Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.
Matthew 11:6
As I get older, the older my friends and colleagues become. And with age comes experience. Yet I find that I find more and more often a phenomenon–jaded Christians.
Christians who harbor in their hearts deep offense at something. They were hurt by the church, hurt by leaders, misunderstood God, and now live life with skepticism to guard the hurt they once experienced in their hearts.
To be honest, it’s tempting to follow suit. It’s tempting to just fold my arms and scoff at the negative experiences I’ve had of God or of his church. It’s tempting to operate from a place of negativity. It’s tempting to just be by myself and let the world go and die.
But there’s a part of me that refuses to. It’s that child-like part of me that refuses to.
I read here how Jesus says this profoundly deep line where I rarely hear Christians quote. He says, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
Blessed is the one … who will still bless me even though they don’t understand. Who still blesses others then they’ve been hurt.
I want to remain in that place of continually blessing God. Sure, in the course of my life and in the future of my life I will not understand God. I won’t understand what he’s doing. I won’t understand why I am where I am. And I don’t understand why people around me are where they are.
But I refuse to think I know better than God. I will never let me spirit rise up to the place and point the finger at God and demand him an explanation for the circumstances in my life.
I want to be like a child before him. I want to be unashamed to believe in crazy awesome things. I want to grow up as an adult in maturity yet let my heart grow into great child-likeness.
I refuse to believe that the church is without hope. That she will not grow and shine on the day of Christ. I refuse to believe that God is done with us because he is not. The day he gives up on the church is the day I can, and truth be told, he will never give up on her until she becomes blameless and without blemish.
Oh God, make me a child before you. Don’t let me be a jaded Christian. Don’t let me take offense at what I think you are doing. I’d rather be ignorant and blessed than presumptuous and cursed.
