Council Community Church

Pastor's Corner

CONSOLIDATED LOVE 4-7-06

Nearly an age ago the University of Tennessee gave me a Business degree. After 4 ½ years they figured that the city of Knoxville had had enough of me, so they decided to get the ol’ Idaho redneck to pack his bags and head back west. I can’t say that I’ve made much use of that Bachelor’s Degree, but once in awhile I can see some practical use for it in everyday life and in eternal things. So during the month of April we’re going to be wrestling with the “business” of love and relationships.

Whenever an investment is increasing in value rapidly (appreciating) it is a beautiful thing (if you happen to own it!). Investors love to see rapidly rising values. But in any “bull run” there need to be times when prices level-off for a time (plateau), or even drop a bit. This is referred to as “consolidation,” and it is a necessary part of healthy growth in a stock or commodity.

Consolidation is a time when people who aren’t truly committed to an investment sell out and move on. It is a time when confidence is built, because investors can see that this company or commodity is really strong –in spite of the brief lull or setback - and headed for higher ground in the long-term. And it is a time when finances are being gathered to drive this investment to much higher values when it breaks out of this “flat” time. In reality, this time of consolidation is a healthy preparation for more major growth. The same is true in our relationships.

Are you experiencing a “dry” time in your marriage or your relationship with the Lord? Does it seem like all of the “zing” is gone? Are you feeling flat; as if your love-life has plateaued, or even declined in value? Does God seem distant, as if you were praying only to the ceiling rather than to your ever-present Master and Best Friend? Does it feel like the honeymoon is over? Good! That means that your relationship can consolidate!

When the line on our graph levels-off and we stop running on adrenaline, then we can get down to the business of truly growing in our relationships; whether with our spouse or with our God. When your quiet-time with Jesus seems more like a chore than an adrenaline rush, see it as an opportunity for Him to grow your confidence in Him. A confidence not based upon feelings or enthusiasm, but one based upon your communication with Him through good AND bad times; one based upon your secure position in His heart because of His shed blood.

When you would prefer to chew on broken glass rather than endure a conversation with your spouse, see it as opportunity to consolidate your love. When the most attractive course of action seems to be to cut-and-run from your marriage because the return on the investment of your life looks better elsewhere, be willing to hang in there during this “down-turn” in your relationship because you can still attain greater love in the future than you ever dreamed was possible.

The “irrational exuberance” of the honeymoon phase of any relationship needs to come to an end. It is then that true, deep, solid, consistent, profound love develops. “But I cry to You for help, O LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before You. Why, O LORD, do You reject me and hide Your face from me?...Your wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me. All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me. You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.” (Psalm 88:13-14, 16-18)

Can you hear the dark, “flat” time the psalmist is experiencing in Psalm 88? That kind of time solidifies our faith. It “consolidates” our love relationship with the LORD. In the very next Psalm we hear: “I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that Your love stands firm forever, that You established Your faithfulness in heaven itself.” (Psalm 89:1-2) Happy consolidating!