Coming off the heels of yesterday...

After yesterdays post, I felt there was a few things left unsaid. One thing in particular that may be misconstrued is the realization of the wolves in sheep's clothing. The fact is that these individuals are there and awareness of them is half the battle; however, it is only through a concept of Emotional Intelligence or EQ that and individual can see the reality of the wolf life. Through the process of stepping back and realizing what makes these individuals their character and choices, the way they are allows a more accurate perception. This perception can give understanding of the best way to handle certain situations.

The point I was making yesterday is to not be deceived by certain things or people in this world but to be aware of the reality. So then the question in my mind raised, "What would Jesus have us do with this realization?" I think I came to the conclusion that Jesus would have us love them but not to the point at which we lose ourselves.  We can love those wolves in sheep's clothing...but from a distance.

For me it is all too easy to sacrifice my wants, needs, and goals for others whom I love; however, I have to stop and ask myself if this is the abundant life that God has died to give me. Well I can say when the sacrifice is for those, whom I love, then it is not such an altruistic endeavor. I am by nature a helper and it brings me great joy to help other people and while this is a good aspect of servant leadership it is good to remind myself that I am just as valuable and in need of help as the individual I would help. And how much more will I be able to help others if I, myself, am being helped?

God created us to live in community; therefore, helping and receiving help comes from those around us in our micro-community of the world community. While it is a nice thought that we can help everyone in our community it is relatively impossible. Some community members will refuse to be helped and appreciate the love that is being given. When Jesus said we are to love one another, He wasn't just speaking of our friends and those whom it is easy to love but also those who are difficult and a challenge to love.

While I agree with this I do have to say that there is an extent to which loving those who refuse love, can reach. There was no guarantee that those we love will love us back, just as God's experience of loving the world but the whole world doesn't love Him back. But I am not Him and when loving those who refuse love starts to take away from the person I am or steal my joy, that is the time to re-evaluate the situation. Perhaps there was a time that you loved an individual who refused your love? Well then you have insight into the great dilemma of will, which I won't go into now but at a later date.

Don't sacrifice who you are for another individual, EVER. God made you just the way He wanted you. You are His masterpiece! That is not to say that the effects of this world that have made you angry or bitter are part of God's design for the person you are and that is something for you to address, but always remember your original identity comes from and is hidden in God. That is the source of your identity and integrity!

 




Integrity is, in a nut shell, doing what you said you were going to do. If you say you are going to help someone or do something then the character trait of integrity is the vehicle that takes words to action. Sadly, in this society, much integrity has been lost for many; however, Jesus did and continues to do what he said he was going to do and as His beloved, this is a character trait that needs to be revived.

So if you say you love someone, show it otherwise they are just meaningless words of a broken world, or better yet show it with action then follow up with the words! Blessings!

Happy Love Month...yeah right!

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"It is shocking how rude people can be...even church people!"-Sarah

Recently I was speaking with my daughter and she was astonished as how rude some people can be! She currently works as a server and had a few bad days where she was enlightened to the rudeness of some people and in particular, "church people!" Now I know I may get flack for this post but I'm just being authentic so hang with me!

I couldn't help but to empathize with her because, as of late, it appears we are both learning the same lesson in different ways. Just like Keith Green used to say, "Going to church doesn't make you into a Christian any more than going to McDonalds makes you into a hamburger!" It is so true!
So many times Christians who love the Lord with all of their heart, mind, soul, and strength seem to perceive the church building as a safe place; however, in my life experience it is really no different than outside of the doors to the building.

Now this can go two ways from here, the direction of expectation and the direction of acceptance of reality, so I will go both directions.

First, and rightfully so, there is this misconception that within the walls of a church building is to be found, those individuals who have given their heart to Jesus as their Lord and Savior, who strive to be more like Him everyday and in every way. Those who express love for others, strive to do no harm, and try to make this world a better place till their journey up. This may be quite a naive view point; however, it is totally understandable to expect christians to act like christians, expressing the fruit of the spirit (ie. love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control Gal 5:22-23); however, I have found this to not be entirely true. In fact, while there are many authentic christians in churches there are always a few wolves in sheep's clothing lurking. That is the reality!

In reality the church walls are just a smaller subset of the population as a whole. Scientists would call this a sample and by nature of a sample it is a smaller representation of the whole or population. There is also a thing in statistics called an outlier. These are random scores that are far away from the mean or average response score. Unfortunately, in my experience there are more outliers within the walls of the church building than most of us would like to admit. Those who profess with their lips but their hearts are far from him (Matthew 15:8) are those who say all the right things but do not know the maker of their soul.

To these individuals, like the pharisees, they only care about looking good and getting the praise of men, while deceit is in their hearts. In Matthew, Jesus continues to explain that it is out of the heart where the words of our mouth come from and those who speak evil of their father or mother defile the word of God. Can't you just picture it? Here are the religious leaders of the day, looking all holy and perfect, and Jesus calls them out on their heart state telling them that they are in all actuality evil because they do not have a close relationship with Him! They only know Jesus at arms length and refuse to let any true change take place in their hard self-centered hearts. Jesus said, "the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and those defile a man." (Matt. 15:18)

Some individuals do not realize that it takes an actual relationship with Jesus to change a heart and that relationship comes through humility! What the world sees as good is often times the opposite of what God sees as good. The world says humility is weakness which is bad; however, in God's economy, weakness is an avenue for Him to be strong for you, which is good. This I have experienced personally! In reality, to be humble and weak is knowing your own limitation and where you stand in the grand scheme of life, rather than living in a fantasy world created in the mind. It takes true strength to show weakness!

One of the saddest things I have experienced is meeting these types of people that live behind a mask of false perfection and arrogance like these pharisees.  I do not want to ever be so hardened and self-centered so as to not love others out of the abundance of my love relationship with the author of love.
The thing to remember here is just because a person attends church does not mean they are a Christian and just because a person does not attend church does not be they are not a Christian. Even if individuals profess to be a Christian, if their heart is not in close relationship with Jesus then we are to judge them by their fruits.

Are they loving? Or do they treat others with contempt and ill will?

Are they joyful? Or are they angry all the time?

Do they have peace? Or are they constantly stressed out?

Are they patient? Or do they pressure and push for what they want, and want it yesterday?

Ar they kind, thinking of others before themselves? Or are they only concerned with their own wellbeing?

Are they a generally good person, whom people like to be around? Or do they treat others as replaceable and expendable?

Are they faithful with their commitments? Or all talk and no walk?

Are they gentle with others? Or do they deal harshly with others?

Do they practice self-control? Or just give in to whims of emotional outbursts and tantrums?

Now I am sure that we have all fallen in one of these areas a time or two, I know I have more often than I want to admit; however, in looking at these fruits of the spirit it is an overwhelming presence of the fruit bathed in humility that is representative of the love relationship with Jesus.

I am not a fan of judging any person on anything; however, Jesus said in Matthew 7:20 "So then, you will know them by their fruits"when speaking of those wolves in sheep's clothing. He speaks of those who do not produce fruit and how they will be cut down and in the next few verses states that it is only through KNOWING Him that eternal life is secured. So in this day and age, we ought to not be naive to think that the church building is a completely safe place but to always be on the look out for those who say one thing and do another.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another"John 13:34-35

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love" 1 John 4:7&8

Happy February! Here's some love go share it! Blessings!