Amputation sounds like such a permanent event! Mentioning it conjours up images of devastating loss and a severely restricted lifestyle. This is an experience to be scrupulously avoided. To give up a richly gratifying part of life for a one of physical limitation is just not worth the price! Or is it?
Matthew 5:29-30 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body that for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body that for your whole body to go into hell.
Jesus is using a rather graphic analogy to tell us that some things, even ones that we consider to be part of ourselves, will not be permitted into the perfection of heaven. He is also letting us know, with a colorful metaphor, that God's patience will one day end. On that terrible day of righteous judgement, those who have chosen to reject His mercy will be cut off forever. On that day, they will see the end result of their own decision to follow the lies of violence and faithlessness. It is their choice to be cut off.
When we truly love someone, whether it is family, friends, or spouse, what we are doing is giving them ourselves, so that they, quite literally, become part of who we are. After we've spent time with someone we love, we began to think and act like them, and they to think and act like us. After all, isn't the goal of love to join the positive traits of two who are separate into one entity of purpose? Sometimes, after repeated efforts, when the one thought of as the other part of your heart, shows by their repeated actions that love is only to be used, without reciprocation, then amputation must follow. Sometimes they must be cut off.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Loving Your Enemy
Loving our enemies is, quite simply, crucial to being a follower of Christ. This is the gospel in action, a repetition of what Christ did at the cross, which was loving us who were His enemies. This love is not some feel good, conscience quieting deed, that is done occasionally, that we can point to so as to say we are a good person. It is not about us looking good at all. It is about Him, and us making that decision to do what He says. Real love is not an emotion at all, but a decision and an act of the will.
Anyone can be a potential enemy. Besides those who don't know you and might treat you with indifferent disdain, the "true" enemy is the one who was once close to your heart. This heart's enemy was the one who deceived you by giving you the treatment you thought you deserved from someone who was supposed to love you. Once you were emotionally committed, you were betrayed by him in favor of the one he loved the most, himself. It was always only about him anyway.
When we are badly used, hatred is our love gone wrong. It is that possessiveness that refuses to sacrifice what it desires, and refuses to let go. It can be changed back to love by making the decision to not act from anger, but to do the will of the Lord, who understands all things. It is only ourselves that we can submit to God for sanctification in our circumstance, not the enemy who has harmed us. Love is it being about Jesus, not about us.
Love is forgiving the debt that is owed by the enemy, because if we do not forgive, then we will become the very thing that we cannot forgive, that which we hate. Hatred is a contagious spiritual infection. It's spread can only be stopped by someone whose love will act as a barrier to the poison, by absorbing it's damage without passing it on. That is why Jesus told us to not return evil for evil, but to do good to those who spitefully use us.
Sometimes, though, the infection can only be exorcised by amputation........
Anyone can be a potential enemy. Besides those who don't know you and might treat you with indifferent disdain, the "true" enemy is the one who was once close to your heart. This heart's enemy was the one who deceived you by giving you the treatment you thought you deserved from someone who was supposed to love you. Once you were emotionally committed, you were betrayed by him in favor of the one he loved the most, himself. It was always only about him anyway.
When we are badly used, hatred is our love gone wrong. It is that possessiveness that refuses to sacrifice what it desires, and refuses to let go. It can be changed back to love by making the decision to not act from anger, but to do the will of the Lord, who understands all things. It is only ourselves that we can submit to God for sanctification in our circumstance, not the enemy who has harmed us. Love is it being about Jesus, not about us.
Love is forgiving the debt that is owed by the enemy, because if we do not forgive, then we will become the very thing that we cannot forgive, that which we hate. Hatred is a contagious spiritual infection. It's spread can only be stopped by someone whose love will act as a barrier to the poison, by absorbing it's damage without passing it on. That is why Jesus told us to not return evil for evil, but to do good to those who spitefully use us.
Sometimes, though, the infection can only be exorcised by amputation........
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Why Faith?
Many are the overwhelmingly precious moments, of realization of unveiling glory, that the Lord grants to us by virtue of our struggles! Come with me as I disclose the particulars of my recent thought journey on the issue of faith.
Faith and pain, naturally, tend to be mutually exclusive experiences. You can trust me with that thought! During the experience, it is useless to protest your innocence while your conscience convicts you! Satan will always use this as opportunity to raise questions, in us, concerning the wisdom and compassion of our God. There is no defense we can offer as an argument, save our faith. If we have no prior experience at faith, then we can only repeat what His word has told us to believe.
We can choose to bring His revealed light into the darkness with us. Despite the initial difficulty (when we are unaccustomed to seeing with the eyes of faith) through Him we will enlarge our understanding. You see, faith, by definition, must be tested, or it is not faith! Then when we step out onto the water, our foot will be supported on dry, firm ground! It is in our experiencing of Him, that our faith increases by multiples of magnitude! He and all He is, becomes our sole motivation! It is how He writes His law of love on our hearts! If we've learned to trust Him in the darkness, our knowledge will be turned to glory in the full light of day, for our trust in Him is the limit of the wisdom and righteousness we can offer.
The alternative is that we take everything for granted. Perhaps you can see this as a character weakness. You have heard the saying, "Familiarity breeds contempt"? Of such attitude was the being, formed by Him as the apex of creation, which became known as Satan. Dwelling always in the presence of God, he had need of neither faith nor hope and so chose to reject the way of love and self sacrifice. He is totally lacking in strength of character. He is the man who lives for personal gratification, who by strength of arms, subdues those weaker than himself and lives on the fruits of his own arrogance. He has no morals, for none here has the power to tell him no. He seeks to recruit followers by any method he can bring to bear.
We, as christians, are here to prove him wrong. Gentleness, humility, and love will prove to be stronger than any force or fear, because they are centered, by faith, on Jesus. This is how we have overcome the world, by our faith in Jesus!
Faith and pain, naturally, tend to be mutually exclusive experiences. You can trust me with that thought! During the experience, it is useless to protest your innocence while your conscience convicts you! Satan will always use this as opportunity to raise questions, in us, concerning the wisdom and compassion of our God. There is no defense we can offer as an argument, save our faith. If we have no prior experience at faith, then we can only repeat what His word has told us to believe.
We can choose to bring His revealed light into the darkness with us. Despite the initial difficulty (when we are unaccustomed to seeing with the eyes of faith) through Him we will enlarge our understanding. You see, faith, by definition, must be tested, or it is not faith! Then when we step out onto the water, our foot will be supported on dry, firm ground! It is in our experiencing of Him, that our faith increases by multiples of magnitude! He and all He is, becomes our sole motivation! It is how He writes His law of love on our hearts! If we've learned to trust Him in the darkness, our knowledge will be turned to glory in the full light of day, for our trust in Him is the limit of the wisdom and righteousness we can offer.
The alternative is that we take everything for granted. Perhaps you can see this as a character weakness. You have heard the saying, "Familiarity breeds contempt"? Of such attitude was the being, formed by Him as the apex of creation, which became known as Satan. Dwelling always in the presence of God, he had need of neither faith nor hope and so chose to reject the way of love and self sacrifice. He is totally lacking in strength of character. He is the man who lives for personal gratification, who by strength of arms, subdues those weaker than himself and lives on the fruits of his own arrogance. He has no morals, for none here has the power to tell him no. He seeks to recruit followers by any method he can bring to bear.
We, as christians, are here to prove him wrong. Gentleness, humility, and love will prove to be stronger than any force or fear, because they are centered, by faith, on Jesus. This is how we have overcome the world, by our faith in Jesus!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Are We There Yet?
"Watch, therefore, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things, and to stand before the Son of Man."
I've always been frankly amazed by some who call themselves christians, but who are harsh and condemning people. When we resort to bullying as an everyday communication technique, then we betray the true source of our motivation, our own selfishness. If we feel compelled to control others while justifying ourselves, then perhaps it is time we should investigate. Self examination will open our eyes, not only to what we think, but to what we really believe at the core of our being.
So ask yourself, "Do I really trust God?" Where is the evidence, in my life, that proves that I have committed to following Him? Can you say, "I will show you my faith by my works?" Do you have the pure religion that "cares for widows and orphans"? When you care for those who cannot repay you, do you feel blessed by the opportunity, or resentful?
Since "whatever is not of faith is sin," once you have decided that you believe, it behooves you to take up every opportunity provided for sanctification. Willing sensitivity is proof of faith. It is not the mistakes that condemn us, but the attitude that accompanies them.
Believers are not meant to be indistinguishable from the rest of the crowd. He calls us His peculiar people. He wants us to "live by faith", that inner insight and understanding from Him by which we order our world. So, "when the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on the earth," in YOU?
I've always been frankly amazed by some who call themselves christians, but who are harsh and condemning people. When we resort to bullying as an everyday communication technique, then we betray the true source of our motivation, our own selfishness. If we feel compelled to control others while justifying ourselves, then perhaps it is time we should investigate. Self examination will open our eyes, not only to what we think, but to what we really believe at the core of our being.
So ask yourself, "Do I really trust God?" Where is the evidence, in my life, that proves that I have committed to following Him? Can you say, "I will show you my faith by my works?" Do you have the pure religion that "cares for widows and orphans"? When you care for those who cannot repay you, do you feel blessed by the opportunity, or resentful?
Since "whatever is not of faith is sin," once you have decided that you believe, it behooves you to take up every opportunity provided for sanctification. Willing sensitivity is proof of faith. It is not the mistakes that condemn us, but the attitude that accompanies them.
Believers are not meant to be indistinguishable from the rest of the crowd. He calls us His peculiar people. He wants us to "live by faith", that inner insight and understanding from Him by which we order our world. So, "when the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on the earth," in YOU?
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Not Until You've Walked in My Shoes......
When God tells us to be holy, He does not mean that we are to withdraw into exclusive societies. To be witnesses, we cannot separate ourselves from the world around us. We are to be "in the world, but not of the world." Being holy, as it looks to the world at large, is that visible, active, giving love, that shines and flows out from us when we come alongside to help and care for others.
Jesus gave us that perfect example of participative support. When we could not go to Him, He came to us. He came to us where we are, as we are. When we saw Him, we realized that He was something better, because He chose to accompany us in our pain and sorrow. He experienced what we experience. He lifted and carried our load, Himself, voluntarily.
That is why we came to desire that Love for ourselves. We saw in Him what we wanted to be, what we should be, what we were created to be, and what, in Him, we will be.
Jesus gave us that perfect example of participative support. When we could not go to Him, He came to us. He came to us where we are, as we are. When we saw Him, we realized that He was something better, because He chose to accompany us in our pain and sorrow. He experienced what we experience. He lifted and carried our load, Himself, voluntarily.
That is why we came to desire that Love for ourselves. We saw in Him what we wanted to be, what we should be, what we were created to be, and what, in Him, we will be.
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