1 Timothy 1:5 English Standard Version (ESV) The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Years ago it was a common teaching that love is what we aim for and if we miss the mark we hav sinned. That is a guilt trip to those who are trying their best to love others. No one should be made to feel like they have failed God just because someone tells them they “missed the mark”.

Yesterday’s last line said “It is deflection.” Once we take aim and let that arrow fly we have done everything within our power. That arrow is now at the mercy of everything in the realm of the Prince of the power of the air. It can be deflected by forces that are no longer under our control.

Do not allow others to guilt honest efforts. We took a shot.

If there is anything that needs to be corrected in the way we love, the Holy Spirit will do His part to convict us of our behavior and correct our aim.

Psalm 139:23-24 English Standard Version

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!^{[cares] 24} And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

The footnote for thoughts was added to clarify the motivation of our thoughts, what we care about. There are nine Greek words for love and all of them are at our disposal. How we exhibit that love is more important than hitting a target we have no control over.

What if our aim was to love one person and we took aim and that love struck someone else? Is it possible that the deflection in that case served God’s will?

We should not say our aim has no effect.

Isaiah 43:18 English Standard Version (ESV) “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.”

Remember in the Hebrew here is zāḵar and one of the definitions is appropriate to this understanding. It says “to make a memorial”. Memorials are constant reminders of events that happened in the past. They indicate a part of life that has so much impact on your life that we should never forget them. It can be a form of worship. It can be a violation of “make no gods before me”. They can be glory days, or abuses we cannot put aside.

Galatians 5:24 English Standard Version (ESV) And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Think of it in this way; we are betrothed to Christ and have divorced ourselves from our old lives. We have chosen to love Christ more than our old lives. It is a stronger than “remember not” but softer than “crucify”. However we understand it, “remember not”, “crucify”, or “divorce” we have to understand the why is this “new thing”; Christ in us.

This new thing has been going on for almost 2000 years now and just as Israel had ancient history of relationship with God, we too can look back on Christian history and see what did not work because of abuses and those that strayed away from the Gospel.

The enemy of the Cross is still working in the world and has not given up on using our memorials against us. Nothing seems to undermine our confidence in obedience of faith than our former failures.

“You’re no better than they were!”

Does that lie appear in your memorials?

“You haven’t changed!”

Does that lie appear in your memorials?

“You’ll never be good enough!”

Does that lie get whispered in your ear?

Our memorials are nothing more than opportunities for the enemy of the Cross to keep our affections from Christ.

It is deflection.