So Black Friday has come and gone... and .... to be honest... I'm dismayed at our addiction to things. We (I'm just speaking for what I see going on around me and in America) are so addicted that we cannot even see how bad it really is. I'm one of several million people that watched several other million people crawl all over items in a store like hungry fire ants and said "Whew! That's crazy! At least I'm not like that..."
But is it true? Do I not desire a vacation with the family (I mean that's basically something that is a necessity...right?)? How about a computer for the kids to do homework? My wife and kids need new clothes....
... or so I think. It is my addiction to things...fueled by all those around me. We're in it together...enabling each other with comforting thoughts like... "I'm not like so-and-so, they are SO materialistic". Please don't get me wrong I'm in no way saying that material things are inherently bad... God delights in providing material things for His children.... What I'm saying is I see in me...around me... in our country, a focus on the material and not a focus on God. It is a matter of where my heart is... where our hearts are.
So this year, starting now... in this Advent season... (yes Advent started quietly maybe silently in comparison to the Black Friday and Cyber Monday reporting by the media...) to change my heart and focus it toward God and the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ!
I would like to propose a prayer for all Christians this holiday season. I would ask that we pray for God to prepare something special in our hearts...that we HEAR His call, are WILLING to respond, and are immediately OBEDIENT to act. I pray that it is our LOVE for each other as followers of Christ and LOVE for others that they see and are drawn to know more about our Creator!
It is this gift...the free gift of salvation, I pray has the biggest impact this Christmas!
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Monday, November 28, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tapestry
When I was young a read a book that supposed that death, war, father time, mother earth and fate were actually people. They each had their jobs to do...it was pretty interesting and the thought of fate has stayed with me since. See fate's job was to weave a tapestry using thread that represented peoples lives, where two threads crossed, people met and interacted...
I often think of my life represented that way... a thread ...there are times that I want to just be alone, not be bothered by anyone, just do it myself ...but I think of Romans 12:3-8 "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you (I like this... seems to say that we should continually evaluate ourselves as our faith grows). Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others (We are not all supposed to be the same, God wants me to appreciate and protect the differences among us - we belong together!). We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage (I think that this is where I live...); if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently (sometimes I wish this was me); if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully"
I see that even if I am a fantastically beautiful thread... I don't make much of a tapestry. But God wants us to be together, sharing life and faith and weave a wonderfully awesome tapestry! Each of us excelling where He gave us strength and each of us lifting each other up...yesterday was a hard day for me and I had so many people that gave me kicks in the butt, and encouragement, and love... THAT is what we are created for...living in Christ to love each other.... I'm glad that my thread is interconnecting with yours and that together we are weaving an incredible tapestry ....
I often think of my life represented that way... a thread ...there are times that I want to just be alone, not be bothered by anyone, just do it myself ...but I think of Romans 12:3-8 "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you (I like this... seems to say that we should continually evaluate ourselves as our faith grows). Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others (We are not all supposed to be the same, God wants me to appreciate and protect the differences among us - we belong together!). We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage (I think that this is where I live...); if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently (sometimes I wish this was me); if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully"
I see that even if I am a fantastically beautiful thread... I don't make much of a tapestry. But God wants us to be together, sharing life and faith and weave a wonderfully awesome tapestry! Each of us excelling where He gave us strength and each of us lifting each other up...yesterday was a hard day for me and I had so many people that gave me kicks in the butt, and encouragement, and love... THAT is what we are created for...living in Christ to love each other.... I'm glad that my thread is interconnecting with yours and that together we are weaving an incredible tapestry ....
Monday, September 12, 2011
Love - a tall order...
So I've been thinking about what it's all about. You know...what am I here for...
As a read, I see that we all are here to love - to love God first and a close second, love our neighbor (Matthew 22:34-40). Through this I read that I will be transformed more and more into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). So how does Christ love..
From 1 John 3:16-18 "16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life (wow!) for us. And we ought to (yes, do this) lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? (it seems that I've been taught by our culture - neighbors, strangers, books, TV, media, friends and yes...family to strive to gather material possessions, protect them, put them in safes, boxes, get security systems, etc. But the answer from God - his plan - seems to be letting go... if Ihave material possessions and someone else needs them...I am to surrender them. If I don't...it says that I don't have the full love of God in me. Hmmm.....hard to do for me.) 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (People will know there is something special in me when I love like this... not with words - but with actions - in truth...you know...from the heart - like I really mean it)" The highlights are mine...
I always thought that love was just a feeling in your heart - it warms my body and excites my mind. I still believe that this is true...but I realize that I feel this way when I take action. I want to feel this way all the time but it is strange because I also feel threatened by the thought of giving my stuff away...I'm not talking about the stuff that I'm done with...that doesn't fit me or is worn out...I'm talking about giving things that mean something to me - that I still use and like and want. Giving those things show that I have the love of God in me.
This is hard...
Will you join me in bringing love to the world?
As a read, I see that we all are here to love - to love God first and a close second, love our neighbor (Matthew 22:34-40). Through this I read that I will be transformed more and more into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). So how does Christ love..
From 1 John 3:16-18 "16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life (wow!) for us. And we ought to (yes, do this) lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? (it seems that I've been taught by our culture - neighbors, strangers, books, TV, media, friends and yes...family to strive to gather material possessions, protect them, put them in safes, boxes, get security systems, etc. But the answer from God - his plan - seems to be letting go... if Ihave material possessions and someone else needs them...I am to surrender them. If I don't...it says that I don't have the full love of God in me. Hmmm.....hard to do for me.) 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (People will know there is something special in me when I love like this... not with words - but with actions - in truth...you know...from the heart - like I really mean it)" The highlights are mine...
I always thought that love was just a feeling in your heart - it warms my body and excites my mind. I still believe that this is true...but I realize that I feel this way when I take action. I want to feel this way all the time but it is strange because I also feel threatened by the thought of giving my stuff away...I'm not talking about the stuff that I'm done with...that doesn't fit me or is worn out...I'm talking about giving things that mean something to me - that I still use and like and want. Giving those things show that I have the love of God in me.
This is hard...
Will you join me in bringing love to the world?
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