How is Your Love Life?

"For this is the message you have heard from the beginning:  You should love one another." I John 3:11

 

These days, people, groups and corporations like to adopt mission statements.   These statements tell the world what the organization is about.  They reflect the ultimate goal of the person or group adopting the  mission statement.  In my opinion, if  you were to boil the Bible down to one mission statement it would be "Love God; love people."   I know, I know, that is overly simplistic but I still feel it encapsulates the heart of the message and is the basis for most all (if not all) the commandments.

Loving God is a given.  He loved us first. He sent his son to die for us. He makes provision for us, directs and guides over us.   In many ways, loving God comes easy.  But the Lord never intended for us to stop there.   He wants us to move on to the point that we love what he loves- other human beings. 

Blended families know that if you are truly going  to love your mate, you will have to love their children.  Healthy marriage and family cannot be built when the two parents entering a new marriage, do not  first establish a relationship with their intended's children.  Dysfunction abounds in relationships where this is not the case. 

But in a broader sense,  it is still true. Love me?  Love my children.  I don't hang out with anyone that does not love- or at least like- my children.  They don't have to establish a close bond to them, but they cannot despise them!  Do you understand what I am saying?  They are my heartbeat, the apple of my eye.  My family comes first in my life and all other relationships  spring forth from that starting point.

I cannot help but feel that Daddy-God is much the same way.  He love me. He wants what is best for me.  He has big plans for me. But he feels the same way about you. And the people in other churches and denominations.  But it is bigger.  He feels the same way about serial killers, child molesters and terrorists.  Hard to swallow, but true.  Each human being is created in the image of God (their Father) with a purpose and destiny that is all about having a relationship with him. So if God is going  to reign over my heart,  that will be a guiding force in my life.  We must love one another.  I must love other people.

So what does this "God-kind" of love look like?  It  means I value other people's feelings, treat them with respect, consider their needs, have compassion for their hurt and joy for their success.   It means it cannot only be about me.  I have to open my eyes and see the world Jesus died for.

A couple of  days ago, I was slammed with things that I needed to get done.  Pressing things.  Important things.  I had a lot to do and a short time in which to get it done.  Most of it was about taking care of  others and church stuff.  (Enough to make me feel a bit smug about the "importance" of what I was doing.)  So as I left my  buggy at Wal-Mart on the sidewalk, I told myself several things: 
"I am late for a party.  I've got to hurry. and my kid needs me."  In addition, there were countless other buggies parked there as well.  But as I left my last bag in the car, I had this nagging conviction that I just could not leave it there.   Then the Lord spoke to my heart, if you leave it there you are not  walking in love but selfishness. To leave it there is to say that what I had going on was more important  than the rules.  It was more important than blocking a pathway for a little old lady with an unsteady gate.  It was more important than the cars which could be potentially be rammed if a good wind caught the buggy and propelled it across the parking lot.   It was more important than the poor guy (or girl) whose job it is to gather the buggies and whose life is made more difficult when they have to wander all over the parking lot collecting buggies that were haphazardly parked.  Ouch!  So I took the extra "precious" thirty seconds of my life and made it about someone else.   A very small sacrifice, but don't we find this kind of thing to be the hardest?

Loving will always involve sacrifice because when we establish priorities, one person comes out ahead and the other, behind. Are your words and actions in keeping in line with love?  Do you play games (that bore you) with your children because you love them?  Do you read the same book over and over again because they love it? Do you listen to the elderly man tell about his "war days" with interest and respect even when it is the hundredth time he has told it?

It is all about love. Are you doing it?  Are you showing it?  Love is an action word.  Today, try to put the verb of love to work in your interactions.

Lord, forgive me of selfishness and self-centered thinking.   Help me to love as you love.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

 Sherri

Beloved of God

"I am my beloved's and he is mine..."  Song of Solomon 6:3

 

"Friendship has blossomed to love and marriage." This is the verse that we had imprinted on the napkins at our wedding, twenty-five years ago today!  It is hard for me to believe that we are already celebrating our Silver Anniversary.  When I look back on the children we were back when we said "I do" I am amazed that we ever survived to make it so many years together.

Marriage is one of the most unique relationships that we experience while on the face of the earth.  It is the walking  alongside someone that makes it so special- and so difficult. As small children, we want what we want when we want it and scream until we get it! As we mature, we learn to care about the needs of someone else, and hopefully, we learn to care more about someone else.

If you are married, or are contemplating marriage, know that marriage takes three.  The both of you, and the Father to hold it together. Us being joined as husband and wife is often paralleled in Scripture to Christ and his Bride- the church.  In many ways, the analogy is so powerful.  Christ picked you.  He called you to come apart and be his.  He makes a lifelong (actually eternity-long)  covenant with us that he will never leave us.  People can walk out on us.  People pass from this life.  But thankfully, we all have someone who loves us and wants to make the journey of life by our side! 

Dear Lord, help me to be the wife (or husband) you want me to be.  But more than that, help me to be the Bride that you have chosen.  Help me to be pure and spotless, living in eager expectation for that great wedding day, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Happy Anniversary, Johnny.  I love you and thank God for the journey together.

Sherri

 

 

It is All Relative

 

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!  The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.  Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.  But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.  And in him is no sin.  Dear children, do not let anyone lead  you astray. he who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.  He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.  The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.  No one who is born of God  will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him, he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are:  Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother."  I John 3:1-10

 

The passages from the last few days are strong teachings which can be hard to swallow- particularly for those determined to sit on the fence in their spiritual walk.  The truth of these passages  are quite plain- you do what is right, you are of God.  You do what is wrong, you belong to the devil.  Walking holy is more about black and white than it is about shades of gray.  There is truth and there are lies.  There is holiness and there is sin. A person desiring to follow the Lord has to make a decision.  We literally have to pick a team.  I once heard about an undecided soldier who came out in the civil war wearing a Confederate uniform on top and a Union soldier uniform on bottom.  It is told that when he went on the battlefield, that he was shot by both sides!  We must pick a side, rather than straddling the two.

Although in some passages we are warned against setting ourselves up as a judge, other passages, such as this one, indicate we can still identify a saint from a sinner.  A person is known by their actions.  We cannot have a right heart and constantly have wrong actions and behaviors.  Conversely, if Jesus is in our  heart, his character traits will work their way to the outside in tangible ways that others can observe and recognize.

One of the primary ways we show love of the Father, is to show love to our brothers and sisters.  We cannot love him and despise those made in his likeness.  We cannot love the Father, but not love his other children.  This makes sense and sound easy enough.  But truth be told, God always show his unconditional love for us; whereas, his children can treat us unkindly.  Other Christians can slander us and mistreat us.  there are times that our personalities just flat out clash.  When you are the nose in the body of Christ, you have little communion with the armpit in the body  of Christ! But if we want to please God, we must suppress our desire to protect our rights, and choose instead  to show love.  Loving our brother is about extending mercy  and forgiveness (especially when it is undeserved) and about putting the needs of others up there in importance with our own needs.  A tall order, to be sure, but possible through the grace of God.

Dear Lord, help me to show forth my relationship with you in my behavior.    Help my attitudes and actions to reflect your heart.  Help me to love others as you do.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Transformation

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!  The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.  Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.  But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.  And in him is no sin.  Dear children, do not let anyone lead  you astray. he who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.  He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.  The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.  No one who is born of God  will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him, he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. "  I John 3:1-8

How many times have I made a resolution to myself?  From now on I am going to clean out the fridge every weekend.  From now on, I am going to eat more whole grains and limit myself to one diet Coke a day.  I am going to record all receipts in my ledger every day... The list is endless of good decisions that I make, but lack the fortitude to carry out.  Resolutions, once made, do not happen on auto-pilot.  They are a result of  a multiplicity of decisions.  Yes, I decide to have only the one diet Coke a day.  But then, when I am nauseous, I  have to decide if I really will drink water.  Later, when I am eating lunch in a restaurant, I have to decide to drink water, even  if it tastes nasty, like chlorine (I have a deep well at home.)  Then later, I drive by Sonic and realize it is "happy hour".  Once again, I must make the decision.  Am I going to drink a bottle of water, or 'drive-in' for a Diet Coke with vanilla?  Just like that, my resolution fails at numerous points of the day.  (What is your diet Coke dilemma?)

The decision to become a Christian and follow God is a solitary decision, that is unlike any other decision.  In choosing to become a believer, God extends special grace to us, making us a "new creation."  It is a supernatural transaction, all based in his provision.  Salvation is a concert of God's grace, mercy, the drawing of the Holy Spirit, conviction of the Holy Spirit, the "measure of faith" being activated in our lives, etc...  The list of components are endless.  The primary actions that are our responsibility is to have faith (believe) and confess our sins, asking him to  come in.  All the rest is on his side.  His sacrifice on the cross. Preparing our hearts to receive the Word... Wooing us and seeking after us...

Because the event of salvation is so God-breathed upon, it has the power to make a permanent change in us.  We are granted a new character, we have new desires and we have a new roommate- Jesus lives in our heart!  In addition, the Spirit of God walks beside us, instructing and correcting us.

No, when we receive Christ, it is much different than other decision. The supernatural seed, or germ, of God comes to live in our hearts!  Doesn't that just boggle your mind?!  His seed takes root inside of us and begins to grow and blossom into  an undeniable transformation!

If you believe that you have made a choice to follow God, but have no grace or strength to live for him, I encourage you to reflect on today's verses.  Ask God to show you why you are not showing a difference in your life.  If there is a breakdown, or disconnect, we have to accept that it is on our part. 

There are many people who walk the aisle at church and say the sinner's prayer.  Some of them you can see an immediate change.  Others, it seems like they are living my "diet Coke" story.  They make a decision, but have no follow-through.  When that happens, we have to wonder if the person was acting in their own strength, or if God was really at work in their commitment.  Choosing to be born again will bring a drastic change.

Dear Lord, I pray today for my friends who are struggling with truly living for you.  If they have failed to make a true commitment to you, I ask that you show them and draw them into true salvation and life transformation.  If they are just continually making wrong choices, I ask that you convict them and help there to be a desire in their heart to truly live for you, producing fruit in keeping with repentance.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Identify Yourself!

  "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!  The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.  Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.  But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.  And in him is no sin.  Dear children, do not let anyone lead  you astray. he who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.  He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.  The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work."  I John 3:1-8

 

When a child is born, family and friends gather around the newborn.  And the conversation goes something like this, "He/she looks just like her Mama."  "He/she has her daddy's eyes, chin, etc."  We closely relate people to the ones that they are most closely identified with.

The same phenomenon is true in the spirit as well.  If God is your Father, then people are going to see his character and attitude at work in you.  If you  are sowing wild oats, living like the devil, then people will assume that you are a non-Christian.  And rightly so.  Jesus  is the King  of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  He defeated the work of Satan when he died on the cross.  He has made his enemy his footstool making a public display of defeating Satan.  All of this was done so that we- his  precious, yet lost children- can be restored to a right relationship with him and become born-again children of God.

After he has suffered so much on our behalf, why would we accept him as our Savior, but show allegiance to his  enemy by acting like the devil?  Why would we lie, cuss, hang out in bars and brawl?  Why would we gossip, take the Lord's  Name in vain or view internet pornography?  There has to be boundaries in life.  There are places I just can't go because I am a Christian.  We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, how can we take our temple to a place where our Lord is not honored and Satan is given free reign.

God has destroyed Satan's work.  We need to be careful to reject his efforts to ensnare us again. Are there areas in your life where Jesus cannot be found...? In your movie/television viewing?  In your reading material?  In your flirtations with the cute blonde at work?  Decide today to cut the enemy off.  Do not allow him to influence you.

Dear Lord, help me to show forth your character in all that I do.  Search my heart and reveal to me the areas where I make room for the enemy.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

Who is Leading You?

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!  The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.  Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.  But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.  And in him is no sin.  Dear children, do not let anyone lead  you astray. he who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous."  I John 3:1-7

We are always concerned about the friends our children choose.  Why?  Because spending time with the right kind of people encourages us to improve ourselves; whereas, spending time with the wrong kind of people will cause us to lower our standards.  The Bible says, "Bad company corrupts good morals." (I. Cor. 15:33)  This is so true in so many different ways.  If I spend a lot of time with someone, I find myself inadvertently adopting their manner of speech.  We develop inside jokes and shared figures of speech.   If they are the kind that are sunny and positive, I find myself feeling more positive.  If they are melancholy and depressed, I find my mood sinking as well.  Ever been there? Which kind of influence are you?

We have to choose with care those with whom we associate most closely.  Like Jesus, we are to reach out to the lost in the world.  But we see Jesus withholding more intimate friendship for his disciples, whom he walked with day after day.  In addition to that, he had Peter, James and John as a little bit closer companions to whom he revealed more of himself.  They saw healings and the transfiguration, whereas, others did not.  Why did he chose these three?  I am not sure.  Perhaps it was their zeal, devotion or level of love.  Either way, we know it was not because they were perfect- Jesus even told Peter to "Get thee behind me Satan," at one point when he was speaking against the will of God.

It is good to have confidantes in whom we confide our deepest fears, concerns and dreams.  But we must be careful whom we choose, because they have the power to aid us in our journey or hamper our progress.  There have been times in my life when I have shared my vision with people who did nothing more but "nay say" and discourage me.  Guard closely the things that are most precious to you.  Use discretion with the people you allow (especially) to speak into your life.

I have been blessed with several close Christian friends who are honest with me.  They will hear me and love me- but not be afraid to point me back to truth.  I do not always appreciate their candor at the time, but in my heart of hearts, I want to do God's will and do appreciate someone who is trying to help me, even if the helping hurts.  "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses."  (Prov. 27:6)  In other words, better for true friends to love us enough to hurt us with the truth, than to have an "enemy" help us with lies and flattery.

Recently I was going through a particularly difficult spiritual and emotional battle.  I confided my  hurts to a trusted prayer partner who listened, empathized, then begin  to instruct me with the Word.  I jokingly told her to hush before I spit on her!  We both laughed-and still do- but I knew the truth then.  God was speaking to me through her advice.  Instruction sometimes encourages, but it sometimes rebukes.

Don not let anyone lead you astray!  If you do not have quality Christian friends who help you along in your walk with God, begin to pray and ask God to bring you some. And always, always, line up people's advise against the Word of God.  The Bible has to be the bottom line in our decision-making!

Dear Lord,  thank you for Godly friends who speak into my life words of encouragement and rebuke.  Help me to be the kind of friend you desire me to be. Grant me discernment to know when I am being told the truth or lies.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

 

Should I or Shouldn't I?

 

 

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!  The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.  Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.  But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.  And in him is no sin.  No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen  him or known him."  I John 3:1-6

 

Today's verse is  one of those that is quite plain and to the point.  So much so, that it is almost offensive...to the flesh!  Our carnal nature does not like to be told what to do,  but that is precisely what it needs!  A successful Christian grabs their flesh "by the ear" and shows it who is boss- an often painful process.

Growing up I knew two "men of God" one was cool- even said a bad word  or two, the  other one was a fuddy-duddy  who lived a very disciplined lifestyle.  The first guy made it look like you could have Christ, but not have to be weird or different.  You could have your cake and eat it too!  The second guy made it look like you had to sacrifice a bunch to follow Christ.  Now understand that these were the perceptions of  a very young little girl, and they were likely skewed.  And of course,  there was shadows of things that I could not understand.   But the bottom line is that I wanted what half of the church of America wants today- to have Jesus in the one hand and the world in the other.  It simply does not work that way!

As my walk matured in the Lord, I began to look  back at the two role model men aforementioned.  I began to wonder why the first guy would choose to have the spiritual liability of  leading  young people astray and I understood more the second man.  But the truth is, neither of them had it just right, just as I do not have it quite right today!  We all have areas where we excel and areas  where we struggle.  Christianity is not meant to be a list of rules and regulations, nor is it meant to be a highly individualized and personalized gospel  where there is no set right or wrong.  Walking with God is a relationship.  It is a love affair that inspires us to want to live righteously and avoid sin.

I have found that when I am spending the appropriate amount of time in the Bible and in prayer, it is much harder to sin than when I am just going through the motions.  The Holy Spirit is called holy for a good reason.  One of his functions in our life is to make us holy.  If he- and Jesus- are in the house (our hearts) then there is a change in how we live.  We simply cannot flirt with the world and walk with God.

You may be asking, what is the cut-off point?  How much of God do I need to be saved, and how much can I fit in without forfeiting salvation?   If this is your heart, you are missing the point entirely!  No one know how far his grace extends.  But why choose to presume on the precious grace that we are offered?   When we choose to follow Jesus, it means we begin to walk like him, talk like him, act like him, and do the things he did.  Well, what if we don't?  Refer back to today's verse.  "No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him."

Are you longing  for more freedom or more fun than you can have hanging out with church people?  Beware!  You are in danger.   Walking with Jesus is the most fun, fulfilling, happy and blessed existence you could ever hope for.  His yoke is easy and his burden is light.  It is our distinct joy to follow him in obedience.  When Jesus told the disciples to take up their cross and follow him, it was not meant as a beautiful word-picture.  No, the cross was a cruel place of pain, suffering and death.  He was saying, die to sin, die to flesh, die to the world.  And then you will truly live!  For time without end.  Amen.

Dear Lord, help me in the area of ____ where I struggle with sin and obedience to your Word.   Help me to die to the flesh, that I may live for you.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Sherri