You see, sometimes, we push and push ourselves so far from God’s love, and we become convinced we cannot be brought back. We don’t need Bible studies or Bible verses tossed like grenades into our tender territory. We don’t need to know more about the problem.
We need someone else to incarnate the words from Scripture, to be the love we don’t believe in.
And I think this goes for most of life, not just times of suffering and grief. Rather than (or perhaps in addition to) starting a men’s Bible study/ministry on porn and sexual issues, stand side-by-side with men who struggle with this when Bible verses on purity ring dim, and show them the unconditional love the Father has toward them. Plow slowly through their issues with them.
Know a young wife who is navigating the strange new world of marriage? Invite her into your home—messy and teeming with children and never-ending laundry—and let her see you live those words about service and diligence and submission. Because when she reads Proverbs 31 on the page, she might be tempted to picture a woman who has it all together, when she can barely cook a meatloaf.
But if she can picture you—doing the hard daily work of wiping bottoms and burning dinner and disciplining with love and picking his stupid socks off the floor day after weary day without grumbling—then she will have a better understanding of what a wife of noble character is: a Jesus-woman, not a trophy wife.
And no, it doesn’t fit well with our lifestyle. It takes time and sacrifice, and did I mention time? But maybe if we can make baby steps in this, if we can stop relying on Bible studies and programs for the answers, maybe the love and truth of Christ can come be embodied in us.
The point is not to drop Scripture as our frame-of-reference for life. We need these holy words. The point is to embody them for others who cannot read the Scriptures and absorb the truths there.
Have you ever gone through a time when Bible studies or Scripture seemed hollow? Were there Christians who embodied for you until you believed again?
What else would this look like?
