“The pursuit and desire for the whole is called love.”
~ Plato
So I’ve been reading “The Divine Conspiracy” by Dallas Willard, which is hands down the best book I have ever read besides the Bible of course. And you can trust me on this because I love to read and have personally read countless of books that will always be in my heart and will always continue to keep teaching me new lessons every day.
I saw the quote above on Twitter today and instantly I just knew I had to stop what I was doing and write. I had to write my thoughts out because this quote simply and beautifully captures the essence of “The Divine Conspiracy” by Dallas Willard, which is no easy task by the way. “The Divine Conspiracy” is a manual on how we’re supposed to read and interpret the Bible and especially Jesus’s own words and teachings. Dallas Willard’s only focus is to unmask all of the theological nonsense used to read and interpret Jesus’s teachings so that the reader can, for the first time, get to know and understand who Jesus really was and what His intent was behind every word He said; the essence of His teachings and how they were received by His followers and listeners. And the essence of Jesus’s teachings are to live with wholeness in everything we do; to focus on our hearts while we always strive to live kingdom-minded.
See, I’ve been going through this book very slowly making sure to meditate on every chapter and even every little lesson Mr. Willard brings up or should I say Jesus brings up. It’s a massive book that is rich with heavy philosophy that Mr. Willard personally learned from walking with Jesus Christ for so many years. Willard’s philosophy is nothing new and nothing old. It actually has no birthplace even though most would pin point its origin all the way back to the early A.D.’s right from the words of Jesus Himself. But Jesus’s philosophy on kingdom-living both here and now is eternal and has always been God’s intent for how we should walk with each other and with Him.
Now, Willard has been focusing on Jesus’s teachings from the Sermon on the Mount for most of the book so far (I’m half way through so far). And oh how he walks you through this sermon with such a fresh perspective. By the end of the Sermon on the Mount, you’re just hanging on every word Jesus speaks with an assurance that He is the most qualified man who has ever lived or will live to speak on matters such as this life and how to navigate through it with total dependence on the Father. He’s a genius! He’s the smartest man who ever lived and I have His timeless words right at my side to cherish as long as I live.
For me, I am now sure that Jesus’s purpose on this earth two-thousand years ago was not just to die for our transgressions so that our Father in heaven would be satisfied by His blood and pour mercy and grace on whoever gave their hearts, their whole beings, to His Son. Yes, that is surely one of His purposes but Jesus also came to give our lives abundance NOW! Right now! We don’t have to wait til heaven to be whole. We can be whole right now as long as we pour ourselves into Him who knows us best. Don’t you get it? Jesus knows exactly what you are going through. He not only felt the same pain you are going through right now all those years ago but He feels your pain right this very second. When you cry, He cries. When you’re exuberant, He’s there to dance with you and be merry! He’s alive and well or should I say more than well.
One of the key lessons I have taken from this book is that Jesus is not some far out, emotionless, cosmic, spiritual guru who rocked all of human existence by His ministry and then just left to never be seen again. Jesus is King of kings but He also willingly became the lowest of low so that we could be lifted up into eternal glory. When Jesus said “it is finished” while he laid broken and bruised upon that cross, was that supposed to be taken lightly by generations upon generations to come? Because if it is truly finished like Jesus said, then why do we still stress and fight to win His approval? Why do we desire to win His affection through cause and effect meaning I’ll do this and then this will happen and…THEN…the Father will accept me and Jesus will pay attention to me?
Let me ask you this: who would you rather spend time with right now? For me, the answer was always my family or some of my good friends. It was never Jesus my Lord and Savior. Oh have mercy on me Father! I mean I’ve pretty much chosen everything over Jesus. Jesus has never been my number one priority. He’s never been my best friend. He’s been my friend but not my best friend. But that is why this book has a special place in my heart now because I am starting to deepen my relationship with Jesus which in turn is doing two-fold: turning my ear to what the Holy Spirit would have for me and strengthening both my obedience towards and dependence of the Father. I have never in my whole life wanted to get to know someone so badly as I do now with Jesus. He is the most interesting spiritual being in the cosmos!
I find myself more patient when I’m chasing after Him. I am far less judgmental and condemning when my focus is directed towards Him. I do not hang on the approval or disapproval of others. Both their words of contempt and acceptance have no weight or bearing on my image or pride. I am who I am in Christ and I will try to always seek the approval of Him and not of man. Oh how sweet will it be when I hear those words, “well done, my good and faithful servant.” “Well done my son.” “You’ve finished the good, hard fought race Cameron.”
But I know that my sinful nature will get the best of me and my flesh will cry out for the things not of God. I know that even though I love Him, the very one who knit me in my mother’s womb, I will still spit in His face from time to time. I will let my pride get the best of me. I will disobey directly or indirectly. But…I will never harden my heart. I will never settle for present glory over eternal glory. I may slip and I may falter from time-to-time but because of the work He has already done in me, my spirit will never stop running towards him. To run in circles, I may. To even turn my back, I may.
But Jesus, I want more and I know where to get it; it’s at the foot of the cross where your blood was spilled. I declare once and for all that I lay my soul at your feet, the very soul that has always been yours in the first place, and I submit to your will. The very will that will align my heart with yours and make me whole in you.
Thank you Jesus.
I love you so much!
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