When you hear the phrase “spiritual work,” what do you think of? Attending church? Reading the Bible? Spending hours in prayer? It might surprise you to find out that our true spiritual work is actually something much different. Let me explain.
When I was a young teenager, I saw a tract that pictured Judgment Day as a court setting. Like the court scene in Hosea, presenting Israel’s crimes of unfaithfulness, this tract’s cartoon drawings pictured one person before God as judge. All of the defendant’s sins played on a movie screen above the Judge. This idea terrified me because not only did it make me think I would relive all my worst mistakes, but, according to the tract, everyone else on earth would see the replay of my door-slamming argument with my mother, the cigarette I smoked at a Girl Scout campout, my murderous thoughts toward the girl who got the high school honor I felt I deserved. Of course, all these years later, the film of my sins would be much longer and more horrifying. The movie might not be X-rated, but it would certainly be a long double feature.
God’s Mercy
We can be thankful that the Bible tells us that Christians will never
experience that dreadful courtroom scene. In the second chapter of Hosea, God acts as judge and jury to the people of Israel. But instead of declaring everlasting punishment and separation to the nation that sinned against His love, He offers love and mercy. In the same way, God declares to us, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Instead of raising the gavel and convicting us of all our offenses and failings, Jesus got down from the bench and accepted our punishment for us. And when we trust in His atonement, Jesus courts us in a different way. Like Yahweh calling out to Israel, He says:
Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
and bring her into the wilderness,
and speak tenderly to her. (Hosea 2:14)
Unbelievable. God desires me so much that He takes time to court me, romance me. He will arrange my circumstances so I spend more time with Him. He speaks gentle words of love.
Jesus Courts You
Christ relentlessly courts me. He never forces Himself on me, yet He always lets me know He is near, waiting for me to come to Him. He offers gifts of food and drink, clothing and shelter. He gives times of celebration. He offers the heady scent of lily of the valley, the azure shade of the twilight sky, the warm embrace of a friend, and the sweetness of a white-flesh nectarine as gifts of His love. He woos me, inviting me closer.
But sometimes I am more enamored with the gifts than I am with the Giver. I give credit to the gods of hard work and productivity for my possessions and forget about the true Provider. That’s when God may call me to spend more time alone with Him. Heartache, illness, or financial distress may enter my life so I realize my desperate need for the One who loves me. I finally become aware that the gods of productivity and materialism can’t supply what I truly need and they never did.
Then I go to God’s Word for His tender, loving words. I hear His Gospel message in Sunday sermons. I kneel to receive His Holy Meal and to be refreshed by it. The Holy Spirit may make me aware of my sinful ways, but He does this only so I repent, release the burden of sin, and hear Christ’s loving words of forgiveness. I quiet my heart and hear Him say, “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3), and “You are precious in My eyes” (Isaiah 43:4). He whispers, “My steadfast love shall not depart from you” (Isaiah 54:10), and “[I] rejoice over you with gladness” (Zephaniah 3:17).
Our True Spiritual Work
Theologian Henri Nouwen wrote, “My true spiritual work is to let myself be loved, fully and completely.” We tend to think our spiritual work looks like a long to-do list: read three chapters of the Bible, spend at least ten minutes in prayer, serve on the church committee, and volunteer at the homeless shelter. These are all good and wonderful things, but God wants each of us to call out to Him, “my Husband,” and open our hearts to intimacy with Him. The One who created us in His image and gave Himself up so we could live with Him forever asks us to simply receive His love. When we do that, all of the wonderful spiritual practices and works of service will come spontaneously.
God continually pursues you with His relentless love. Live like you’re loved, fully and completely.
This post is an excerpt from my new book God’s Relentless Love: A Study of Hosea. Delve into this unusual story of the marriage between a godly prophet and a wayward prostitute and discover how God continually courts you, pursues you, and desires to have an intimate relationship with you. Find out more about the book and download a free chapter here. Or order your copy at CPH.org or Amazon!