Corona Devo 3178
I was at an on-campus university event with our son yesterday, and after the session, audience Q&A and tour, we had enjoyed a fruitful and enlightening visit, and we began to make the walk to our car.
But in a hallway, I met my "twin" in the form of a current university student. We weren't twins by appearance, as I am 5'8" and she said she was 4'5". I am light-skinned, and she was dark. I was walking and she was in a wheelchair and missing one leg. But besides those things, as she spoke, I found that we were exactly the same!
She was chipper, and kind, and full of life. I liked her from the start.
And as she warmly engaged us, we found out that this young lady had just finished her first year of college, and at (about) age 20, she then went on to give almost every piece of college advice that I give to my children, except she said it in a young, fun, hip, engaging way.
-Get involved!
-Join clubs.
-Be kind and respectful to professors...it goes a long way.
-Try new things and engage with people different than you.
We were the same (and gave the same college advice). I really liked her and felt God had placed her right in our path that day.
And then I asked her (on purpose) if she knew of any student Bible studies or Christian student groups on campus.
Something I could not identify flickered across her face, and she quickly collected herself and retorted that she "wouldn't know" because she is "pagan".
I smiled at her and said in truth and love, "God loves you, ____."
She recoiled a bit and said quickly back to me, "So does Aphrodite, and I am pagan."
She continued in chattering to us and tried to draw the conversation back to campus advice and well-wishes, but our connection now had a tear in it.
She met my eyes again and said, "Sorry--I didn't mean to offend you", but her tone suggested that she might have been a bit proud to have done so.
But she had not offended me. To see this amazing young woman misdirected and ignorant of God's true love for her (and instead directing her affections to an ancient Greek goddess known for love, beauty and sexuality)...this saddened me (not offended me).
And speaking in the truth of Christ, I (in kindness...and truth) told her so. "You didn't offend me, ____. And--God still loves you very much, whether you know Him or not."
She responded immediately, telling me again, "So does Aphrodite."
We continued in surface talk for another minute or two, but it was clear that our initial superficial bond had been broken by my adherence to God's Truth.
She was not aware or willing-to-be-aware of God's love over her yet.
For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. ~Matthew 13:15
However, as we parted, she looked over and told my son that she would "be on the lookout" for campus Bible studies when the new semester began, because she "knew there were some" and she would "give him details when she got them".
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. (5) The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ~John 1:4-5
I left feeling a little empty (for a girl who has been misled to worship "Aphrodite", a Greek mythological goddess of love) instead of the One True God who knows everything about her and Who loves her completely.
- And this is life eternal: that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. ~John 17:3
- For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. (14) I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (15) My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. (16) Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (17) How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! ~Psalm 139:13-17
But I also left our new friend feeling a little pitter-patter of hope in my heart because in standing-for Christ, and not-bending-to her false-idol, I pray (and believe) that we made (even a small) impression for Christ on her.
Christ's love includes and invites everyone. (For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ~John 3:16).
But the Truth of God does not allow space for untruths, false-realities and BYO-gods and goddesses.
- “You shall have no other gods before me. (4) “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. (5) You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God... ~Deuteronomy 20:3-5
- Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ~John 8:32
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.. ~I Peter 3:15
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, (10) so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, (11) filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. ~Philippians 1:9-11
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; (6) in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. ~Proverbs 3:5-6
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. (23) For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.(24) “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. (25) And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. (26) From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. (27) God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. (28) ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[a] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’(29) “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. (30) In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. (31) For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” ~Acts 17: 22-31
Blessings,
sarah
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