And only after other solutions have failed. I wouldn’t kill for hatred’s sake I’d only do it to solve a problem. Myself, or my father – whichever option proved most practical. “Where does character come into it? Just this: I’ve always been pretty sure I could kill someone if I had to. (Note: I settle for kicking it, but even then only after my best friend has–having seen all the enthusiasm and adoration for the story leave my face–already thrown it across the room for me.) When a book has been lovely for some 280 pages though, when I’ve loved its characters and deeply appreciated its imagery and whispered “yes” with conviction as an author explained racial tensions in beautiful ways, when I’ve stopped short of dog-earing several pages with perfect paragraphs, and when I’ve excitedly anticipated telling my friends all about the book so they can hurry and read it too, and then a book slams me with a jarringly transphobic ending that manages to be both surprisingly misgendering and incredibly unearned, that’s when I think about throwing a book against a wall. But throwing a book seems like a waste of a thing–particularly a thing I want to enjoy its tenure on my bookcase–so I avoid doing so. Books are for reading, for loving and hating, for remembering in convenient and inconvenient moments, for arguing about and defending. Forsaking Christ and His abiding life within for gold.I’m not the kind of person who throws books.
Still, how many, like Judas, turned away from the chance to live within the life of the Christ because they were enamored with the glitter of gold and silver? “Fool’s gold” may have its true meaning in that sense. Being able to dwell with Christ in our hearts truly is the greatest treasure we can possess. Like Moses, they have forsaken the pleasures of sin in this temporary life to obtain a better inheritance (Heb. They gave up everything they owned to buy that field that held a treasure. and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and ɴᴀκᴇᴅ…” The world would have looked at the Laodicean church and said, “Not THAT’S a church!” but Jesus was standing on the outside of their hearts knocking to see if any would let Him in. The church in Laodicea is an example of people who considered themselves rich and above the rest because they had tasted what the world considers good and successful yet when Jesus confronted them He said, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing. It is impossible to have a kingdom without Jesus. As long as they do not realize just how poor they truly are in comparison to Christ, there will be no place for Him in their hearts. Their self-dependence and faith in themselves made them the best in the eyes of the world and the last in the eyes of God. The world’s best and brightest are called last by God. However, within the kingdom of God it is the opposite. The author of Hebrews said of those who the world persecuted and despised because they followed Christ, “men of whom the world was not worthy”. A rich young ruler who the world would consider “rich in spirit” and successful was just after Jesus said, “The last shall be first and the first shall be last”. However, God says they will be last among these. All those who aspire to reach the top in this world – the movers and shakers, the influencers, the popular people, the dramatic as well as the intellectual and talented, the fighters, all these are considered worthy. The world considers those who are feisty, conniving, inspiring, and “on top of their game” as “Blessed”.
When we do come to Him, we are blessed in every sense of the word. Until we realize how empty we are, until we realize our need for Him, we will never come to Him. This realization is the first step in coming to Christ. The ones who know and realize they are spiritually bankrupt are those who see. People who are poor in spirit know their need for God.
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