We’ll Fly Away
Pastor Joanie Have you ever heard these phrases: “Jesus lives in your heart.” “Invite Jesus to be your personal Lord and Savior.” “It’s all about your personal relationship with God.” “It’s between you and God.”
What about these songs?
- Jesus loves me, this I know.
- I’ll fly away.
- I know whom I have believed.
- My Jesus, I love Thee.
- I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice.
These are phrases that I have heard and songs that I have sung over and over again in the church. These phrases taught me that my relationship with our Lord was strictly between me and God. In this small view, God’s love was between me and God alone.
But, as my faith has matured I have realized that my relationship with God is dependent on so much more. I could not have believed these truths by myself. The truth is our relationship with God is personal and so much more!!
For example, I would not have been introduced to Jesus without my family who took me to church and read the Bible to me. I would not have been interested in learning about the Bible if Granny Staton and Ms. Arthur hadn’t brought the stories to life in Sunday School. I would not have had personal encounters with God at camp without the support of a minister, fellow members of the youth group, and hundreds of other campers with whom I spent weeks out of the summer. I could not have lived out my faith on mission trips without building relationships with the people we served.
The truth is our faith is about more than a personal relationship with God. Our faith impacts the lives and faith of others. God’s love is greater than just me. God’s love is for all of creation.
Psalm 145:9 reminds us:
The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.
What if we sang more songs that considered God’s love for all? What if the lyrics were changed?
- Jesus loves us, this we know.
- We’ll fly away, O glory.
- We know whom we have believed.
- Our Jesus, we love Thee.
- We love You, Lord, and we lift our voice.
As we gather and think about our church family, let us remember that we are in this together. We depend on one another on this journey of faith. God’s love is not just about an individual. God’s love is about us…we…ALL.
Our personal relationships with God are dependent on how we relate to one another. The Lord God is good to ALL and his compassion is over all that he has made. Thanks be to God.