I was on my way to a speaking gig, and I was picked up at the airport by a fellow professional speaker. We had about an hour to drive, and as you might imagine, there was a lot of “getting to know you” kind of conversation. He was about to celebrate his 35-year anniversary. But how it had started was quite the tale.
He’d met his now-wife on a blind date and somehow had managed to so royally piss her off that she bailed out on the date, even finding her own ride home.
Somehow, though, he managed to get a second date. This time they went on a picnic, and while they were sitting on the grass the conversation turned to the worst things they’d ever done. It was like a game apparently had the objective of blowing the other person out of the water. In other words, it was something like “if you’d bail out on relationship because of this, let’s just figure that out now.” Interestingly, it turned into its own game of one-upsmanship.
“Really? That’s all? Well one time I…”
“Oh yeah? Well one time I…”
It turns out that that exercise broke the ice. Relationship – such as it was – was restored, or at least they figured out that if they could make it through that stuff, they could talk about anything. They were married six weeks later. And that marriage was now 35 years and counting.
I don’t know, but I have to imagine that somewhere along the way that that experience was a good reminder that they could work anything out. And in a way this is not unlike the confidence we can have in our relationship with God. At least that’s part of what Paul argues in his letter to the Romans.
Romans, you might remember, is some heady, chewy argumentation. Paul kicks off talking about the Gospel – the Good News – being the revelation of God’s righteousness, and then twists our brains about how His righteousness is found even in his wrath toward sinners. His perfect holiness is experienced as wrath in that that holiness can’t allow even one iota of impurity – like our sin, our junk – into His presence, but in the same fell swoop it also then provides us a way to reconcile. And hear what Paul says in chapter 5, verse 11:
Not only this, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation. Romans 5:11, NET
During this Advent season I’ve mentioned more than once that Jesus’ birth on that original Christmas day was just one historical stop on the way to finishing His work on the cross. And Paul lays out an explanation of how, just like sin came to men and women through one man, Adam, so also one man brings restorative life – Jesus. And did you catch who is doing the work?
As connectors, it’s really common these days for us to run into people who have consumed their fair share of self-help literature. And it’s not like it’s wrong to learn and grow in our own leadership or character or some skill at work or how we manage our emotions.
But one connection it’s useful – even necessary – for us to help others make is to the idea that Christianity is diametrically opposite of religiosity. Religiosity is “do this and you’ll get to God,” and there are whole lotta people who, not knowing any better, see Christianity as just another set of philosophical tools. Except that’s not what Jesus did. We have reason to rejoice in God through Jesus because it’s through Jesus that we receive restored relationship.
Oh by the way, in terms of sharing the worst crap you’ve ever done with Him…He already knows. He’s kinda God that way. Which makes it pretty awesome that He loved you so much that He said, “I’ve got you covered if you just accept the gift I’m offering. Trust me.”
And that, my friends, is one reason I love me some Christmas. I hope you do, too.
Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in communications, an award-winning author and speaker, and a passionately bad guitarist. ForTheHope equips on-the-go professionals with biblical principles to engage marketplace relationships with competent humility. On Twitter can follow him @RogerCourville and/or his podcast @JoinForTheHope, or get all updates by email subscription at www.forthehope.org.