Love – Take Time…
A little bit of the white stuff is coming down today, but probably not enough to slow anything down too much. I am always amazed at the diversity of Your creation, Father. Thank You for the joys to behold!
1 Corinthians 13:4b (<<click here to read the passage)
…love is kind and thoughtful… AMP
As I sat to write this afternoon, I knew the words I wanted to address in verse four but wasn’t exactly sure where to go with them. So, I started poking around a bit. The first thing I did was to look up the word “kind.”
Merriam-Webster defines “kind” to be of a sympathetic or helpful nature / of a forbearing nature.
OK, that led me to look up “forbearing.” The Collins Dictionary states it this way. Someone who is forbearing behaves in a calm and sensible way at a time when they would have a right to be very upset or angry.
But then Merriam-Webster defined “forbearing” as given to or chosen or made with heedful anticipation of the needs and wants of others.
Love is a multifaceted word. The Apostle Paul fleshed it out pretty well here in verses 4-7. I’ve purposely chosen to use the Amplified Bible because of its ability to make known all the little nuances we might otherwise overlook. This is my second post with this portion of the first part of verse 4 alone!
We have much to learn when we speak of love. All of the above definitions direct our thoughts in all the right directions.
I truly believe that love is a thing of time. For love to be what it can be, we need to take the time to invest in it, and that is done by investing in others. First and foremost is our investment in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. And with that as our primary goal, we can then invest in ourselves. We can come to love ourselves, not in a selfish, self-gratifying way – but seeing ourselves as God sees us and loving what that is. Then, we can learn to love others how they need to be loved!
When I first read Merriam-Webster’s definition of forbearing, a hymn came to mind (surprise!) written by William D. Longstaff following a service in Keswick, England, where he heard Griffith John – a missionary from China – speak in 1882. The words that rang in Longstaff’s heart and mind were, “Take time to be holy.” And the hymn of the same name was born.
Take a moment and read through the beautiful text of this hymn and see what love can do if we just…Take Time to Be Holy. (I’ve also placed a lovely piano accompaniment at the bottom of the post if you want to listen to it while reading the text.)
Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.
Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.
Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.
Take time to be holy, let Him be thy Guide;
And run not before Him, whatever betide.
In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,
And, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.
Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,
Each thought and each motive beneath His control.
Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.
Dec 18th, 2023, Mon, 12:47 pm
400 Years of Silence
It’s been a full day, and it’s not quite over yet. Father, in the middle of it all, I would ask for Your blessing on what is yet to come. Amen.
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A friend recently posted a quote from a pastor in the Atlanta, Georgia, area – the pastor’s name is Louie Giglio. The quote is taken from an interview he had with a gentleman by the name of Chad Bonham, as posted on www.beliefnet.com
This is what he had to say,
We go from Malachi to Matthew in one page of our scriptures, but that one piece of paper that separates the Old Testament from the New Testament represents 400 years of history—400 years where there wasn’t a prophet, 400 years where God’s voice wasn’t heard. And that silence was broken with the cry of a baby on Christmas night.
It stirred my heart and my brain! And it got me thinking. First of all, you might know this, and it is inferred, but just in case, the book of Malachi is the last in the Old Testament, and Matthew is the first book in the New Testament canon.
It’s interesting that Malachi sits in that position. He is considered a minor prophet in the Old Testament, mainly because he did write a lot. But what I find interesting is what the writings of Malachi dealt with. (A really cool website is bibleproject.com – I’ve referred to them before, but they create amazing synopses of books of the Bible. Click on the word Malachi to watch the one on his book – it’s only about 7 minutes long.)
Malachi was written to confront the Israelites who had returned from exile to Babylon. You would think it would have taught them something, but for most people, the whole experience was lost on them. For the most part, they learned nothing. They were as rebellious as ever – neglectful, selfish…and sinful as all get out.
But…the one big thing that Malachi talks about is a new Elijah and a new Moses that will be coming. And guess who those people were…the new Elijah, who would proclaim the new Moses, would be John the Baptist – born to Elizabeth, a cousin to who? Mary, the mother of the new Moses – as such – Jesus Christ!
The writings of Malachi were God’s last words to the world until the coming of Jesus. The whole Christmas story was about God breaking back into history. Due to humanity’s degradation and out-and-out rebellion, God had cut off communication. They weren’t listening, so silence it was…for 400 years!
Amazingly, we are on this side of that history. But what is challenging to deal with is the fact that we haven’t changed a lot. Jesus’ life, sacrifice, and resurrection have indeed impacted millions. Still, we must admit that even followers of Christ struggle to keep themselves on the straight and narrow path He has set before us.
May it be our prayer to seek out God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). That, my friends, is what it all boils down to. If we can master those things, we live how God calls us to!
Dec 17th, 2023, Sun, 5:09 pm
Being a Light To the World
What a fantastic end to a beautiful day, Father! Thank You for Your people who came together to do something for others! You and You alone are our example and motivation!
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OK, I was going to hold off, but I decided to just go with it. Tonight, we had a wonderful experience! Most of you know I pastor three churches in the Mt. Vernon area. They are all between 10-15 minutes from each other, two being more rural locations, and the newest one is in an older residential area of town. All of them would be considered small churches. Our attendance runs around 10 for one, close to 20 for another, and the mid-20s to close to 30 for the third.
All three churches are at that point in their lives where we are struggling. They want to impact the world, but age is not in our favor. For years, Karen and I were the youngest attendees. A few years ago, a couple our age joined one church, and in recent years, a couple with two young children joined another.
We have tried many things to bring other people in our direction – movie nights, fish fries, live nativities, to name a few. We touched people, but our numbers have not grown. (Now I realize that the Church is far more than numbers. But we all know that if you’re not on the increase, unfortunately, you’re on the decrease. And retirees cannot go forth and multiply.)
Anyway, my newest congregation has had a longstanding relationship with an elementary school in the lot beside them. They support the school in many ways, though again, their impact has lessened in latter years because of an aging congregation. They still do things like a school supply drive before school starts, an Undie Sunday in October, and in December, they traditionally contribute to a “Mitten” Tree – donating mittens, gloves, scarves, and hats for students who need them.
As we talked of these things, my wife’s brain got to rolling, and being the avid Pinterest fan she is, she discovered a pattern for Candy Bar Snowmen with glove hats! So, long story short, we got all three churches on board (their geographic locations all feed into this school), and tonight, we had 27 beautiful people come together to assemble 250 of them. All three pooled their financial resources to make it happen! Then, on the school’s last day of classes before Christmas break, four of our ladies are going to the school to distribute decorated pizza boxes (donated by another member!) full of enough gloves for every child in every classroom!
Personally, I find it all very encouraging! First, please pray for all three churches. We all need to clearly grasp God’s directions for us. Secondly, pray for the children and their families that each pair of gloves represents. I’m sure they run the gamut of excellent solid families to dysfunctional out the wazoo! Some are extremely blessed, while others likely live below the poverty level.
Lord Jesus, use us. Break our hearts for our world. May we be the people we need to be. May we live out Your command as found in Matthew 5:14-16,
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” NKJV
Dec 14th, 2023, Thurs, 8:18 pm
Love, Patience, and Serenity
Oh, my, the craziness of the season! Help me get it all done in a timely manner, Father – God of all time and space!
1 Corinthians 13:4a (<<click here to read the passage)
Love endures with patience and serenity… AMP
The phrase “I’ve only got one nerve left, and you’re getting on it” may be familiar to some of us. I’ve even heard it end with “…and you’re jumping up and down on it!” It is a place where many of us find ourselves.
Just today, on my elementary route, I had a 5th Grader who was a little more out of control than usual. I love her to pieces and have had her on my bus since she was in kindergarten, but today, she jumped up and down on my last nerve, and I ended up having her move to a front seat of the bus. And that’s where the kindergarteners sit. She did as I asked but remained silent until I spoke with her for a few moments before she got home.
In this case, though I had to get stern with her, my love endured with patience. I didn’t yell or belittle her; I was just firm in my demands, and there was no room for discussion. She knows that I care about her, and in speaking of why I did what I did, I pointed out the problem, but I also reinforced my “talk” with edification as well. She really is a good kid. Like all kids, she just needs occasional direction.
I can’t say that I always respond with loving patience, but I, too, am a work in progress and occasionally need direction (thank You, Lord!)
The next snippet of Scripture states Love endures with…serenity…
I wanted to know exactly what the word meant, so I looked it up. Oxford Languages on Google defined it as the state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled. OK…my response this afternoon was somewhat in that manner, but honestly, I did not wholeheartedly do so. Trying to keep a busload of energetic kids under control while driving a 15-ton vehicle in moderate traffic doesn’t convey the idea of serenity (just typing it makes me chuckle!) Calm, peaceful, and untroubled does not fit into this particular equation.
But does that let me off the hook? No, it doesn’t. As a follower of a God defined as love, I must endeavor to respond as He would in all situations of my life, regardless of the challenge. I have not come right out and proclaimed my beliefs, but I know my light shines brightly. Kids and adults, as well, are watching us. They are constantly evaluating what kind of people we are. And I, for one, am working hard to be a good reflection on my Lord and Savior. May that be the goal of us all. Amen.
Dec 13th, 2023, Wed, 6:39 pm
Love Is the Goal
It is a beautiful day, Father, and I want to thank You for helping me focus on You! There are still challenges, but in You, I can handle them!
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (<<click here to read the passage)
This particular portion of 1 Corinthians 13 is often read in wedding ceremonies. As I mentioned yesterday, it’s known as the Bible’s “love chapter.” It’s an inclusive list of what love is and is not.
I have not perfected what this portion of Scripture calls me to. I strive to do so, but parts of my brain often get in the way, and those parts are triggered when other people’s brains cross with mine. Those people can be total strangers, but more often than not, they are people who are close to me – maybe “work” or “church” close or, more challengingly, “family” close.
I think we’d all admit, all in all, it’s not too difficult to love people we don’t know. We have compassion for those in pain or other difficult situations. (On the other hand, it is just as easy to despise people we don’t know, say when they cut us off, say something that offends us, or are on the “wrong” side of political party lines!) But even in those circumstances, some of us can slap a mask on our face, and we can pretty readily come off as nonplused, containing our anger or disdain.
It gets a little more tricky in our interactions with people who are “work” or “church” close to us. They know us, we know them…but only to a certain degree in most cases. Some friends are closer than others, but not too many of us bare our souls to just anyone. Those kinds of friends are few and far between because it’s more challenging to trust…to put ourselves out there. Honestly, it can be dangerous to do so. Sharing our deepest thoughts and issues can have severe repercussions if they get into the wrong hands.
Now, family…that’s a whole other level of rewarding and problematic love. One of the greatest testing grounds for familial love is that we often know each other so well that we hold back very little…of nothing at all. The only thing that (greatly) surpasses the love of a mother – as just one example – is God’s love for us. But I would dare say that even the most loving of families and the most loving of relationships in those families are challenged to love unconditionally.
Putting myself out there a bit, I love my wife, my son, my mom and dad, my sister, my niece, amongst all the many other family members that I have…but if there is anybody who doesn’t see that love as often as they should, it is them. Often, they are taken for granted. Too many times, things come out of my mouth that I would never say to a work associate or someone at one of my churches, but they come out when parts of my family’s brains cross with mine.
Part of our problem is that we know each other so well that we too quickly fill in the blanks. We assume that even though things aren’t said, they want to say or are at least thinking those things. Our brains cross, and conflict is amiss. And it may not even be a real thing!
Truthfully, it needs to be more of a goal for all of us on all fronts. God is love (1 John 4:16) and if we are followers of Him and striving to be like Him, then we should diligently be working out our love for one another.
Dec 12th, 2023, Tue, 12:52 pm