“What if I tell them?” The New Testament Gamble

What if I tell them who they are?
What if I take away any element of fear in condemnation, judgment or rejection?
What if I tell them I love them, will always love them, that I love them right now, no matter what they’ve done, as much as I love my only Son, that there’s nothing they can do to make my love go away?
What if I tell them there are no lists? What if I tell them I don’t keep a log of past offenses, of how little they pray, how often they’ve let me down, made promises that they don’t keep?
What if I tell them they are righteous, with my righteousness, right now?
What if I tell them they can stop beating themselves up? That they can stop being so formal, stiff and jumpy around me?
What if I tell them I’m crazy about them? What if I tell them, even if they run to the ends of the earth and do the most horrible, unthinkable things, that when they come back, I’d receive them with tears and a party?
What if I tell them that I am their Savior, they’re going to heaven no matter what—it’s a done deal?
What if I tell them they have a new nature—saints, not saved sinners who should now ‘buck up and be better’ if they were any kind of Christians, after all He’s done for you!
What if I tell them that I actually live in them now? That I’ve put my love, power, and nature inside of them, at their disposal?
What if I tell them that they don’t have to put on a mask? That it is OK to be who they are at this moment, with all their junk. That they don’t need to Pretend about how close we are, how much they pray or don’t, how much Bible they read or don’t?”
What if they knew they don’t have to look over their shoulder for fear if things get too good, the other shoe’s gonna drop?
What if they knew I will never, ever use the word “punish” in relation to them?
What if they knew that when they mess up, I will never ‘get back at them’?
What if they were convinced that bad circumstances aren’t my way of evening the score for taking advantage of me?
What if they knew the basis of our friendship isn’t how little they sin, but how much they let me love them?
What if I tell them they can hurt my heart, but that I never hurt theirs?
What if I tell them I kinda like Eric Clapton’s music too?
What if I tell them I never really liked the Christmas hand bell deal with the white gloves?
What if I tell them they can open their eyes when they pray and still go to heaven?
What if I tell them there is no secret agenda, no trapdoor?
What if I tell them it isn’t about their self-effort, but about allowing me to live my life through them?

What if I tell them?

— The New Testament Gamble by John Lynch.

The Wisdom of John Eldredge:

I’d like to share some selected snippets and quotes from the writings of John Eldredge, one of the most inspiring Christian authors I have ever read.

“You cannot be the person God meant you to be, and you cannot live the life he meant you to live, unless you live from the heart.”

“This whole creation is unapologetically wild. God loves it that way.”

“[We] were created to reign over the earth, to explore and discover and create and do all those things you see people do when they are at their very best. That is our destiny.”

“A sacred romance calls to us through our heart every moment of our lives. It whispers to us on the wind, invites us through the laughter of good friends, reaches out to us through the touch of someone we love. We’ve heard it in our favorite music, sensed it at the birth of our first child, been drawn to it while watching the shimmer of a sunset on the ocean. This longing is the most powerful part of any human personality, It fuels our search for meaning, for wholeness, for a sense of being truly alive. However we may describe this deep desire, it is the most important thing about us, our heart of hearts, the passion of our life. And the voice that calls to us in this place is none other than the voice of God.”

“When we choose not to hide, when we choose to offer our hearts, we are choosing to love. Our focus shifts from self-protection to the hearts of others. We offer beauty so that their hearts might come alive, be healed, know God. That is love.”

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

— John Eldredge