A Maltese Perspective of the God Place
In 2014 we visited the lovely land of Malta and came away with a Maltese perspective of the God Place. In his blog post, Alton Costa shared his renewed understanding, which we share with his permission.
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”
Jesus in Luke 14:2
How can Jesus speak about hate when He is portrayed and acknowledged by many as love. Can love and hate co-exist? Doesn’t love mean to accept anybody and anything, for the sake of peace and serenity?
Many would say, “This is so confusing.” You have two choices right now in front of you. 1. You can either give up thinking about it and continue your life or 2. read this and sincerely reflect on the contrast Jesus is challenging you with today, in the situation you are currently facing.
God Created The God Place
God being the creator of all, created a special and sacred place within us all – The God place. This is that place in which ones finds true purpose and fulfillment. This place cannot remain empty and being made by God, He should rightfully occupy it. Since this sacred place cannot remain empty, failure to accept our dependency on Jesus (The creator and owner of this place), we will fill it with a God substitute.
This kind of substitute comes in various forms and shapes. It can be your career, your family, your husband or wife, your children, love for money, love for power, hobby, love for self-pleasure, etc. In other words, all those things that take the place of God. What I am calling God substitutes will certainly bring contentment, fulfillment, and a great dose of pleasure, but you will soon discover, if not yet discovered, that all this will be temporary. It is fit to tell that when speaking about an eternal God, even a lifetime is temporary.
God Substitutes Will Fail You
These God’s substitutes will, at one point, fail you. If not during your lifetime, they will certainly do at the point of death because they will have no longer effect over you as they will be gone once and for all, and then you have to face the true owner of that sacred place.
Using substitutes instead of the original explains these million and one religions and ideologies, depression, divorces, suicides, and many other ill facts.
Allow Jesus to Take His Place
That is why Jesus is using such a sharp contrast in Luke 14:26. In order for you to discover your true life purpose and everlasting fulfillment, He must be the only One filling that special and exclusive place in your heart, even to the point of having to go against what today you feel are the most valuable things in your life. If those things or persons are holding you back from allowing Jesus to take His place within you, then you have to hate them, that is eradicate them from your life and deny them the faculty to interfere with your relationship with the only One who can give you eternal life. All this cannot be understood unless you truly value your life and value its creator. You were not created for 100 years but to live for eternity. Now you know, act on it and do not leave it until tomorrow, because tomorrow might never come.
For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his life?
Jesus in Mark 8:36
Reflection triggered by a life-changing book by the name of Desperate Dependency by J.Kirk and Melanie D. Lewis.
Alton Costa desires to use Desperate Dependency as a foundation course for new believers in Malta.
Excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis.
Available from your favorite book retailers, including Amazon and Redemption Press. (As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.)
Would you like a more in-depth study of Desperate Dependency? Enroll now in our Teachable Desperate Dependency class.
Read more about Desperate Dependency: Finding Christ Relevant to Every Area of Life.
