Sherri Evans

Sherri Evans

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Do You Really Know?


"For this is the message you have heard from the beginning:  You should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own actions were evil and his brother's righteous.  Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.  Anyone who does not love remains in death.  Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.  This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  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?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.  This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his  presence whenever our hearts condemn us.  For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.  Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command:  to believe in  the name of the his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.  And this is his command:  to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.  Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us:  We know it by the Spirit he gave us. "  I John 3:11-24

 

Have you ever wondered if you were truly saved?  I guess we all struggle from time to time with feeling unsaved, condemned and apart from God. But it is so important as Christians that we walk in confidence before the Lord about our salvation.  If we do not, we fail to pray faith-filled prayers and we leave ourselves open to the enemy of our soul to fill us full of doubt.

Thank the Lord (!) his spirit dwells in us and testifies to us that we are God's children.  We need the witness of the Spirit and the witness of the Word in our lives.  We need to have a clear conscience before the Lord that we are carrying out his commands and obeying his decrees.  Doing as he instructs us to do, allows us to have assurance of our righteousness and confidence before a holy God. 

Our society is  really big on tolerance and not judging anyone.  In fact, that seems to be the main scripture that the world knows.  But the truth of the matter is, there are many things that we can judge.  If a person claims to be a Christian, they have to line up their lives and conduct with the Word of God.  Just as a person who wants to play baseball must play by the rule book to stay in the game, we have to live by the Bible to stay on the straight and narrow path.

Is there anything in your life that is a departure from what the Scripture teaches?  Let the Spirit talk with you about that today. 

Dear Lord, thank you for the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in my life.  Help me to live true to your Word.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday, March 29, 2013

What is in a Name?


 
"For this is the message you have heard from the beginning:  You should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own actions were evil and his brother's righteous.  Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.  Anyone who does not love remains in death.  Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.  This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  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?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.  This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his  presence whenever our hearts condemn us.  For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.  Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command:  to believe in  the name of the his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. "  I John 3:11-22

 

Yesterday's verse said we get what we ask, because we keep his  commands. Today's verse goes on to explain his  commands: 1) believe in the name of Jesus; 2) love one another.  Both of these things are pivotal to leading a life pleasing to the Lord.

The first command is to believe in the name of God's Son, Jesus Christ.   The name of Jesus contains so much power, so much potential, and so much authority.  And the utterance of his name should contain reverence.  Why do Christians jokingly throw around the name of Jesus, as if it were common?  We must recognize the sacredness of the privilege to speak his name and to operate in the authority of his name.  When Jesus ascended to heaven, he left us with his  name, allowing us the right to use the name of Jesus both in prayer, and in battling the enemy of our soul.  To truly "use" the name of Jesus correctly, we must first believe.  We must believe that he is indeed God's son. We must believe that he is Messiah, our Savior and Redeemer.  We must believe that he died for our sins and raised from the dead.  We must believe that he ascended to the right hand of the Father where he makes intercession for us.  Knowing these things builds our faith in who he is and in what can be accomplished in his name.

Secondly, he is concerned with us demonstrating his love for others.  I John is full of "love talk."  It is one of the major themes of the book.  We can never succeed in loving God until we succeed in loving others.  Humanity was created in the image of God and for his glory.  We must always have a reverence for the lives of others created in his image.

As we head into the Easter (I prefer to say Resurrection) weekend, take some time to reflect on the redemptive work Jesus completed at Calvary and all it means to you.  As you do, you will no doubt experience a rise in your faith in that matchless name!

Dear Lord, help me believe in you and reverence your name as you have commanded.  Anoint me to love others as you do.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Getting What You Ask For


"For this is the message you have heard from the beginning:  You should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own actions were evil and his brother's righteous.  Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.  Anyone who does not love remains in death.  Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.  This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  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?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.  This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his  presence whenever our hearts condemn us.  For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.  Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. "  I John 3:11-21

 

How do I get what I want from God?  Many a book has been written and lectures have been given to help people get their prayers answered.  But the solution is really quite simple.  And, hint-hint, it is contained within today's verse. Simple as pie, right?

All we have to do is  belong to the truth, be at rest in his presence, have a heart that does not condemn us, and then we receive from God what we ask.  That was a mouthful!  Truth is, it is not all that hard to get our prayers answered just as we ask.   They just have to spring from his will to begin with.  I cannot begin to count the number of times I have asked God for something that was simply not his will.  It was hard when my prayer was answered in the negative.  Sometimes I have looked back and understood how his denial was to my benefit.  But other times, I have been left puzzled as to why it was not his will.  But when we pray, it is important to always keep in mind that he is sovereign and has his reasons for all that he does.

Having said that, we need to be inspired to pray big, bodacious, bold, faith-filled prayers.  We need to know his will and pray with confidence in accordance with his will.  If we walk in truth and keep his commands, his  ear is inclined to us, and he hears our cry.  When we please the Lord, we show that we can be a good steward of his blessings, and he freely pours out his blessings in our life.  That is very good news!

There have been times in my life that I have prayed for certain outcomes in situations.  There were times that God did exactly what I had hoped for.  Other times, however, he began to change me.  Before long, I was no longer praying for my desire, but praying for his will instead.  The sure-fire way to get what you pray for, is to ask for what God desires. 

So what is God's  will?  Should I take this job? Should I date this guy?  Should I buy this house?  Should I pray for my friend's salvation?  Should I pray  for my boss to be healed? In the first three examples, there is no obvious Bible verse, "Go thou into the world and work at ____ Corporation."  Instead, we pray for his will and direction and are led by peace.  If we feel nothing but confusion and conflict, it is probably not God's leading.  Should I date this guy?  Well there is a little more Bible for that- is he a Christian?  Do you have a similar burden/calling?  Do your parents approve of the union?  But in the question of  "should I pray for salvation for my friend?"- the answer is obvious!  God "is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (II Peter 3:9)

The person who gets the most prayers answered, is the person walking most closely to the center of God's will for their life.  If we are walking in the knowledge of the Word of God, if we are living a surrendered life, constantly led by the Spirit...then we can expect to see great results in our prayer life.  If your prayers are not being answered as you desire, the problem may not be how your are asking, but rather how you are living.

Dear Lord, help me to keep in step with your leading in all areas of my life.  Direct me, guide me.  Help me pray in accordance with your will and live a life you can bless.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Confident Before Almighty God


 

"For this is the message you have heard from the
beginning:  You should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own actions were evil and his brother's righteous.  Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.  Anyone who does not love remains in death.  Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.  This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  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?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.  This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his  presence whenever our hearts condemn us.  For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.  Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God..."  I John 3:11-21


 

Confidence.  With enough studying, practicing or compliments, we may be able to attain a level of confidence.  But confidence before God? That only comes in the Spirit!  Confidence before God occurs when we have peace in our hearts that all is well between us and the Father.  It only happens when we have no unconfessed sin, and know that we are walking in the center of God's will for our lives.

If our hearts do not condemn us, we can attain the confidence that is presented in this verse. God is such a gracious, loving Father.  He places the Holy Spirit  within us to convict us.  He gives us a conscience that serves as an alarm system announcing when we have trespassed against the law of God.  He is not a vengeful, hateful God  who hides his expectation and then is angry when we fail to live up to it.

There have been a couple of times in m professional life that someone has held me accountable for duties that I have not been informed were in my job description.  It is beyond frustrating to be blindsided with a perceived failure I did not know I was responsible for.  Thank God he does not handle us that way!  He allows the "prick of conscience" to let us know that we have strayed from the narrow path.  When this happens, we need to quickly confess, repent and turn from our sins.   Then automatically, we can go right back to God-confidence.

Dear Lord, thank you that you allow me to have confidence in your presence.  I am so undeserving.  Thank you for your love and favor.   In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Convicted or Condemned?


 

 
"For this is the message you have heard from the beginning:  You should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own actions were evil and his brother's righteous.  Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.  Anyone who does not love remains in death.  Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.  This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  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?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.  This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his  presence whenever our hearts condemn us.  For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. "  I John 3:11-20

 

There are times that when God convicts my heart, and there are times when my own heart condemns me.  So what is the difference?  Condemnation occurs when we feel judged or "damned" by God.  Usually for a Christian, condemnation is a lie from the enemy. God convicts the heart of the Christian for restorative purposes- so that they can be made willing to repent and be set right with God.  Satan, our enemy, accuses us and makes us feel unworthy of God's mercy and forgiveness.  Satan works to make us feel horrible about our situation and to leave us feeling that we are outside of God's mercy and grace.  Convictions causes us to be aware of our sin, while simultaneously feeling drawn toward God for forgiveness.

If our heart is in disrest, and we feel condemned within, we must always examine ourselves to see if we are indeed in sin.  If we are, we must quickly repent and turn away from our sin, confessing it to the Lord.  If we are not, then, we can be sure that the allegations are from the enemy of our soul and are only for the purpose of torment.  Those we must take captive unto the obedience of the Word of God.  When the enemy tells us we are unworthy, unloved and rejected by God, we must remind him that our sins have been cast into God's sea of forgetfulness, never to be remembered against us again.  When he says we are unloved, we can remind the enemy of John 3:16.  The greatest defense against condemnation is the "sword of the Spirit" or the Word of God.

God knows everything about us and our hearts- hat we do.  The twisted reasons for why we do them.  He understands the hurts that have scarred us and the weaknesses we face.  We can trust our hearts to him, knowing that he understands more than anyone else.  We can trust that he convicts and disciplines us only for the purpose of making us right with him.  His purpose and actions are always in keeping with helping us improve and grow in our relationship with him.

Are there feelings that you are struggling with?  Ask the Lord to show you if you are feeling convicted by the Holy Spirit or if the devil is condemning you.  Commit your way to God.  He will help you. 

Dear Lord, show me the difference between conviction and condemnation.  Help me to learn to know your voice and follow in your way.  Forgive me for taking your place as Judge.   In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

 

 

 

Monday, March 25, 2013

The Holy Polygraph


 

 

"For this is the message you have heard from the beginning:  You should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own actions were evil and his brother's righteous.  Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.  Anyone who does not love remains in death.  Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.  This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  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?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.  This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his  presence..."  I John 3:11-19

 

I just love the wording of verse 19.  Have you ever needed to "set your heart at rest" in the presence of God?  Boy, have I !  There are times I have felt uneasy in his presence.  I know I have done wrong, I feel he is mad at me, conviction is beating a staccato beat in my heart.  Condemnation is giving me a black eye.  What a relief to be at rest and at peace before the Lord!

You see, we cannot transgress against God's law of love and it not cause unrest in our spirit. He is love.  When we fail to operate in love, we feel that prick of conscience, we feel out of step with His Spirit.  This truth is the basis of the "lie detector" test.  We were made to feel uncomfortable when we go against the conscience he has given us.  We sweat, our heart raises, we feel jittery- all these physiological responses testify against our actions!

Studying the Word of God is the best way to know his will and his ways.  But the Holy Spirit is also our constant companion and teacher.  He walks with us each step of every day, bringing conviction when our attitudes, thoughts or actions are wrong.  It is like having the luxury of a personal trainer! 

Dear Lord, thank you for allowing me to feel dis-rest and conviction when I sin against you.  Help me to be a good student and listen to the cues of your prompting in my heart  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

 

 

Friday, March 22, 2013

Love: An Action Word


Love: An Action Word

 

"For this is the message you have heard from the beginning:  You should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own actions were evil and his brother's righteous.  Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.  Anyone who does not love remains in death.  Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.  This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  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?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.""  I John 3:11-18

 

I love you.  These are the words we tell our 3rd grade boyfriend or girlfriend.  I love you... we tell this to our kitten, our gerbil and our pet rock.  I love you.  I occasionally speak these words to chocolate...

Saying "I love you" is easy.  Sometimes it is even cheap.  It is something we say to keep us from having to actually do love.  Saying I love you is a start, but it is by no means an endpoint. How do we show love?  By forgiving someone who has wronged us.  By blessing our enemies.  By  giving money to the homeless  person.  Handing a jacket to a street person.  Buying a Bible so a Gideon can hand it to a school kid.  Showing love is wiping a snotty nose in children's church and surviving a youth sleep over.  Love is shown when we listen, really listen.  Love is shown when we invest time and attention.   Love is shown when we sacrifice the money we have set aside to buy a gun or designer handbag and instead, sponsor a child to go to youth camp.

These are all ways we can express our love to others.  But these are also ways that we can express God's love to others.  When you throw down a $20 tip, you can leave a little note that reads "God loves you."  Sometimes people cannot believe that a holy, invisible God can love them, until they experience an in-the-flesh human loving to them. 

We are called to be God's hands  extended  in this world.  We are to be the feet and mouth of Jesus to a lost and hurting  world.  As Christians, we must strive to show love, give love and do love.  We must pair our words with some verbs.  We have to put some actions behind the expression.

Dear Lord, help me to show your love to others.  Help me to know the right way to express your love.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

 

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Show Some Pity!



 

"For this is the message you have heard from the beginning:  You should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own actions were evil and his brother's righteous.  Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.  Anyone who does not love remains in death.  Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.  This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  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?"  I John 3:11-17

 

You have been there.  You are turning off an interstate- or into  Wal-Mart, and there sits someone with a sign, "Hungry.  God Bless."  What is your immediate response?  Is it compassion or irritation?  I have been guilty of both!  There are times that my response is a discompassionate, "For pity sake's get a job!"  Other times, I feel like the Lord would have me meet their need. 

It is good to use wisdom and prudence in choosing where we show generosity and sow seeds of blessing. In fact, our very safety could be in jeopardy in these situations.  But we need to guard against clumping everyone together as "good for nothing" and closing up our heart of compassion.  If we have adequate or greater resources, it is a gift from God.  If we truly see ourselves as stewards of the resources God has given us, it should not surprise us when he calls upon us to disseminate his resources to those in need. 

God is a compassionate and gracious God.  It hurts him when people are lacking, hungry, cold and down and out.  Because he resides in us, we should share in the heart and emotions of God.  If you check yourself and find that you frequently feel unmoved by others' plights, begin to cry out to God to stir up the love on the inside of you.

Dear Lord, help me to share in your feelings and emotions.  Let me see the needs of  the world through your eyes.  Help me, Lord, to hear you and be led by you in instances when I am confronted with possible need.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

A Love to Die For


"For this is the message you have heard from the beginning:  You should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own actions were evil and his brother's righteous.  Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.  Anyone who does not love remains in death.  Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.  This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."
I John 3:11-16

I love the parallels and intricacies of the Word of God.  The most famous scripture of all, John 3:16, is all about love and what God gave to show his love.  Now I John 3:16 seems to build upon that same foundation.  Ironic.  Or is it?

The most profound declaration of love is to lay down our lives for another.  Usually making that kind of sacrifice would be limited only to our very closest family, or maybe an unusually close friend.  Yet Jesus laid down his life for his  enemies.  When I was in sin, when I did not want to follow or please him, he looked  and me and said, "Yeah.  She's worth it!"  The same is true of you.  It is purely ludicrous in our way of seeing things, but that is the power of this extravagant, God-kind of love.

In this passage I can almost hear Jesus say, "You want to show love?  Watch me very closely and carefully do what I did."  Then Jesus embraces Judas,  and  his fate,  He willingly stretches out his arm in a love-embrace upon a cruel cross.

Perhaps- and hopefully-  we will never be called upon to literally lay down our lives for a brother.  But in other sacrificial, dying-to-self kinds of ways, we can  live this kind of love daily.  This kind of love lets someone else take the credit; get the leanest cut of meat, and have their pick of TV show.  This kind of love does not think less of self, but rather thinks of self less often.  (I believe Pastor Rick Warren said this).

We ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  Not that this is a best practice.  Not that it is preferable and highly recommended.  Rather, we ought to do it.  It is just part of our reasonable sacrifice of love.

Dear Lord, forgive me when I become self-centered or resentful in serving.  Help me to love in life as you did in death.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Are You Guilty of Murder?


"For this is the message you have heard from the beginning:  You should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own actions were evil and his brother's righteous.  Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.  Anyone who does not love remains in death.  Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him."  "  I John 3:11-15

I love the Word of God!  As strange as it may sound, I love it when during Bible study, or anointed preaching, the Lord convicts my heart in an area.  I enjoy learning how to please him, and what does not please him.  How can I be more like him, if I do not read the decrees, statutes and commandments laid out in the Bible?

As a young mother, I struggled with disciplining my children.  It broke my heart to  see them cry.  But as I studied the Bible I became more and more convinced that when I disciplined with dread, it was motivated by love.  When disciplining them eased the angst of my soul, I was in the flesh and not disciplining them in love.  Praise God!  He never disciplines us because he is fed up and is going to "show us a thing or two."  Rather, he disciplines us that we may live, that we may be blessed,  that we may enjoy his presence.

Loving others, forgiving, and resisting hatred is one of the hardest things we are called to do.  Why?  Because usually those we are tempted to hate or hold a grudge against is someone who has wronged us in some way.  The deeper the offence, the easier it is to being tempted to hate.

Dictionary.com defines hatred as "to dislike intensely or passionately to feel extreme aversion or hostility toward."  God said in today's verse that this is the same as murder.  Oh my!  That is a very strong whack on our spiritual posterior!

Is there anyone you intensely dislike?  I urge you to heed today's warning and begin to choose forgiveness.  Pray for the Lord to enable you to walk in love.  Today's passage indicates that clinging to this type of emotion separates us from the possibility of heaven, thus we have to purge any traces of it from us.

Dear Lord, please forgive me of anyone that I harbor wrong feelings toward.  I choose to let them go now and instead, I ask you to love them through me.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Monday, March 18, 2013

Love: The Jumping-off Point


"For this is the message you have heard from the beginning:  You should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own actions were evil and his brother's righteous.  Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.  Anyone who does not love remains in death."  I John 3:11-14

Hatred = death                                Love = life. 

And that is all of your math lesson I have planned for today!  But all jokes aside, that is the bare bones of truth.  Picture the first word in the equation as a starting point and the one on the other side as a destination.  If you start out hating people, ultimately, it will kill you emotionally, spiritually and even physically.  Much research  has been done that attempts to determine the consequence of negative emotions on health.  Research has documented that   hatred, unforgiveness, and stress lead to heart disease, cancer and diabetes.  Conversely, love leads to life.  Spiritually, physically and eternally.  Walking in love protects our spirit and even our physical and emotional well-being.  You most likely have seen the same reports I have, infants that are not held and shown love can die even when their physical needs are being met. We were made for love!

Love is the spiritual DNA of God.  The Bible clearly explains "God is love."  Thus, when we are born again children of God, our spiritual DNA is impacted by love as well.  Receiving the love of God changes everything!  It changes how we think, how we feel, how we problem-solve and approach life in general.  And that type of love is productive.  It produces spiritual offspring.  Because we have received Christ's love, we love others and lead them also to the truth of His love that we have found. 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son..." (John 3:16)  When we become children of God, we-like natural children-pick up characteristics of our Father. If there is no resemblance to the Father, one wonders if the person is indeed his child!

The love of God inspires us to love our earthly brothers and sisters all the more.  The love of God inspires us to love our Christian brothers and sisters in the Lord.  In fact, it is commanded.  But it does not stop there.  The love of God requires that we also love and bless those who hate and mistreat us.  Why?! Because of the love of God.  It is our starting point for all things.  But thank God, eternal life is our destination!

Oh Lord, help me to receive all the love you have for me.  Help me also, Lord, to let you love others through me.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Friday, March 15, 2013

Rejected...But Not Abandoned


 

 

"For this is the message you have heard from the beginning:  You should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own actions were evil and his brother's righteous.  Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you."  I John 3:13

We all want to be loved.  No healthy person has a fervent desire to be loathed and hated.  We are all built with an innate desire to be loved and accepted.  In fact, we feel this way so strongly, that one of the most hurtful things we will experience in life, is being rejected.

People who are rejected by parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, spouses, etc., often struggle with low self-esteem and emotional pain. We want to be liked from childhood on up.  Our desire to be loved and accepted causes us to respond to parental disapproval and discipline.  We want Mama and Daddy to smile at us, so we endure the dreaded broccoli and share our  toys.  As we age, the same desire to please remains.  And to some extent, this desire is a positive thing.

So when does it pose a problem?  Our desire to please becomes a problem when we must do it at the expense of obeying God or being true to ourselves.  There is nothing noble about pleasing someone else when it leaves you feeling cheap and dirty. There is something wrong with making someone else happy at the expense of our conscious.  So what do we do when we try our best and others hate or dislike us?

We have to give the hurt of rejection over to God.  Jesus fully understands what it is like to be rejected, misunderstood and betrayed.  He was given over to be murdered by one of his closest (and chosen) companions.  He did nothing wrong but he was despised, ridiculed and murdered.  If we follow in his footsteps, we are likely to experience similar problems.

Early in my adult life, I had a couple of friends misunderstand and judge me.   In that instance (though certainly not always) my heart was motivated by pure intentions, but I was being accused of doing it from a "look at me" attitude.  I remember laying in the altar at church telling the Lord, "They hate me and I have not done anything wrong."  If I have ever heard the Lord, I heard him say, "They hated me, too, and they killed me... Let my approval of you be enough."

Wow.  I was so humbled by that, that I cried out in repentance.  Who am I to whine because a couple of ladies disliked me, when the sinless Lamb of God- King of the Universe- was slain?

The pain and sting of rejection will always be there, but the Lord can give us the grace to walk though it without sinning, if we just turn to him for help.

Dear Lord, forgive me for making it about me.  Help me to be concerned with your approval and not that of the world.  Help me to develop tunnel vision.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Well, Would You Look at That?




 

"For this is the message you have heard from the beginning:  You should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own actions were evil and his brother's righteous " I John 3:11

 

We are all familiar with the story of Cain and Abel, Adam and Eve's first children.  The first-ever humans born through procreation on this Earth.  Because Cain chose to disobey and dishonor God, his brother's right actions irked him.  They irritated him to the point that he sulked with God and killed his brother  Many an intriguing movie plot has since been written.  Why?  It is the age-old dilemma of rivalry.  We want to be the best and do not appreciate someone else making us look bad.

Comparing ourselves with others pretty much always turns out bad.  If we compare to others and seem better than them, we have set the stage for pride and a critical spirit.  If we compare ourselves to others and they look better, we have set ourselves up for self-hatred and low self-esteem.   Truly, it is best if we judge ourselves against our own personal best.  I need to try to do a better job this time than last time, rather than trying to out-do someone else.  There will always be someone who sings better, dresses better, looks better, writes better, teaches better or does better arts and crafts.   Life cannot be about comparison, rather it must be about appreciation.

In addition, we need to judge ourselves, instead, against the Word of  God.  That will never lead us astray.  Looking in the Bible, I may realize that I did a fabulous job pulling off an event,  but bombed entirely in keeping a right attitude during it.  The Bible always calls us upward, to higher and more noble purposes.

Yesterday we talked about lovers, today we talk about haters.  There is such a fine line, at times, between the two.  Choosing a love walk can help combat the temptation to fall into sin and a wrong attitude with someone else.  Since we cannot be "wrong" with someone else and "right" with God, we must strive to strike a healthy balance in our relationships with others and our perceptions of their actions.  John Bevere talks about the importance of not judging another person's heart motivations. He proposes that if we can steer clear of  that, it will circumvent the tendency to wrongly judge another.  I can see what you do, but I cannot truly know why you do it.  Let us endeavor to judge our own actions and leave others in the hands of God.

Dear Lord, forgive me for being negative, critical and arrogant in my view of others.  Help me to keep my eyes on you, instead. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Sherri