pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: love


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Good Habits and Techniques

When things aren’t going well it is our natural tendency to want to change things.  While this is a good idea for a baseball player whose swing has developed a hitch, it is not a good idea in our faith life.  Mired in a hitting slump, the ball player and his coaches try to figure out what has changes so that they can fix it.  This is a mechanical or physical process that can be studied, analyzed, and corrected.

Like a batter practicing good habits and techniques, or faith life ‘works’ best when we are practicing good habits and techniques in our daily study and prayer life.   In the times that we stay in tune with God, we find pleasure and contentment in His world.  The sunset or sunrise contains a beauty we see as His.  Our interactions with other people is filled with the love of Christ.  Life is good.

But sometimes life brings us a curve ball.  In these cases we must work at not developing a hitch in our spiritual life.  When life brings us the difficult, we must remain faithful and try.  We must resist the temptation to turn to something or someone other than God.  God’s love is eternal and true.  As we remain true in our walk with Him, He will always see us through.

Scripture reference: Exodus 17: 1-7


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Our Call Too

God is a god of hope, love, grace, and generosity.  We each receive these things in abundance.  We are called, in turn, to share these gifts with others – to those we know and to the person we meet for the first time.

In the parable at the start of Matthew 20, Jesus is teaching us to offer these things to all.  The landowner pays all of the workers the same amount.  He begins by paying those who started late what he promised those who started early.  They grumble when they only receive what was promised.

We can relate to their complaint!  They think they deserved more.  We see this two ways.  We too often think that if we have been a follower of Christ for a long time we “deserve” more than one new to their faith.  Wrong.  God loves us all equally.  We all equally deserve God’s blessings.  The other way we see this is in judging who is worthy of our love, our time, our help…  This is equally wrong.  We are called to be like Christ.  He set the standard – He loved all, especially those who we think are hard to love.  This is our call – to love all as Christ loved and loves all.


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Are You Willing?

History can teach us much.  As a nation we can look back and study our past as a way of improving our future.  We can also use our history and its lessons to bring healing to people today.  When we see and understand our mistakes, then we can begin to seek forgiveness and to mend relationships.

Within the history of our faith we can find the same things – lessons to learn and guidance for how to heal our world.  There is much brokenness in our world.  But God’s love is vastly greater than the brokenness.  God’s love is an endless reservoir.

As the church we are called to tap into God’s love and to being it to the world.  It can be done through acts of compassion like feeding the hungry.  It can be done through acts of mercy like praying with one in need.  It can be done through acts of presence, simply being there with one in grief and pain.  It can be done through acts of giving, allowing God’s blessings to flow through you to someone around the world to meet another’s basic needs.

We can address some needs and issues as a body of Christ, working together to improve life and to share Christ.  But is still takes individuals with willing hands and feet to actually bring healing, hope, and the message of Christ to those nearest to us, to those in our immediate community.  Are you willing?

Scripture reference: Psalm 105: 1-6 and 37-45


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An Amazing Love

All along our journey of faith there will be times when we are separated from God, adrift in our faith.  The circumstances of life will draw us away, both in the good and in the bad times.  Sometimes when life is really going well we can start to take the credit or we can get comfortable with our faith and suddenly God has a back seat.  We can feel that we don’t seem to ‘need’ God at times.  Other times, after being in a long struggle, we can come to a point where we question God’s presence or we may wonder of our prayers are being heard.

As the food that they had brought with them from Egypt began to run out, the Israelites began to grumble against Moses and Aaron and, ultimately, against God.  They could still remember the pots full of food from their days as slaves in Egypt and they longed to be filled again.  Our loving God heard them and sent manna and quail, but with some instructions.  If they took more than they needed, then it would be rotten.  God wanted to meet their need, not to spoil them.  Once they saw God’s provision, their faith in Him was restored.  But eventually they will fall away again.  And again.  And again.  And again.

We are just like the Israelites.  As my friend Kent likes to say, “One more time around the mountain!”  Yet the amazing thing is our God.  He never  leaves us.  No matter how many times we have to circle back around, He is always right there.  It is only us that chooses a time of separation.  And over and over and over and over again, when we seek Him, God is right there.  His great love for us is amazing.  It is a love that never ends, that never fails.  It is an amazing love!!  Praise be to God!!

Scripture reference: Exodus 16: 4-15


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Where They Are At

Shortly after being freed from cruel bondage in slavery, the Israelites begin to complain.  Instead of turning to the God who “convinced” Pharaoh to let them go, who brought them safely through the sea, and who destroyed Pharoah’s army in that same sea. they chose to grumble.  At first glance,they appear ungrateful.

Yet for how many of us does a basic need that is unmet become what we quickly whine about?  Ever heard “I’m hungry’ whined from a comfy couch while playing the latest video game on an almost brand-new gaming console?  Ever heard something along the lines of “That’s not fair!” when a coworker gets a raise from the person who just bought a new car?  It is even a greater cause to complain when the person is truly in need.  At least the Israelites where actually wandering in a desert and had next to no provisions.  Today, when one is struggling to find shelter and a bit of food to eat, then seeing anything else is often a challenge.

This is why Jesus calls us to care for the needy and to be generous with what we have been blessed with.  God’s blessings are not intended for our hording.  But to be able to share the good news with someone, we must meet a person’s basic needs first.  It is the old adage – people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.  We must be like Jesus and meet them where they are at.  We must see them as they are and meet their immediate needs first.  Then the Holy Spirit will guide us from there!

Scripture reference: Exodus 15: 2-3


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To Judge or Not to Judge?

Paul cautions us not to judge others but to accept where they are in their faith journey.  When we do not judge we are more open to two important things.  First, we can more fully love then and, consequently, hold nothing back.  Second, we are open to both learning from them and to sharing what we know of faith to help them learn and grow as well.  Too often when we judge another we put up barriers in our heart and mind.

Yet in our human nature we seem to judge, to rank, to compare all too easily.  Although society is a place where tolerance increasingly reign, as a culture we still place a premium on our ‘position’ in life, on how much stuff or money we have, and so on.  This makes Paul’s caution all the harder to adhere to.  But with faith and trust in God we can work towards this ideal.

Judging is personally essential as long as it remains something we do for ourselves and not to ourselves.  We must judge the decisions and choices we face and make.  We must judge if we are growing in the faith and take steps to do so if we are not growing.  With others, love must reign, not judgement.  For love is the most excellent way!

Scripture reference: Romans 14: 1-12


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Shining the Light

Paul calls us to wake up and realize that our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.  He reminds us that the day is almost here and calls us to put on the armor of light.  He challenges us to healthy living and an avoidance of our sinful desires.

How we live matters because we do cast a light into the world.  Is our light a ray of hope?  Is our light a reflection of the love of Christ?  On a daily basis people see us and watch us.  It is a challenge to live fully in the light.  We face our own earthly desires and must filter through the temptations and allures of the world.  On a personal level, we must strive to live as children of the light.

Our churches also cast a light into the world.  Is our church shining a light out into the neighborhood and into the greater community?  Do others know the love of Christ through our communal outreach?  Too often the light is dim.  Too often we stay within our own walls.  As a church, may we also strive to clothe the body with Christ, so that His light and love shine forth into the lives of those in need.

Scripture reference: Romans 13: 11-14


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God’s Extravagant Love

Do you believe that God loves you?  Do you believe it right down to the bottom of your heart?  He does love you.  God is passionate about us all.  In the book, The Shack, the God character had a saying that she said often – “I am especially fond of that one”.  It was said about everybody!  It is true too.

It is essential that we root our love in God’s divine love for us.  God’s love is pure, honest, and unending.  This is how we are called to love others and ourselves.  Jesus tells us that all of the commandments can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself”.  Jesus lived a life that exemplified this new command and we are called to follow His example.

When we truly live out and follow this simple commandment, we do not steal, cheat, covet, murder, …  Yet it extends far beyond this list of things not to do.  Because of this divine love within us, we seek to ‘do no harm’ and to ‘do all the good we can, any time we can’ (Reuben Job and John Wesley).  As we live into God’s love for us, we begin to share His love with those we meet and live with every day.  Through His extravagant love we begin to make a difference in our worlds.

Scripture reference: Romans 13: 8-10


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Sides of Anger

Can anger ever be a good thing?  Or is anger always bad?  I think back to a stage in my son’s life when the littlest thing made him very angry, and I see a side of anger that is bad.  Yet I think about a friend so angry over the injustice he saw that he started an organization that offered care and services to a segment of our population in great need.

And is a natural emotion.  At times God was so angry that He wanted to wipe humanity off the face of the earth.  King David was once so angry at a man in a story who stole an animal from a very poor man when he himself had plenty.  David was so angry that wanted to go and exact revenge for the poor man.  (But it turns out David was the offender!)  Righteous anger can be a good thing.

Personal anger is usually another story.  We are called to control our emotions.  We must be wary because the tongue is a mighty weapon and a small spark can cause a huge fire.  On a personal level, we must seek to offer love over hate, peace over war.  We must seek first His kingdom.

Scripture reference: Psalm 149: 5-9


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Claim All That He Offers

“Keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” – Romans 12: 11-12

It can be hard to always love others.    It can be hard to always be ‘Christian’ towards others.  It can even be hard to treat our brothers and sisters in Christ with love all the time.  These words of Paul provide us with some insights and guidance for how to love all in a manner worthy of Christ’s love.

‘Keeping our spiritual fervor’ involves staying in love with God – one of Reuben Job’s ‘Three Simple Rules’.  When we are in love with God we naturally want to serve others and to meet the needs we can meet.  We stay in love with God by practicing our spiritual disciplines – worship, prayer, study, fasting, …

When we are ‘joyful in hope’ we are living into the belief that Jesus will be there for us.  We are expectant that He will be present to us and as we live with hope in our hearts, we are filled with joy.  When we are ‘patient in affliction’ we are living into the belief that although we endure for a moment, that Jesus will be there when we reach the other side or the end of our present situation.  In the midst of trial, we know that He is there with us and will be there always.  This allows for patience.  With patience we can gain much from the trials of life.  When we are ‘faithful in prayer’ we are living into the belief that through talking with Jesus we draw nearer to Him and draw strength from Him.

Though these four practices we equip ourselves to better love all we encounter each day.  This blessing from Hebrews 13 is also ours if we claim it: “May the God of peace equip you with every good thing that you may do His will, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.”  He wants to equip us with spiritual fervor, joyful hope, patient enduring, and a faithful prayer life.  May we claim all that He has to offer as we live daily with Christ.

Scripture reference: Romans 12: 9-21