Dancing With Jesus

As I read the following points in a Bible study last month, I was reminded of something I heard a pastor say several years ago – how the Christian walk should be a dance instead of a march:

• When we truly embrace the love God has for us, we begin to trust Him, and as our relationship with Him grows, we develop a great love for Him.

• Love for God allows our “religious requirements” to become relational joys. 

• What we once saw as duty has now become devotion. It is our delight to know Him and follow His commands. 

Embrace God’s love, grow closer and deeper in love with Him, experience relational joy, and delight in following His commands. Yep, sounds like dancing to me.

Of course we won’t always get this right, but God makes a way for that too. The Bible says, in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Recently I read that confession is being accountable for the ways in which we fall short of love. This made me think of how Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭37‬-‭40‬‭)

So in this light, repenting means that we turn from what was unloving to God, others, and ourselves (because how can we love others as ourselves if we don’t love ourselves?), and we step toward Jesus. We receive His love, rest in His love, and allow ourselves to be transformed by His love. Then we become a conduit for His love.

I separately read where someone was quoted as saying, “I tried so hard to be good. But God doesn’t need my goodness. He wanted my love.” It’s true. God doesn’t need our goodness, but we sure do need His.

And we receive God’s goodness when we receive His love and love Him in return. When we receive all that Jesus did on the cross to reconcile us to God. When we turn from our unloving ways and turn toward Jesus, receiving and allowing His love to freely flow through us.

Then, when we again find ourselves falling short of love, we simply again turn and step toward Jesus, allowing Him to turn our hearts toward love.

And we continue, turning and stepping, turning and stepping … until we find ourselves dancing. Dancing to a rhythm of mercy, grace, and love. Dancing with Jesus.