But you were captivated by your own beauty,
you used your renown to make yourself a harlot,
and you lavished your harlotry on every passer-by,
whose own you became.
Here is a verse for the generation of Instagram and the selfie. Yet it turns out that the risk of becoming overly self-involved is perennial. It is a risk particularly if we forget that great mercy and favor we have already received.
You were renowned among the nations for your beauty, perfect as it was,
because of my splendor which I had bestowed on you,
says the Lord GOD.
When our thanksgiving lapses the void is quickly filled by pride. We become ineffective disciples in this condition, too concerned about what others think. We find value in the opinions of others and not in the love God has for us. We end up stagnant, unable to love others or even open ourselves to receive love from them. What does God do to wake us from such slumber? He loves us in spite of ourselves. He loves us when we are the least deserving. He embraces us when we have done nothing whatever to earn it.
Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were a girl,
and I will set up an everlasting covenant with you,
that you may remember and be covered with confusion,
and that you may be utterly silenced for shame
when I pardon you for all you have done, says the Lord GOD.
God leads us out from the self-hypnosis that results from being captivated by our own beauty. He leads us back to our original purpose, to relationship, and to love.
He said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning
the Creator made them male and female and said,
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?
Unless we rely on God we will definitely fall back into the hardness of heart wherein the relationships to which we are called are impossible. But with God our gaze remains directed outward from self. We find that we have nothing to fear and more confidence than we could ever draw from our own resources.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
No comments:
Post a Comment