understand, truly understand, the word ‘unconditional’ in our culture. unconditional love, unconditional forgiveness…we always have conditions on things. ‘if you will do this,’ ‘as long as you don’t do that,’ then we will act. we don’t want to blindly accept anything.

but when God tells us to do something, we have to accept it at face value. we have to take it for what it is, throwing out our wants and desires in the process. we can’t be ‘sure’ (from a human perspective) first and then act. but we can be certain that when God tells us to love or forgive or anything else, that it is time to do just that…

we don’t get to evaluate the situation first. we don’t need to weigh the options. following God means surrendering these ‘rights’ we think we have in order to live and act in a way that is truly pleasing to Him.

i can’t tell God to wait while i examine His plan. i can’t say that i don’t have enough detail, so He’ll have to wait. when the Creator of the universe speaks, we must listen right away, doing just as He says.

Listen up, Church!

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