Being in a union labor province, we're always reading about labor disputes in the paper. Very seldom do they go smoothly and it's often arduous, long and nasty with both sides leaving unhappy. But that's what it takes to get a good contract in our province right?
The Bible doesn't use the word contract ever. But it does use covenant language. And understanding covenants is crucial because it is miles apart from what our BC understanding of contracts are.
If we think of covenant as the same as contract, then we need to stand up for ourselves and protect our own interests - trying to get the most for the least from the other person - knowing that they are doing the same thing. The contract protects me from being taken advantage of and if the other party breaks their end of the deal, then the whole thing is off and I am free to do whatever I choose. Apply that kind of thinking to our walk with God and you'll see how we can get ourselves in trouble.
Thankfully, God deals in covenants. The covenant doesn't protect the individuals. It protects the relationship. A contract defines a relationship where there wasn't one already. A covenant exists to deepen and cement a relationship that already exists. Contracts are about ME. Covenants are about US.
We keep covenant with God to maintain our relationship not to cause it and not to hold it over His head when we don't get our way. Thankfully, God doesn't hold it over ours when we mess up.
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1 comment:
Great Blog. I like the contrast with union contracts. It does help understand the US side of covenants.
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