Love Is the Greatest Motivator

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/220279254/

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." -Galatians 6:9 & 10

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." -1 Corinthians 13:13

Do you ever find yourself hunting for motivation some days? The drudgery of life can sometimes make us wonder why we try so hard. Even though some people may have better circumstances than we do, and others may have worse, everyone struggles with a lack of motivation at one point or another. But, what motivation can we rely on that will sustain us through the bumps and curves of life?

When God thought us up before we were born, (Jer 1:5) He knew everything we would need to make the most of our lives here on earth. He knew what we would need to sustain us - He knew what we would need to make our lives count. Most of all, He knew we would need to stay connected to Him, and be sustained by His everlasting love and the salvation of His Son.

Have you ever been in love, or seen someone in love? You'll know that that person will go to any great lengths to show their love to the object of their affection. Love is extremely motivating! Love makes it known that the other person matters to you, a great deal. We feel the most alive when we are in love, or when we feel truly loved by someone we know, love, and trust. How much more are we motivated when we realize that we are the sole object of God's (the author & creator of the Universe) unwavering affection?

Because He loved us, we love others. When we are reminded of His love, we find the motivation we need to serve and bless others with our gifts and talents. Even if we don?t think we have anything to offer, God makes it clear that each thing He creates is valuable - person, creature, or tree. And we are most of all valuable to Him, even more than the sparrows. (Matt 10:31)

Do you need motivation today? Soak up God's promises in His word that He loves you. He wants nothing more than for all of His children to know, receive, and experience His love!

Quieting Our Souls

"The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."  Zephaniah 3:17

Have you ever felt super stressed out?  Have you ever had a HUGE deadline, or had to do something you were afraid of, or do you have a pressure-filled job?  The world we live in is very much pressure and money driven.  So, how do we find peace and rest for our souls in these types of pressured environments? 

I love the verse above.  There is so much to meditate on.  The prophet Zephaniah is talking about what God is thinking about Israel.  Though they have been away from God, He plans to straighten them out a bit, and then bring His love back to them.  "He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love."  Isn't that such an incredible statement?

The prerequisite for this "quietness through love" is humility.  It says in the previous verses,  "Those who are left will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord.  The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will never tell lies or deceive one another. They will eat and sleep in safety,  and no one will make them afraid."  (v.12-13)

If we try and try and try in our own strength, we're living in strife and flesh.  We won't experience "rest."  But, if we are able to humble ourselves and put God first, He will provide rest and quietness for our souls.

Are you able to receive God's quieting love?  Spend some time with Him today, and allow Him to quiet your soul.  There is no greater refreshment than being filled with Him. 

Transactional vs. Relational Leadership

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." -John 15:13

Many a book has been written about the servant leadership Jesus modeled.  He said in a famous verse, "...he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves." -Luke 22:26  But, what was so special about the way Jesus led His followers?

Ford Taylor is a leadership consultant who trains leaders of leaders, and is involved in community transformation in the state of Ohio.  He teaches something called "transformational leadership", which is basically developing a relationship with someone to such an extent that they actually want to do whatever it is the leader is asking them to do.  This is also called relational leadership.

Businesses and other organizations cite fewer problems, higher revenue, and much less turnover by employing his principles.  Building relationship as being primary in leadership isn't a new concept:  Josh McDowell, the well-known youth leader and apologist has said, "Sharing truth without relationship leads to rejection. Discipline without relationship leads to anger."
 

Do you think the disciples wanted to follow Jesus?  Nobody was making them follow Him.  In fact, Jesus didn’t even pay them.  Through His relationship with the disciples, Jesus was able to change their minds about a lot of things, including who He was.  He was king of the Jews, even though He wore no crown, had no castle, and had no horse to ride upon.  But, He developed such a relationship with the disciples that they would have followed Him anywhere, and they would have died for Him.  Many did die for Him, after they realized who He was and that He first died for their sins.  It really was quite profound.

Is relational leadership something you employ?  Think about ways you can motivate those you serve by being more focused on building relationship.

The Language of Heaven

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14-16
 
A couple of friends of ours came into town for one of our conferences. Afterward they stayed with us as we debriefed from what happened during the event. The question was asked, "From an outsiders' perspective, what do you think we could have done differently?"

"Talk more about forgiveness," one of them said. "Ah," our other friend at the table said. "The language of heaven."

Forgiveness is so hard sometimes. How can the unforgiveable be forgiven? A molested child, a cheating spouse, murder, neglect - these are difficult things that happen. Even smaller offenses can create huge wounds, too big to heal even with the words, "I'm sorry." But what are we going to do with wounds and offenses when they happen? Certainly a grieving process needs to occur. But what will our end response be? 

I read an article where a young woman was describing how her mom and brother were killed in a terrible shooting perpetrated by the U.S. government. Her mother and 14-year old brother were shot before her eyes as a 16-year old teenager. Her mother had been carrying her baby sister in her arms when she was killed. It took her 10 years to grieve. She says, "I was afraid to laugh because you're betraying their memory. I lived as a prisoner of depression for a long time." But finally, she chose to let go and forgive the perpetrators.

"I hit rock bottom," she said. "I opened up my Bible and read John 3:16. Jesus made himself very real to me. He started healing me of all my pain. No one drug me to a church and started hitting with the Bible. It was more real to me even than (the incident). I feel like a huge weight's come off my shoulders... The anger you hold for someone else imprisons you and keeps you from helping others," she said.

Wow. I pray that we are all able to speak 'the language of heaven', no matter the offense, and let Jesus our Healer heal every wound that's ever been inflicted upon us as we make the choice to forgive.


Source: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/sep/09/woman-forgives-federal-agents/

Arrested Development

Photo credit: http://izoooba.deviantart.com/art/Sad-Kid-244199365

"When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things." -1 Cor 13:11
 
Dr. Paul Hegstrom is the author of a book called Broken Children, Grown Up Pain. A psychologist himself, Dr. Hegstrom describes a phenomenon known as "arrested development", in which people are emotionally stunted due to past childhood traumas that occur before the ages of 9 and 12 years old. 

I went through a biblically-based training he developed called Lifeskills, and the knowledge and revelation I received was truly life-changing. Traumatic experiences are classified as emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, neglect, and excessive rejection. When these experiences happen when we're young, we take them in as truth. "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." -Proverbs 22:6 The enemy's lies about us and our identity can get planted very early - limiting us from being able to receive God's love for us and understand our true identity and calling in Him. 

Dr. Drew Pinsky, famed celebrity psychiatrist and host of the show Loveline also describes this phenomenon happening in our culture today, as it relates to the increasing trend of narcissism: "As I continue to talk with these people {celebrities}, they usually reveal childhood experiences that were clearly traumatic - the kinds of damaging episodes that are at the root of narcissistic disorders." pg. 106, The Mirror Effect 
 
But, there is good news! God can heal us of any kind of wound we may have experienced during our growing up years. "Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard."  - Isaiah 58:8 

Can you see any areas where you might be arrested in your emotions? Can you see where others might have had some wounds in their past? Pray and ask God to help to heal you in these areas, and that you also might be a healing force in the life of someone else. Our heavenly Father desires that we be healed of any lie from the enemy, so that we can grow strong in our faith and know His love, be free from our wounds, and come to full maturity in Him. His love never fails. (1 Cor 13:8)

Don’t Sell Out! (Purpose vs. Provision)

"For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God." -Col 3:3

In life, there is a great temptation to go for the next big thing:  the next big business, the next big degree, the next big job opportunity.  But in the kingdom, things are different.  God works quite differently than we do, His ways are higher than our ways.  (Is 55:9) Sometimes the thing that looks the best may not be the best for us - the best that God has in mind.

Sometimes we can get stuck seeking provision first, instead of seeking our Provider.  Sometimes we can get stuck seeking out approval or affirmation from people, instead of going to God first and experiencing His love. Other times we’ll see our value in our accomplishments, instead of seeing that God created us with value, before we ever did anything to deserve it.  Our value is built upon His love for us.

We can so easily sell out and miss our purpose by seeking other things before God’s will in our lives.  What is He doing? What is He saying?  Jesus said He only did what He saw the Father doing - nothing more, nothing less.  (John 5:19)

Are we seeking God's kingdom first? (Matt 6:33) Are we putting His purposes first before seeking out provision?  God will make sure our needs are met when we put His kingdom first.  God has all the answers we need for our business, our ministry, our relationships, our finances, and our personal lives.

Today, avoid "selling out" in your calling by putting Him first.  We will experience so much peace and life by keeping Him at the center of our lives, fulfilling the purpose He gave us to do.

Portals of Heaven

"But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative - that is, the Holy Spirit- he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”"-John 14:26&27

 

For too long, there have been too many inaccurate representations of God.  These representations would lead people to believe that God is judgmental, cold, unloving, and uncaring.  This has brought division in the body of Christ, and most of all, kept people away from the truth of God’s nature.  

I believe it is time for His true representatives who have His nature within them to stand up for the truth of God’s character, reflecting His nature throughout the earth.  In order for people to really know who God is and be able to choose the real Him, they need an accurate representation of who He really is.

The Bible says that we as Christians are to be His representatives, reflecting Him throughout the earth.  When we utilize our gifts, He is glorified.  We shouldn’t just be sitting in a pew on the sidelines - we should be out in the world, using the gifts He gave us to bring heaven’s culture to earth! 

But, in order for us to do that, we need a true revelation of God.  We need a true revelation of His creativity, His character, His grace, and most of all, His love.

What should this culture of heaven look like?  Well, we know that God is love, (1 John 4:8) God is creative, (Gen 1) and He is unlimited (Ephesians 3:16).  We know that the “fruit” of God in our lives is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22 & 23). So that must mean heaven is a pretty awesome place!  

“You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” -John 14:13

Are you bringing God’s kingdom to earth through your gifts and talents?  I pray that each of us can use what God has given us, so that we can bring glory to our Father in heaven. 

Love One Another

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." -John 13:34&35
 
Life can get stressful at times. The bills need paying, the job is insane or isn't quite what we hoped for; the kids are running around crazy, we've gotten a cold. During these times of pressure is when we're pushed to our limits-and our true colors show. Whatever is in us comes out of us - and it can be quite revealing - and embarrassing. 

But what we need to remember during these times of pressure is what really matters. Seeds may have been planted early on in our lives to suggest we're nothing without stellar performance, we're nothing without money, we're nothing without achievement, we're nothing without beauty & a sleek physic. Yes, these things are nice to have, and we should set goals for our lives. But the reality is, without LOVE, it means nothing. 

What remains in our lives after we're gone and all is said and done is our love for others. The Bible says only three things will remain - faith, hope, and love- the greatest of these being love. So the next time we are tempted to think our performance is what matters, the amount of money that we make is what matters, or how much we've achieved is what really makes us count, we need to think again. Love is the only thing that truly matters. Have love, and we win the world over. Lose love, and we lose all that Jesus died for. 

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." -1 Cor 13:13

Fighting with Light

“for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?” -1 Cor 3:3

Have you ever been short or ill-tempered with somebody?  I know I have, and I am not proud of it. We can say we are Christians but we still have bad days - days where we’re tired or stressed out, days where it doesn’t seem like anything is going right.  It is during those days where we can easily succumb to our flesh, or we can choose to let God flow through us in the midst of the challenges we face. 

The Bible talks about the kind of weapons we use as the redeemed of God. Our weapons are not the same as the world’s.  “On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”  1 Cor 10:4  Every day, we have a choice to make - to fall back into the defenses of our flesh or deciding to trust God and let Him take over, letting ourselves be influenced by His Holy Spirit.  We realize it’s not up to us to change something - we just need to be obedient and let God work. 

The enemy wants nothing more than to get under our skin - to kick us into our flesh so that we will sin.  That is his ultimate goal - to keep you and me from the victory zone God intends for us! 

We can’t fight flesh with flesh if we are going to win a spiritual war.  We have to let the Spirit flow through us in order for the light to overcome darkness.  All that has to happen for darkness to flee is for true light to shine.

Are you fighting with God’s love and light today?  Let God’s spirit flow through you, so that every day you can walk in His wonderful mercy, grace, peace, love, truth and joy. 

What the World Needs Now

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." -John 3:16
 
What does the world need now? We could brainstorm all day about what we think the world needs- less war, more peace, less poverty and certainly less problems. But how on earth can we solve all of them?

You've probably heard the above verse at one time or another, if not a hundred million times. But instead of reading the words "only begotten Son" I want you to imagine your name there. "For God so loved the world that he gave 'Mary', that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." -John 3:16

How does that sound to you now? It's a little daunting isn't it?

Now I don't want you to think I'm being sacrilegious here - Jesus was perfect and He paid the ultimate sacrifice. But what if we took the words "you will do greater things" (John 14:12) seriously? What if we really took Gods promises to heart and said, "I am God's chosen- the earth is mine, heaven is within reach, and hell is beneath my feet", what would happen then?

The truth is, you ARE what the world needs now. Your talents, your gifts, your abilities, your dreams - the things that make you alive, will in turn make the rest of the world alive. As you speak with the unique voice God has given you, people will turn their heads, because they will recognize the truth, an authentic voice who has discovered who it really is and it's true source; it's true north.

So whatever problem you are called to solve (the thing that perhaps agitates you the most or is your greatest passion) I pray you go out there and solve it. Whatever dream you have (that you can't stop thinking about) I pray that you go pursue it. Whatever obstacle you face (that keeps on getting in the way) I pray that you slay it. And by doing so, you will have liberated others to pursue the dreams that God has called them to pursue, too.

Don't get comfortable! Your life is waiting for you. What the world needs now is you.

Paths of Righteousness

"The LORD says, 'I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.'" -Psalm 32:8 NLT

 

Did you know that when we develop habits or thought patterns, we actually begin to create a "rut" in our brains?* That's why habits can become so hard to undo! It's also the reason addictions can be so difficult to break free from. 

But, when we chose to live for God, He promises to lead us along the best pathways for our lives. All of this involves learning how to make good choices, have good habits, good boundaries, and live a peace-filled, love-filled, joy-filled life, serving Him. 

When I was younger, I had a lot of depression, and a poor self-image. I couldn't understand why anyone would like me! But when I started learning more about God and what He thought about me, I realized I didn't need other people's approval to feel secure. In effect, God was re-wiring my brain to have a more accurate understanding of how He saw me and how He made me. And what a difference it made! Some of this involved un-wiring the lies the enemy had placed in my mind, and replacing the negative thought patterns with God's truth. When I discovered the roots of these beliefs and allowed God to fill them, I didn't struggle with depression any longer. 

Are there any negative thought patterns or paths the enemy has led you down? Ask God to heal your heart and mind so that you can experience a greater level of His love and peace. God desires that we align our minds with His. 

"He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name." -Ps 23:2-3 NLT

*For more on this, see Paul Hegstrom's book, Broken Children, Grown Up Pain.

Measures of Love

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"Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” -Matthew 6:18

Have you ever thought about what heaven will be like?  I have heard many stories about people visiting heaven, and it is all very cool to think about! 

One thing I often think about is how much our actions here on earth make a difference, and what they mean in terms of eternity.  Though we don’t know for certain until we get to heaven, the Bible does say, “Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt 6:20) and “And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as ‘foreigners in the land.’” (1 Peter 1:17)

What does this all mean?  I think it has to do with what we do with what we’ve been given.

There is a story in a book by Rick Joyner, called The Vision.  In this book, he describes a vision he is having with Jesus in heaven, and he is shown the life of a man named Angelo. 

Angelo was a homeless man, who was deaf and could not speak.  When Angelo saw a kitten on the street, it took all the willpower he had not to kick it; he instead nudged it out of the way. As a child, Angelo was abused and kept in a cold, dark attic until the authorities found him at eight years old.  He then went into a series of foster care homes, and finally, the streets.

The author was shown a vision of another man who was very zealously serving God, teaching the Bible, and praying for the sick.  However, God was more impressed with Angelo, and now that Angelo was in heaven, he was seated in a place reserved for martyrs and kings.

Jesus shared that the second man had been raised in a great family, and had gone to one of the best Bible colleges in the country, but he was only using 75 measures of the 100 portions of love the Lord had given him.  The Lord had given Angelo just 3 portions of love, and it had taken Angelo all 3 to keep from hurting the kitten. 

Eventually, Angelo learned to read from a gospel tract he had been given, and he got saved. God doubled his shares of love, and he used all of them to stop stealing food even though he often went hungry, and he earned money by selling bottles or doing yard work.  God again multiplied his love, and Angelo spent half of everything he earned to buy tracts.  Angelo finally led one other homeless person to the Lord before he died, keeping a wino warm on a cold night.

Things are often not as they seem.  Are you using all of your measures of love?

Love with No Agenda

"For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" -Galatians 5:14

 

How can we best share the gospel with others? There is an art to doing it, for sure. I remember trying to share Jesus with a friend of mine when I was young, and she asked me why she should believe in Jesus. I pleadingly replied, "So you don't go to hell!" 

Thankfully, there is a much better way to let people know about Jesus' love for them.

Leif Hetland's main passion is to go to places where they have never heard the name of Jesus - especially in Muslim countries. Since the inception of his ministry, thousands have come to know Jesus all over the world. Leif has this to say about how to be successful sharing Jesus with others: "As soon as love has an agenda, it is no longer love." He's said he's had the greatest success loving people, serving them, and bringing God's kingdom into their lives - without having an agenda. Naturally the leaders they talk to want to know what is different. Healing and miracles are a big part of what they do. 

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way." - 1 Corinthians 13:4

 

Where there is no agenda, fear is gone. Will you commit yourself to loving others with no agenda?

Giving Up

"Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure." -2 Corinthians 12:21

In a day where we do what "feels right" and tend to look to movie stars and musicians as a compass for what is morally acceptable, we balk at the idea that there may be such thing as a plumb line for morality; that there may be such a thing as absolute truth.

"Well, God didn’t mean that for today's time," we say. "That's so old-fashioned."  "That may be true for you but not for me."  "Do you really expect me to live like that? Surely you don't mean for me to do that."  Sometimes it's all too easy to excuse away the very thing that brings power to our faith. 

But the reality is, there are things we will need to give up in order to make room for God in our lives - so that we can experience more of Him in our lives.

I remember a time when every "room" in my heart was filled - it was filled with anger, hurt, disappointment, and bitterness. I had a small little space in the closet of my heart where I had allowed God to live. But God brought someone into my life to help me see that if I really wanted to follow Jesus, I had to give up those things to make room for Him.  And what a difference it made!  Once I repented and renounced those things in my life, they were replaced by God’s peace, love and joy.  I felt so much lighter, like a burden had been lifted. 

Once we get a true revelation of the sacrifice Jesus made, any sacrifice He requires of us pales in comparison.  “Of course, Lord,” we’ll say.  There is nothing that compares to His love for us, nothing that even comes close.

Is there anything you need to give up in order to make more room for Him?   I pray we each have the strength to give up things in our lives, so that we can experience the fullness of His love and power within us.

Spiritual Family

"Then he pointed to his disciples and said, 'Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!'" -Matthew 12:49-50
 
Each of us has a family we were born into, or adopted by. We didn't choose our family; Some of us enjoy and have kinship in the family we were born with, and some of us don't. For many people, the relationships in our families are bittersweet.

But, thankfully when we are born again, we are adopted into an entirely new family! We are grafted into this family due to our faith. (Romans 11:23) However, being a part of this family has it's own challenges which can result in our character development, learning, and self-discovery - if we let it. These types of relationships can feel even more like family than our "natural" family. That is because true kingdom relationship is born out of God's original intention for family - it is birthed out of His love for mankind.

Some people just starting out in their faith might adopt or be adopted by a "spiritual" mother or father who mentors them in their faith. Relationships like this are important to have, especially if we've had difficult nuclear family ties. In the books Timothy, Titus, and Philemon we hear of this spiritual fatherhood bond.

"I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith while here in prison." -Philemon 1:10
 
Do you have people in your life that you consider to be "spiritual" family? We need these types of relationships to stay connected and grow as the body of Christ.

Love in the Face of Rejection

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” -1 Cor 13:4-7 NLT

Have you ever been rejected?  I think all of us have experienced rejection at some point in our lives.  If you’re an actor or musician, you might experience much more rejection than the rest of us. But most people who experience a lot of success in any field have experienced much rejection.  That’s what makes their success more rare than the average person - they worked hard and endured more rejection than most of us are willing to tolerate.

The story of Hosea and Gomer is an unusual one.  God instructs Hosea the prophet to chose a prostitute and marry her - and continue to be faithful even though she continued to be unfaithful. (Hosea 1:3) He did this as a symbol of the nation of Israel at that time who had been unfaithful to their true God, rejecting Him, His love, and His decrees. Jesus also did something that we never deserved - He died on a cross for our sins - in spite of the fact that the people during that time persecuted Him and put Him on the cross. He loved them (and us) in spite of their (and our) complete rejection of His love.

Every day, we have the choice to reject as the world rejects, or love and accept as Jesus has loved us.  If we are really seeking our calling we will likely experience a lot of rejection, but the benefits to fulfilling our calling will far outweigh the rejection and opinions of man.  It is essential that we keep our hearts pure and seek God first, so that we know our affirmation and worth comes from Him and those He has put in our lives to confirm His plans for us. 

Jesus calls us to love in spite of rejection.  Even when life gives us hard blows, we are still to love and accept, let go and protect.  Are you able to love in spite of rejection today?

Sins of Omission vs. Commission

"By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side." -Luke 10: 31&32

We often hear about the 7 deadly sins, or the "thou shalt not" mantra of the 10 commandments. All of these things are essential to understand the difference between right and wrong, and avoid doing wrong. But even if we don't do any of those 7 deadly sins the Bible talks about and we become "good people," if we're not living by the law of love, we've sadly missed the point.

One day a religious leader asked Jesus what he needed to do to earn eternal life. Jesus, as was His habit, responded with a question: "What does the law of Moses say?" to which the leader replied, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.' And, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 'Right!' Jesus told him. 'Do this and you will live!'" (v. 28)

Then, the leader asked Jesus who his neighbor was. To which, Jesus responded with the story of the Good Samaritan.

The priest and the temple assistant who walked by the beat up man on the road didn't sin blatantly. They didn't sleep with another man's wife, tell a lie, or steal from someone - they just didn't do anything at all. But herein lies the greatest danger: what happens to our culture, our widows, our orphans, our co-workers, our families, or our neighbors if we walk by and do nothing? The sin both the priest and the temple assistant committed was a sin of omission.

When we don't speak a word of encouragement to someone who needs it, we allow a void to be present that could have been filled with God's love and light. When we don't tell our spouse or our kids "I love you," and show them that we do, we are allowing the enemy to creep in by means of our vacancy.

When we don't step into leadership and we allow a vacuum, we do the world as much damage as if we had done something to harm it.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." -Edmund Burke

Let us not be found to commit many sins of omission, and may we each have the grace to be able to fill in the gap.

Matured in Love

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ.” -Ephesians 4:15 NIV

What does it mean to be mature in Christ?  The Bible says Jesus is coming back for a “spotless” bride.  (Eph 5:27) But, what does that mean? 

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, maturity is the quality or state of being mature, full development.(1) When we are mature, we are considered to be “grown-up”.  Also, when we are mature, we can reproduce ourselves, meaning, we can be a discipler and care giver of people younger in faith.

Just as we “grow up” in our natural development, we “grow up” in our spiritual development too.  The Bible says that the mature can distinguish good from evil. (Heb 5:14) When we mature, the fruits of the Spirit are evident in our lives.  (Galatians 5:22-23)  These fruits include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.  Conversely, when we do not mature, we fall into our old fleshly behavior.  “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” –Matthew 15:19

The problem with our human nature, our flesh, is that we want to stay comfortable- we don’t want to change and grow.  “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.” -Luke 8:14  Things can happen to us in our early years that can cripple our emotional development, too.  Family is the place where good or poor habits are shaped and formed.  We may not know if a habit is good or bad until we grow up to be on our own. Then, as we mature we realize that perhaps that way wasn’t the best way to handle things.

But, as Jesus was, we are called to a high standard of maturity so that Christ’s life in us may be revealed.  “Then, having arrived at the full stature of his maturity and having been announced by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who believingly obey him.”-Hebrews 5:7

Are you walking toward maturity in Christ today?

Overcoming Evil with Good

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” -Romans 12:21

What does it mean to overcome evil with good? Many days it may seem as though we are being overcome by negativity.  But, how do we get out of the mire? What did God have in mind for the way we should live our lives?

I love the verses leading up to the scripture above: "Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves... keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse... If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."  This is our blueprint for walking in love.

When life hits us with hard blows, in order to win, we shouldn't hit back. The natural response is to pay back evil for evil, to lash out or to avenge ourselves, but that only allows the enemy of our souls a foothold in our lives. Instead, we are to be different. Instead, we are to be counter-culture.  We are to overcome evil, by applying the good.  We are to win over the situation by applying God's ways, and by putting Him first.

When we are freed from feeling the need to avenge a negative situation that we have no control over, that's when we know that area in our lives has been redeemed. When we can give freely and walk in peace, that is overcoming. Sometimes continued negativity or drama can become an idol in our lives when we live with it too long.  We have to lay the situation at the foot of the cross. We'll know we're freed from its power when it doesn't bother us anymore. God has instead taken its place in our lives.  We are at ease.

Let us do all we can, and let God handle the rest.  Let us overcome evil with good.

Known By Our Love

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."  -John 13:35

What must it like to be famous, or to be known for something? Oprah is known for her talk show, and for overcoming many obstacles to make her life a success. Lady Gaga is known for being bizarre. Politicians are known for cutting down their opponents, and Thomas Edison is known for inventing the light bulb.

But what about us? What are we known for as Christians?

Ghandi once said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." Too much of the time, we're known more for what we're against that what we’re for.

But Jesus said, "...everyone will know you are My disciples, if you love one another."

To me, this means we should have the most loving, passionate marriages on the planet.  We should have the most assured, confident, creative kids.  When we go to church, we should treat our brothers and sisters with love and respect.  Not only that, we should go out of our way to help someone out or show care and kindness.  When we go out to eat, we should treat the server with respect, and tip them well. Everywhere we go, we should be a model of Christ's love for people.

This is not a list of do's and don'ts, but a reminder of our need to be filled with the love of Jesus. The best way we can be the best Christians, is to receive more of His love and grace for us.  When our mindset shifts about who He really is, our entire lives change. In order for the world to be different, we MUST know a true God, who loves us deeply without condition.

How can you be known by your love today?