 GoldenEye 007Love always perseveres 1 Corinthians 13:8 MESSAGE: GoldenEye is one of the most iconic FPS games of the late 1990s. It revolutionized a genre of shooters, and games like Call of Duty and Battlefield flourished because of what it accomplished. But, one particular mission in the game is worthy of throwing the cartridge against the wall and smashing it. When you have to escort Natalya to safety, while terrorists and thugs are trying to attack her, it becomes a nightmare. She will confidently walk into enemy gunfire and get you a game over. She has no self-preservation, and it makes for an awful level. But, you must stay by her side and tough it out if you want the good ending. The greatest test of love is not intensity or grand gestures. Love’s greatest test is faithfulness. Love is not allowed to leave a relationship, or it was never love to begin with. A raging fire of affection and warmth in a relationship is essential, but if it is going to leave when times get hard, it was never worth it. They say it is better to love and lose than never to love at all. That is comforting advice for dating or mourning a loved one, but it means squat in a bona fide partnership. That is why we need to be trained in the art of faithfulness. When we have staying power in a relationship, we can power through times when the emotions aren’t there or there is trouble ahead. Not every relationship deserves unending loyalty, mind you. If a significant other does you more harm than good, you should end it. If a business partnership makes you lose money and question your ethics, you should terminate it. God has more than a fleeting friendship (look it up) with us. He enters a covenant with his children and promises to stick around until the end. Even after you commit the worst sin, God has never considered leaving you. While God’s presence can be distant (for good and bad reasons), it is in his character to stay with you. As imitators of Christ, we must mirror this love in our most important relationships. REFLECTION Research: Ruth 1:11-13, 16-18 Ruth and Naomi are in a foreign land with no husbands or a future for their families. Although they are not related by blood, Ruth makes a bold choice. How does she show persevering love? What hope is there in staying in a relationship with ups and downs? Why is it a mistake to leave a relationship sometimes? Which of your sins (in the last 30 days) would be proper grounds for God to leave you and never come back? How does God prove that he won’t leave you? |
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The Checkpoint: GoldenEye 007 and Escorting Loved Ones
The Checkpoint Blog 