I've Got An Idea
“I’ve got an idea…” That’s a phrase I like to use when I’ve had a breakthrough. Perhaps you’ve used it triumphantly while solving a particularly vexing problem or when writing a speech or mulling over the perfect Christmas gift for your in-laws.
“An idea has got me…” Now that’s a phrase that is rarely, if ever, used!
But big ideas have a life of their own and are able to move, inspire, and even possess people.
If you’ve ever come across an athlete who is driven to “be the best” at all costs, you’ve encountered this principle at work. A big idea can take over our thoughts, influence how we perceive our circumstances, and guide us toward predictable outcomes.
During the course of our lives, we encounter a cornucopia of big ideas that could change the trajectory of where we are headed. It’s amazing how the right big idea can find us at just the right time — providentially. “I could be a physician” or “Clean water really matters” or “I love helping kids” or… the possibilities are as vast and wide as God’s Kingdom.
We can also be taken with powerfully destructive ideas: “No one cares” or “Life is totally random” or “God isn’t really there.” It’s tragic when dark ideas take root and possess a life. Uprooting and discarding these negative, life-maiming ideas can occupy vast swaths of our adulthood. Exorcising the lies is one of the Holy Spirit’s top priorities for our transformation.
It can be so hard to cooperate!
There is one particular big idea, however, that I suggest you claim as your own this holiday season. It is simply this: “You are loved” or it’s close cousin, “Love will find you.” This is the best idea that can possess a person, and it’s also the Gospel truth. You are cared for by God and by your church family at Elmhurst CRC and by the people that you come “home” to for the holidays. You may be increasingly aware that your “home” is not 100% perfect, but you can still be 100% thankful for the good things that God brings your people. The same holds true for your work, school, or church community. The same even holds true for yourself.
“Love will find you” is the message that arrives in the form of Jesus on Christmas. God is willing to go as low as he can go —into flesh — to find the likes of you and me. At Elmhurst CRC, we’re actually trying to do a little less this December and create the gift of time and space for people to slow down and “be found” together. This is what Advent is for. Advent is for waiting. Advent is for acknowledging that none of us has it all together yet. Advent is waiting for the great Love to come. And so we wait for God to come and do his good work in us.
God’s Blessings to you,
Pastor Gregg