Tom Hardy & Jesus
A few days ago, I watched the movie Locke starring Tom Hardy. I don't want to ruin it for you, but basically it's a drama-thriller type about this Englishman, Ivan Locke, who is dealing with a serious crisis moment in his life. He is a concrete plant foreman of a very large company near London. It's quite evident from the get-go that Ivan loves him some concrete! At times he seems downright obsessed. It comes across a bit odd, yet intriguing nonetheless. Maybe it's just me, but I like seeing peoples' unique passions in life. That's what makes the world go 'round!
Anyway, there is a scene where Locke is on the phone with his key employee, explaining the details of their next concrete pour. In so many words Ivan perpetually reiterates, "It must be perfect!" Like a teacher to his student, Locke tells how the details of the building's foundation are crucial because any tiny error in the pour could turn into small cracks, which would lead to bigger cracks, which would eventually lead to the building's collapse.
Trust is like this. Small cracks of trust in our human relationships lead to larger cracks. A build up of cracks will finally lead to its collapse--relationship destroyed!
Our relationship with God can be like this. If you think I'm going to talk about how He can't trust us, I'm certainly not. If you think I'm going to talk about how we need to do better at trusting Him, no way. Focusing on either of those ideas is either flat-out wrong or just plain old stupid. Instead, it's our false view of His nature that cause the cracks. Here's what happened...
We've been told (mostly by well-meaning church people) these lies:
1. God can't look upon sin.
2. God killed His Son.
3. God relates to us and blesses us according to our behavior.
These lies cause us to wrongly see cracks in the goodness of God. A Father who is love at the very core of His being would have no reason whatsoever to not be trusted. Any reason we find that validates distrust in Him, is an illusion. This delusion reeks havoc in our everyday lives because it drives separation between us and Mr. Love.
Jesus is the ABSOLUTE PERFECT REPRESENTATION OF THE FATHER. Somehow, this isn't something that's taught too often from the pulpits, yet it is a truth laced throughout the Bible. I like to say, "If it ain't like Jesus, it ain't the Father." This is always a litmus test to determine what our Father is really like. Again, the litmus test is not 1) what pastors tell you, 2) what you've always believed, 3) what circumstances seem to reveal, or 4) even what some of the confused Bible characters thought or said. Jesus is the crystal clear mirror for our Father's nature.
"It must be perfect!" As Ivan Locke so rightly said about the nature of functional concrete, so we see in the Father as we rightly see who He really is by looking at the life of Jesus Christ.
Our Father is perfect love. This revelation disallows for the cracks of distrust to destroy the foundation of our relationship with Him. Knowing who He allows us to simply trust like a child. No cracks in our thinking. No cracks in our trust. Just seeing our good Dad for who he is.
This steadfast truth (brought to us by Mr. Tom Hardy) is one of the most critical and foundational principles for living in a constant state of bliss. By the way, I highly recommend the movie! :)
Anyway, there is a scene where Locke is on the phone with his key employee, explaining the details of their next concrete pour. In so many words Ivan perpetually reiterates, "It must be perfect!" Like a teacher to his student, Locke tells how the details of the building's foundation are crucial because any tiny error in the pour could turn into small cracks, which would lead to bigger cracks, which would eventually lead to the building's collapse.
Trust is like this. Small cracks of trust in our human relationships lead to larger cracks. A build up of cracks will finally lead to its collapse--relationship destroyed!
Our relationship with God can be like this. If you think I'm going to talk about how He can't trust us, I'm certainly not. If you think I'm going to talk about how we need to do better at trusting Him, no way. Focusing on either of those ideas is either flat-out wrong or just plain old stupid. Instead, it's our false view of His nature that cause the cracks. Here's what happened...
We've been told (mostly by well-meaning church people) these lies:
1. God can't look upon sin.
2. God killed His Son.
3. God relates to us and blesses us according to our behavior.
These lies cause us to wrongly see cracks in the goodness of God. A Father who is love at the very core of His being would have no reason whatsoever to not be trusted. Any reason we find that validates distrust in Him, is an illusion. This delusion reeks havoc in our everyday lives because it drives separation between us and Mr. Love.
Jesus is the ABSOLUTE PERFECT REPRESENTATION OF THE FATHER. Somehow, this isn't something that's taught too often from the pulpits, yet it is a truth laced throughout the Bible. I like to say, "If it ain't like Jesus, it ain't the Father." This is always a litmus test to determine what our Father is really like. Again, the litmus test is not 1) what pastors tell you, 2) what you've always believed, 3) what circumstances seem to reveal, or 4) even what some of the confused Bible characters thought or said. Jesus is the crystal clear mirror for our Father's nature.
"It must be perfect!" As Ivan Locke so rightly said about the nature of functional concrete, so we see in the Father as we rightly see who He really is by looking at the life of Jesus Christ.
Our Father is perfect love. This revelation disallows for the cracks of distrust to destroy the foundation of our relationship with Him. Knowing who He allows us to simply trust like a child. No cracks in our thinking. No cracks in our trust. Just seeing our good Dad for who he is.
This steadfast truth (brought to us by Mr. Tom Hardy) is one of the most critical and foundational principles for living in a constant state of bliss. By the way, I highly recommend the movie! :)
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