Category Archives: Love & Works

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September 1, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Love & Works

DON’T JUST DO THE RIGHT THING

Stop being mean, bad-tempered, and angry. Quarreling, harsh words, and dislike of others should have no place in your lives. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you because you belong to Christ. [Ephesians 4:31-32 (TLB)]

I sat reading my Bible and feeling just a wee bit self-righteous. After all, I’d spent the majority of the weekend with an elderly relative. I then read Paul’s words to the Ephesians and God convicted me. Yes, I’d driven her around, taken her wherever she wanted to go, helped her shop, and spent plenty of time with her, but had I been as loving as I should have been? I’d said nothing mean; I’d certainly been polite. There had been no quarrels or harsh words. I’d really done nothing wrong, but had I done everything right? Had I been as tenderhearted and kind as I could have been? Hadn’t some resentment crept into my heart because there were other more enjoyable and interesting things I would have preferred doing? I know I grew impatient at her snail’s pace and gotten a little annoyed at hearing the same story yet again. Hadn’t there been frustration at her inability to make a decision? Had I let any of those feelings sneak into my demeanor or tone of voice? Probably! Had I been as helpful, encouraging and caring as I could (and should) have been? Probably not! I deeply love this woman, but my heart and mind were more interested in me and my inconvenience than my love for her.

Father, thank you for pointing out our failings. Forgive us when we do the “right” things but not in the “right” way. Let your Holy Spirit show us how to truly love so we genuinely reflect your love in all of our behavior.

Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing. [St. Therese de Lisieux]

People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart. [Proverbs 21:2 (NLT)]

 

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August 25, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Love & Works

DO WE LOVE LIKE CHRISTIANS?

My children, we should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring. [1 John 3:18 (NCV)]

The Apostle John makes it abundantly clear that it is not enough for us to believe; we must both believe and love. Our Christian faith must result in loving behavior. If it doesn’t, there is something wrong with our faith.

We may not like everyone and God doesn’t expect us to do so. But he does expect our actions and words to reveal our faith and our love. Unfortunately, loving all the people around us all of the time can be extremely difficult to do. Loving people from afar seems a much easier concept than loving those we see day after day! Impersonal charity is often simpler than forgiving a brother or being kind to a neighbor. We often find it easier to write a check to a worthy cause than to make our daily words and actions reflect our faith on a personal basis.

We certainly won’t have affection for every person we meet, but we can have love. It is not our politics or words or even our knowledge of the Bible that identify us as Christians; it is our love.

All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other. [John 13:35 (NCV)]

 

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August 21, 2014

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God's Grace & Love, Love & Works, Money & Wealth, Obedience

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN GIVEN?

You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” [Acts 20:35b (NLT)]

As I perused a glossy magazine dedicated to the wealthy, I saw short pieces about men’s handkerchiefs that sell for over one hundred dollars, a walnut portable bar (perfect for when you’re out hunting) costing about $7,600, Ferragamo sneakers that go for $1,200, and a $67,500 watch that covers all thirty times zones! An article about a Moroccan hotel mentioned its rack rate (ranging from $2,250 to $50,000 per night) but the advertisements for cars and watches didn’t even mention cost; apparently, if you have to ask, you clearly can’t afford them!

What a relief to then read about self-made billionaire Marc Benioff who has integrated philanthropy into his company’s basic philosophy; every year it donates 1% of its profits, staff hours and technology to various charities. Since 1999, over $53 million has been given away, employees have volunteered more than 500,000 hours, and company software has been made available to 20,000 non-profits. Recently, Benioff challenged twenty other technology companies to pledge a combined $10 million to fight poverty in the San Francisco area. Within sixty days, three out of four companies approached had signed onto the project. Benioff’s next goal is to raise another $50 million from one hundred more businesses this year. He was understandably disappointed by one wealthy entrepreneur’s response to his request: “What have I been given? Why do I need to give back?”

We’re not billionaires and the amounts asked from us are a pittance in comparison, but do we ever respond as coldly? Do we ask, “What have I been given? Why should I give back?” Let us never forget that everything we have has been given to us by God. Our talent, skills, intelligence, looks, parents, race, nationality and opportunities are all gifts from God. Yes, we’ve worked hard and struggled to achieve but what we’ve accomplished has much more to do with God’s hand than our efforts.

Why do we need to give back? That one’s easy: because we’re told to do so! Giving, however, isn’t just a way to be obedient to God; it is also a way to honor Him. Perhaps the best reason to give, however, is because of the joy that it brings, not just to the recipient, but to the giver as well!

The real joy in life comes from giving. … That’s the grace that pays out every single day for me. [Marc Benioff in “Forbes Life,” Summer 2014]

What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift? [1 Corinthians 4:7b (NLT)]

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August 15, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Holy Spirit, Love & Works

A THORN IN THE FLESH

cactus (prickly pear) - NBG03270WEBSo to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. [2 Corinthians 12:7 (NLT)]

Paul wrote that he had a thorn in his flesh; some Bible scholars believe it was a physical ailment and others say it was a person. I don’t know which it was for Paul, but I do know we all have people in our lives who sorely test our tolerance and can even cause a rise in blood pressure. These are the people who, sometimes through no fault of their own, truly challenge our capacity to act as Jesus would behave. They try our patience, cause us to question our ability to love our neighbor, and test our capability to curb anger and tame our tongue. They challenge our generosity and exasperate, irritate, frustrate and annoy us. These people are what a friend calls our “Jesus meters.” Our behavior toward them is a clear indication of how much like Jesus we’ve become. Like Paul’s thorn, they keep us from becoming proud and self-righteous.

While it helps to remember that even the prickly pear cactus, with all its thorns, bears a beautiful flower and delicious fruit, the best solution is to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit and let Him guide us whenever we have a thorn in our flesh.

Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. [Ephesians 4:23-24 (NLT)]

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August 10, 2014

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Church & Worship, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Love & Works

WHEN ONE PART SUFFERS, WE ALL DO

Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. [Matthew 24:9 (NLT)]

This morning, while we sit peacefully in our churches and worship without fear, Christians in the Middle East are victims in a campaign of terror. Iraqi extremists are systematically wiping out the Assyrian Christians of northern Iraq, an ancient culture that converted to Christianity early in the first century. Offered the choices of abandoning their homes, paying an enormous tax, immediately converting to Islam or death, it appears that no matter what choice is made, death is usually the result. This is not a political forum and I can’t pretend to have any idea how to end this tragedy, but I know we can’t ignore religious persecution just because it is on the other side of the world. Something has to be done to ensure the rights and physical survival of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Action must be taken to protect the Assyrians, humanitarian efforts are desperately needed to aid the many refugees, and displaced families should be allowed to safely return to their ancestral homes. Please, remember these fellow Christians in your prayers.

Father, give courage, strength and hope to those who are persecuted because of their belief in you. Guide the world’s leaders to find a way to stop this campaign of terror. Guide us to know how we, as members of the Christian community, can help them in their troubles. Protect your suffering children and fill our hearts with love and compassion.

Not only do Assyrian Christians lay claim to some of the oldest literary, architectural, and geographical artefacts of Christianity, they also speak the language of Jesus. All of this history – along with the lives of thousands of families – is on the verge of destruction. Christianity is facing extinction in the places where it first emerged. [Op-Ed by Nuri Kino, in 8/4/2014 “Huffington/World Post”]

If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. [1 Corinthians 12:26-27 (NLT)]

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. [1 Timothy 2:1 (NLT)]

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August 2, 2014

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God's Word: The Bible, Love & Works, Obedience

WHOSE LAW IS IT?

Then he asked them, “Is it right to do good or to do evil on the day of worship, to give a person back his health or to let him die?” But they were silent. [Mark 3:4 (GW)]

“You’ll go to Hell if you do that,” was the judgmental pronouncement given to my friend because she would be the witness at her son’s wedding to an atheist. Whose law was that, God’s or man’s?

In Exodus 20, God commanded that the seventh day was supposed to be a day of worship and rest. By the time of Jesus, however, the religious leaders had made many additions to that law with complicated designations of what was considered “work” and what was “rest”. Except in an emergency, healing was considered “work” and unlawful on the Sabbath. Of course, there were more explanations of what defined an “emergency”.

Although Jesus knew the law, he healed on the Sabbath at least seven times. Which honored God more: giving sight to a blind man or ignoring his need? Which brought someone closer to God: healing a lame man or walking away from him?

Those two questions can continue to guide our behavior today. Which honors God more: being loving or judgmental? Which might bring someone closer to God: seeing His love in an accepting mother-in law or starting a marriage with discord, strife and disapproval? Demonstrating God’s love and grace is the best witnessing we can ever do. Jesus gave us the only two commandments we really need: love God and love our neighbor. They should always be our guide in every action; if we follow these two mandates, we can’t go wrong!

Jesus answered him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’” [Matthew 22:37-39 (GW)]