When my kingdom is at stake - my reputation, my quest for being loved - there is much to lose. Out of fear I commit myself to self-protection. Does this sound familiar? When the things we value are threatened, we protect them. In this case it is the same as protecting ourselves. The alternative is to lose my kingdom and be a simple servant of the Most High God. His kingdom is never threatened because he is all-powerful and he doesn't need anything from us. He calls us to love and worship him, but he doesn't need it in the sense that we talk about needing love and affirmation.
This should sound liberating to those who are in bondage to the fear of other people. When we see ourselves as kings who need affection, we are highly vulnerable. But as children and servants, we owe a debt of love to others. We were loved by God more than we loved him; there will always be that imbalance in our relationship. The only appropriate and healthy response is to treat others the way God has treated us. The result? People's (perceived) opinions don't have the same power to crush us anymore. Instead, we are less concerned about how we are treated and more concerned with how we treat others. Rejection may still hurt, but it won't control us.
- Ed Welch,
Running Scared, p. 188, 189
2 comments:
I've been meaning to read this book for a while. What a tease! LOVE it!
Thanks for the brief look into the book. I am adding it to my ever growing list.
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