Inconsistency

Sometimes I get all worked up because life isn't consistent. People are consistent. Nothing every follows the rules and there are exceptions to most rules.

Then I realize that I am really upset at myself because I am not consistent.

Like tonight. I was ranting because the reformed church seems to focus so much on the law and getting things right and not really paying attention to what separated them from the Roman Catholic Church in the first place - salvation through faith alone.

Then I realized that in my rant, I was focusing on the "law of how things ought to be", and not extending the grace and love that I wanted the church to emulate.

So guess what? Life is messed up. People aren't perfect and even the Body of Christ will let you down. The focus is always out of focus and rarely can anyone see clearly.

But into that messed up world, Jesus came. He "broke rules" of nature, of the order of things, of how things "ought to be." Think of it, "a virgin shall be with child," "the blind shall see, the lame walk," and "the dead shall rise again." He talked and played with children. He cleared out the temple. He spoke to a Samaritan woman. And He was perfect, did nothing wrong, but died as a thief and liar.

And in that messed up world, Jesus loved. And it was his love that broke the boundaries. That love clarified what ought to be and separated it from what people thought it ought to be. His love showed us that inconsistencies in life are opportunities to love.