If God wanted to stick me in hell, He would put me in Ikea for eternity. I hate Ikea. The idea of winding around in a maze and never being able to get out (or find anything) is something of a bad dream for me. Toby’s idea of hell is Katy Mills Mall on a rainy day. A football field-size mall of eternal shopping is certainly no man’s version of paradise. Everyone has some quirky version of this theme.
If hell is simply the absence of God, then there are plenty of ways that I am capable of creating hell for myself here on this earth. God doesn’t have to send me anywhere. I can get there all by myself. When my words and actions center on myself, this is hell. When I do not love my neighbor or myself, this is hell. When I compare the gifts God has given me with the gifts He has given someone else, this is hell. When I refuse to be thankful for even the smallest of blessings, this is hell. When I do not edify another, this is hell. The list is endless because the ways we are capable of separating ourselves from God are endless.
God wants us to be free. I know only one way to accept this freedom, Jesus Christ. When my words and actions center on His creation, this is Jesus. When I love everyone, this is Jesus. When I embrace and utilize my gifts, this is Jesus. When I am thankful for all I have been given, this is Jesus. When I speak words of encouragement to another, this is Jesus. He is our life. He is our truth. He is the Way to get us out of Ikea.
Today’s Prayer: Pray for everyone involved with Fellowship of Memorial. Pray that we would all allow Jesus to lead us.
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