Non-complimentary behavior and the image of God
Recently there was a story in the news about a dinner party that was suddenly interrupted by a gun-wielding man that demanded money. Now the dinner guests didn't actually have any money to give to the man (I can relate, believe me) and tried to dissuade him from carrying out his threats of shooting if he did not receive it through all means at their disposal. Nothing seemed to be working until a woman offered the man a glass of wine. Now it was fine wine, the likes of which he had never had (by his own admission) and soon the gun was back in its place and he was sampling the cheese as well. The man said something very extraordinary:
"I think I got the wrong place."
He then walked off into the night with a glass of wine and the experience of a dinner he will never forget.
Psychologists call this non-complimentary behavior where someone (the woman) acts in a way that is completely unexpected and totally changes a situation. I would expect the dinner guests to fight back, to resist the man, to clandestinely call the police or find some other means of force to diffuse the situation and stay alive. Rather than that she invited him into their celebration and offered him the finest of what they had. Her invitation was irresistible.
And so was His to me.
God is that to me every day. I have more than a tendency to resist Him through my sinful choices and lack of perspective. It is less of a tendency and more of an obsession of mine. But what does He do? He, every day, issues the invitation to me to taste and see His goodness, His grace, His mercy, all born out of His great love for me. Rather than that woman stumbling upon a fact of human behavior, she stumbled into the image of her God. She acted just like Him who, while I was still a sinner, sent His Son to pay my penalty. (Romans 5:8) Rather than harden Himself toward me in resistance, He offered His love. And His offer was irresistible.
I think I offended the wrong God. A lesser one would have cast me out. My greater God saw me as nothing less than a son. And he captured my heart with His non-complimentary behavior.
"I think I got the wrong place."
He then walked off into the night with a glass of wine and the experience of a dinner he will never forget.
Psychologists call this non-complimentary behavior where someone (the woman) acts in a way that is completely unexpected and totally changes a situation. I would expect the dinner guests to fight back, to resist the man, to clandestinely call the police or find some other means of force to diffuse the situation and stay alive. Rather than that she invited him into their celebration and offered him the finest of what they had. Her invitation was irresistible.
And so was His to me.
God is that to me every day. I have more than a tendency to resist Him through my sinful choices and lack of perspective. It is less of a tendency and more of an obsession of mine. But what does He do? He, every day, issues the invitation to me to taste and see His goodness, His grace, His mercy, all born out of His great love for me. Rather than that woman stumbling upon a fact of human behavior, she stumbled into the image of her God. She acted just like Him who, while I was still a sinner, sent His Son to pay my penalty. (Romans 5:8) Rather than harden Himself toward me in resistance, He offered His love. And His offer was irresistible.
I think I offended the wrong God. A lesser one would have cast me out. My greater God saw me as nothing less than a son. And he captured my heart with His non-complimentary behavior.
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