The Richland Church of Christ

Mowing

I have never been overly enthused about lawn maintenance. It is a necessary part of life and one that I do not want to get out of control. So, a homeowner must mow their lawn often or, at the bare minimum, occasionally. One of the first things that you learn about lawn maintenance is that you want to avoid mowing in the same pattern every time. I was always curious about this because why should this affect how I mow my lawn? How could it make a big difference?

Through dedicated internet searches, I discovered that you do this for two reasons. One is so that your blades of grass do not grow in the same direction. Two is so that you do not create ruts within your yard, although I believe it would take a long time for ruts to develop for a push mower. I could understand how this could be a problem for a riding lawn mower.

Reflecting on our Christian concepts, we sometimes find ourselves in a rut, following the same habits and viewpoints without questioning if we’re growing in the right direction. This is where the multifaceted character of God shines. He is perfect in every regard, balancing righteousness, justice, and love. His perfection is a harmony of these attributes and many others, inspiring us to strive for balance in our own lives.

It is essential for us not to place too much importance on any one of these characteristics over the other. Certainly, God is love (1 John 4:16), but He is also righteous and just (Deut. 32:4). Yes, He is just, but He is also love; His righteousness excels above all else, but it is impossible for Him to show favoritism. His righteousness exceeds all that we can imagine! If I believe I understand what it means to be righteous, it is only because God has demonstrated this quality. His justice is unparalleled; therefore, if I have any semblance of what justice is, it is because God’s justice has been perfectly revealed to me. And all of these are the same as love. God’s definition is not different than mine; my definition exists because of God’s nature. Each attribute is His very nature and cannot change or be diminished.

One of the best passages of scripture that highlights this perception is when God reveals Himself to Moses. Moses has asked to know God better, to “see” Him for who He really is. God permits this, and this is the descriptor of God. In this passage, these qualities of God are presented in language that we can grasp.

Exodus 34:6-9 ESV – “The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, ⁷ keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” ⁸ And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. ⁹ And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”

In this passage, we see each of God’s qualities: His love, righteousness, and justice. God holds the guilty accountable but also maintains a steadfast love. He always does what is right without denying justice to those wronged.

Whenever we approach a passage like this, we will always lean toward our preconceived bias. We can highlight the qualities we like and diminish the aspects we don’t. Viewing passages in this way puts us in a rut of how we interact with God. It gives us a skewed impression of reality—we start growing in the wrong direction.

When we approach any passage in scripture, let’s strive to view it from multiple angles. If we encounter a passage emphasizing righteousness, let’s seek out God’s love. Similarly, if we come across a passage that reveals God’s love, let’s not overlook His justice. This balanced approach will enrich our understanding and keep us engaged in our spiritual journey.

Many will look at a passage like John 3:16 and see only love, but if we look at the greater context of John 3:16-21– we should ask these questions: