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Leilani's Response
by Lieutenant Olivia Munn

 

Leilani is a grandmother, but you would never guess it because she looks 30.  Actually, I’m pretty sure she isn’t much older than 30.  She has the most beautiful grandchildren, and they are fixtures at our corps – they are the kind of kids who are here Sunday through Friday, and they would be here Saturday if we let them.

 

Leilani first came to the corps because her 5-year-old grandson invited her.  “How come you make us go to church but you never go?!” She recently shared that she’s not sure if she’s a real Christian. Not many people are willing to admit something so openly in the middle of a Bible study and I appreciated her honesty.

 

In Sunday school I asked, “How can we stay obedient to the Lord amidst temptation?” and Leilani’s response floored me. 

 

“Excuse me, Lt?  Can I answer? I just find that, for me, the more I read the Bible, the more I love God.  And then the more I love God, the more I want to do what He says, just because I love Him.”

 

Leilani is a real Christian. She’s discovering the beauty of holiness: that obedience flows from intimacy, not from obligation.

 

Imagine if your spouse wrote you a list of chores that you had to accomplish on a daily basis: bring him breakfast in bed, iron his shirts, wash his car, and rub his feet at the end of the day.  You would end up bitter and he would end up with a spouse who is emotionally distant.

 

Imagine instead if your spouse was the most wonderful person to spend time with.  He loved you more than he loved himself, and he listened to your every concern and feeling.  He cared for others, and poured out his life in ministry and service. You would naturally want to be kind to him, and you might find yourself doing the same things that were on the daily chore list, but not because you were forced to. You would be cared for and passionate, and he would be cared for and passionate.

 

Leilani’s relationship with God is like this. She is starting to live a life of holiness and obedience because she is starting to fall in love with God. Her holiness is a response to His beauty and His tenderness to her. Holiness is not outward actions only, but it is the heart on fire that motivates the actions. I want to respond like Leilani.

 

 

 

  

 

 

   

 

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