2022-01-07
Good Morning Dear Ones,
In MT 22: 36-40, Christ answers the question: What is the greatest commandment in the Law? He replies, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.” Then, he goes on to reiterate the second one: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” He completes His words to the disciples by telling them that all the teachings of the laws of Moses and the prophets depend on these two commandments. They are repeated in JN 12: 34-35.
True love is not bound up but sees right into the heart of God. This is shared love originating with God and coming to transform us. I can’t explain it fully, except to say that once this kind of love reaches our hearts, it gives us the ability to see past a person’s physical appearance and into their spirit. My husband was deeply transformed by his faith in the Lord—so much so that he was known for his remarkable kindness. It affected his conduct and ideation every day of the 74 years he was on earth. Peter wasn’t a man who was what our society thinks is good-looking. He battled his weight all his life. But he was one of the sweetest people I ever met. Everybody who knew him loved him. And he loved them back. God was good enough to give me 44 years as Peter’s wife. 1 COR 13: 13, “Faith, hope, and love. The greatest of these is love.”
Each of us needs to ask: “Have I demonstrated agape to others? How close to Christ’s model of ideation and behavior have I followed? Have I taken the time to let those I love know how I feel about them? Have I taken the blessing of family for granted? What kind of person have I been for my family and friends? I remember being introduced to a lady who came across to me, a newcomer, as wholly too disinterested to be a friend. Her body language was very tense and closed. The next time our group met, God had given me an idea. He led me to ask her out to lunch. She surprised me and accepted my invitation. Over that meal, we got acquainted with each other and discovered we had some interests in common. At the next group meeting, she smiled at me and allowed our eyes to meet. God was teaching me a lesson—don’t underestimate the blessings that come out of showing genuine interest in someone you meet.
1JN 3:18-20, “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 knows everything.” When we live with the truth in us, we don’t have to fear that God is going to strike us down due to our sinfulness. We simply don’t want to sin! When people are authentic to what they promise, they get known for that by those in their sphere of influence. Their reputation for authenticity follows them. James spoke of this when he wrote, “Faith without action is dead,” in JAS 2: 17. 1 COR 13: 8, “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” How comforting it is to know that while other things are temporary and will pass away, real agape never fails! While other people are focused on accumulation of material wealth, those who truly love can take delight in matters of the spirit. I gazed at my mother-in-law’s diamond wedding ring sitting in my jewelry box, thinking about how she always made it a topic of conversation during her lifetime. Now, she was gone (having died in 1983) and the ring was what she left me. I can’t wear it, so it sits offering no pleasure and no longer a topic to discuss, alone in my jewelry box. When I ask God: for what should I strive? His answer is, “For the gift of conveying God’s teaching and the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide it.” That spiritual answer is enough to satisfy me!
PRAYER: O Lord, our willingness to focus on the work You are doing around us, on the many blessings You bestow upon us really matters. We have a habit of grumbling and complaining about what we don’t have and the things that trouble us. When we pray, we tell you what we want and rely on other people to help us get it. That is a bad mistake and shows our refusal to turn to You first, rely on You, and to look for ways to do Your will. That’s the human way of solving problems, not Your way. Over our lifetimes, we do a lot of praying but with a dishonorable attitude. When we believe that “Nothing is impossible for God,” amazing things happen. You are so great that You created the heavens and the earth. Astonishing accomplishments of Yours are all around us. You listen to every prayer we send up to You. No human cares that much! We appeal to You to make Your presence known in our lives, to give us the grace of Your knowledge through Jesus Christ, and to lead us to seek You first, listening for Your wisdom. You are a great and wonderful God, and we express the love we have for you, in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: Strength and joy are two more blessings that come from God’s agape. I’m commanded by the Holy Spirit to write about them in next week’s message. With inner peace and inner joy, we are made able to have the right attitude of gratitude that reveals the blessings He is showering us with. Our God cares enough to send us blessings that make us better, more compassionate people. We need to show God what His blessings mean to us. There is a hymn called “In the Garden,” which tells us the value of our walking and talking with the Lord. His ground is strong and nothing like sinking sand. One of our richest blessings is that we stand on solid group and not sinking sand when we are praying and asking the Lord for His blessings. We pray for healing, protection, and recognize the blessings of His presence in our lives. We need never feel alone and abandoned, without help in decision-making, and in so many ways that enrich our lives. He is there for us at any day or time. Our Lord loves us and never fails us. He is a promise-keeper. Our job is to serve Him well all the days of our lives, to know He is there for us, and to recognize our need for His intervention in our lives. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2021. All Rights Reserved.
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