Love is not the answer it's the assignment!
About Me
Philippians 3:12 “Not that I have now attained this ideal or am already made perfect, but I press on to lay hold or grasp and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus, the Messiah, has laid hold of me and made me His own. I DO NOT CONSIDER, BRETHREN, THAT I HAVE CAPTURED AND MADE IT MY OWN YET; BUT ONE THING I DO – IT IS MY ONE ASPIRATION; FORGETTING WHAT LIES BEHIND AND STRAINING FORWARD TO WHAT LIES AHEAD. I press on toward the goal to win the supreme and heavenly prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward. Only let us hold true to what we have already attained and walk and order our lives by that.
Blog Posts
Time Is Of The Essence
Anyone else find themselves living in a state of busy. When someone asks me, “How are you?” i bombard them with my daily to-do list. i may answer with something like “Ohhhhhh MY goodness! I’m sooooo busy! Let me tell you how BUSY I am…” And i rattle off all of the places i have to be and things i have to do.
And… i do it with an air of disgust and dread instead of joy with the decisions i have chosen myself. Then the other person has to one-up my busy with their busy.
Is being busy a badge i wear with pride and honor? Or… is being busy a cover up for my lack of joy, my nagging lack of purpose and significance that all to often eats at me?
If a day of back to back activities, work, church and family functions is not my idea of how to spend my weekend, then why am i spending my weekend that way? I thought i was wise?
What’s this all for?
Could the answer be… so i don’t have to feel.
Feel what?
Feel the urgency, the pain, the beauty, the joy, the fleeting moments and the passing years. Feel what we see in the news. Feel what’s going on with my family or the family down the street that i know who is battling cancer. Feel the effects of aging, my kids and grandkids growing.
I have moments when i’m apprehensive about missing moments with my children and grandchildren.
I fill my calendar with gatherings and meetings, work, overtime work, food, more food, a touch of sports and shows, weekend get aways and vacations in sun shiny places.
Silence can stir up truth. Maybe i’m afraid to be still. Afraid of what i will hear if i brush aside the noise and instead hold onto a few beautiful, slow, quiet moments.
So here’s a challenge. Try a different way. See what happens. Feel life. Clear the calendar of just some the clutter and give yourself a chance to feel your way through the moments instead of cracking the whip on them.
See what happens. I dare you. I dare you to un-busy your life.
And… i do it with an air of disgust and dread instead of joy with the decisions i have chosen myself. Then the other person has to one-up my busy with their busy.
Is being busy a badge i wear with pride and honor? Or… is being busy a cover up for my lack of joy, my nagging lack of purpose and significance that all to often eats at me?
If a day of back to back activities, work, church and family functions is not my idea of how to spend my weekend, then why am i spending my weekend that way? I thought i was wise?
What’s this all for?
Could the answer be… so i don’t have to feel.
Feel what?
Feel the urgency, the pain, the beauty, the joy, the fleeting moments and the passing years. Feel what we see in the news. Feel what’s going on with my family or the family down the street that i know who is battling cancer. Feel the effects of aging, my kids and grandkids growing.
I have moments when i’m apprehensive about missing moments with my children and grandchildren.
I fill my calendar with gatherings and meetings, work, overtime work, food, more food, a touch of sports and shows, weekend get aways and vacations in sun shiny places.
Silence can stir up truth. Maybe i’m afraid to be still. Afraid of what i will hear if i brush aside the noise and instead hold onto a few beautiful, slow, quiet moments.
So here’s a challenge. Try a different way. See what happens. Feel life. Clear the calendar of just some the clutter and give yourself a chance to feel your way through the moments instead of cracking the whip on them.
See what happens. I dare you. I dare you to un-busy your life.
Love In Action!
Love is not the answer… it’s the assignment!
I John 15:12, 13 says, “This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
That says to me that, as i get new revelation of God’s love for me, it will produce new words and actions in me. Therefore it’s time to re-visit these verses regarding love and the assignment they present. I have personalized them to myself.
This is more of a tool than a sharing of a story but, it is a part of my journey.
I Thank God Daily That…
1. i RECEIVE one another, just as Christ also has accepted me to the Glory of God. Romans 15:7
2. i GREET one another with a holy kiss. Romans 15:16
3. i SPEAK to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Ephesians 5:19
4. i SUBMIT to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21
5. i LOVE one another, as He has loved me, so i must love one another. John 13:34
6. i offer HOSPITALITY to one another without grumbling. I Peter 4:9
7. i stop passing JUDGEMENT on one another. Instead, make up my mind not to put any obstacle in my brother’s way. Romans 14:13
8. i with all humility and gentleness, with patience, show TOLERANCE for one another in love. Ephesians 4:2
9. i be KIND to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as Christ also has forgiven me. Ephesians 4:32
10. i be kind to one another, TENDER HEARTED, forgiving each other, just as Christ also has forgiven us. Ephesians 4:32
11. i be kind to one another, tender-hearted, FORGIVING each other, just as Christ also has forgiven us. Ephesians 4:32
12. So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal CONCERN for one another. I Corinthians 12:25
13. I was called to be free. But, i do not use my freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, to SERVE one another in love. Galatians 5:13
14. i CARRY one another’s burdens, and in this way i fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
15. I CONFESS my SINS to one another and pray for one another so that i may be healed. James 5:16
16. i confess my sins to one another and PRAY for one another so that i may be healed. James 5:16
17. i pursue the things which make for peace and the BUILDING UP of one another. Romans 14:19
18. I let the word of Christ dwell in me richly as i TEACH and admonish one another with all wisdom and as i sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in my heart to God. Colossians 3:16
19. That I am full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and be able to ADMONISH one another. Romans 15:14
20. i therefore ENCOURAGE one another and build each other up, just as in fact I am doing. I Thessalonians 5:11
21.i CONSIDER one another to provoke me to love and good works. Romans 10:24
22. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant me to be LIKE MINDED with one another. Romans 15:5
23. I be DEVOTED to one another in brotherly love; give PREFERENCE to one another in honor. Romans 12:10
I John 15:12, 13 says, “This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
That says to me that, as i get new revelation of God’s love for me, it will produce new words and actions in me. Therefore it’s time to re-visit these verses regarding love and the assignment they present. I have personalized them to myself.
This is more of a tool than a sharing of a story but, it is a part of my journey.
I Thank God Daily That…
1. i RECEIVE one another, just as Christ also has accepted me to the Glory of God. Romans 15:7
2. i GREET one another with a holy kiss. Romans 15:16
3. i SPEAK to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Ephesians 5:19
4. i SUBMIT to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21
5. i LOVE one another, as He has loved me, so i must love one another. John 13:34
6. i offer HOSPITALITY to one another without grumbling. I Peter 4:9
7. i stop passing JUDGEMENT on one another. Instead, make up my mind not to put any obstacle in my brother’s way. Romans 14:13
8. i with all humility and gentleness, with patience, show TOLERANCE for one another in love. Ephesians 4:2
9. i be KIND to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as Christ also has forgiven me. Ephesians 4:32
10. i be kind to one another, TENDER HEARTED, forgiving each other, just as Christ also has forgiven us. Ephesians 4:32
11. i be kind to one another, tender-hearted, FORGIVING each other, just as Christ also has forgiven us. Ephesians 4:32
12. So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal CONCERN for one another. I Corinthians 12:25
13. I was called to be free. But, i do not use my freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, to SERVE one another in love. Galatians 5:13
14. i CARRY one another’s burdens, and in this way i fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
15. I CONFESS my SINS to one another and pray for one another so that i may be healed. James 5:16
16. i confess my sins to one another and PRAY for one another so that i may be healed. James 5:16
17. i pursue the things which make for peace and the BUILDING UP of one another. Romans 14:19
18. I let the word of Christ dwell in me richly as i TEACH and admonish one another with all wisdom and as i sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in my heart to God. Colossians 3:16
19. That I am full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and be able to ADMONISH one another. Romans 15:14
20. i therefore ENCOURAGE one another and build each other up, just as in fact I am doing. I Thessalonians 5:11
21.i CONSIDER one another to provoke me to love and good works. Romans 10:24
22. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant me to be LIKE MINDED with one another. Romans 15:5
23. I be DEVOTED to one another in brotherly love; give PREFERENCE to one another in honor. Romans 12:10
I Will, I Will, I will
“The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be”
There was a church in Africa and everyone was excited to welcome a very well know guest speaker who was scheduled to come this Sunday. The songs were sung, the announcements made and then came the introduction of this great minister. He walked over to the piano, sat down and began to sing “I will.” That was it, simply “I will.” Over and over he sang the words, “I will, I will, I will. After some extended time one person joined in, “I will, I will, I will.” then another and another and another until everyone had joined in singing, “I will, I will, I will, I will.” Then he stopped and silence filled the church. He stood up and announced, “Okay now that we have all decided that we will, God, what would you like us to do?”
Moral of the story is that i need to be in the place of saying, “i will” long before i expect God to tell me what it is He wants me to do. i really like this a lot! It was a confirmation to where Ann Marie and i are right now. “we will!”
“Love is as much of an object as an obsession, everybody wants it everybody seeks it, but few ever achieve it, those who do, will cherish it, be lost in it, and among all, will never…never forget it.