Tag Archives: love

Where are You Looking?

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If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:1-2

It is so easy to become enamored with stuff – whatever “stuff” represents in your life. It might be cars, or houses, or bank accounts, or vacations to exotic places, or people, or what other people have, or a million other possibilities. Things, “stuff”, can become the driving force in our lives, consuming every waking thought, captivating our every wish, dominating our drive to attain. Stuff. Just stuff.

Please understand that the accumulation of stuff is not bad in and of itself. There are a lot of individuals who have a great amount of stuff, and they continue to maintain a proper balance, a healthy perspective, toward their stuff. But the danger is crossing an imaginary line between having stuff, and stuff having us. If, as I said in my opening paragraph, “stuff” dominates our drives and desires in life, then we have crossed that line – our stuff is no longer our possession, but rather we are possessed by our stuff.

A good question to ask ourselves occasionally is on whom, or at what, do I focus most of my attention? In the verses quoted above we read two admonitions: “Seek those things which are above,” and “Set your mind on things above.” There is a tendency for members of the human family to look in the wrong direction. Instead of seeking those things and setting our minds on those things above, the tendency is to seek those things and set our minds on those things of the earth. And when we allow that to happen, the things above lose their appeal.

As many of you know, Teresa and I took a 50-day trip to celebrate our 50th anniversary in the summer of 2023. One of the simple pleasures of that trip was viewing the star lit nights in areas of dark skies – areas where there is little to no light pollution from the lights of cities. When you are in an area that is in close proximity to a large city, then the night sky is polluted with man-made lights. You can still see the stars, but very few in comparison with dark sky areas.

The point is simple, yet it has a profound message for us. The pollution of the appeals of earth will diminish the brightness of the “things above” by drowning out the light. That is the reason the Apostle John gave us the somber warning found in his first epistle:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15

We are to maintain an upward look, seeking those things and setting our minds on the things that are above. We are to be captivated by the glories of heaven, not be enamored by the temporal treasures of earth.

Let’s enjoy the blessings the Father has given but never allow ourselves to become so attached to the things of earth that heaven loses its appeal. Our treasures should be laid up there, not stored and hoarded here. Let’s keep our attention focused on those things above.

Until next time:

Blessings!

What Does True Love Look Like?

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Social media can be used as a tool to promote truth, or to promote falsehood. It can be used to disseminate information that is beneficial, or that is divisive and destructive. It can be a vehicle through which people share their thoughts and concerns, with the hope that through their sharing it will be of help to those who read their words.

I saw the following quote on social media and viewed it as a very thought-provoking statement. Read it carefully, taking time to think about the far-reaching ramifications, and ultimately the conclusion it would lead you to embrace.

When you die, God isn’t going to ask you about someone else. He won’t ask you about the two men down the street who got married. He won’t ask you about the girl who had an abortion. He won’t ask you about the atheist that lives on the corner. He won’t ask you about the woman who feels more comfortable as a man.

He will ask you how you loved those people as He called you to do.

And some of you didn’t.

Read those last two lines again – slowly, taking time to allow the implications to really sink in. I’m not suggesting that I fully understand what prompted the individual who wrote these words to say what they said, and I don’t presume to know what is in another individual’s heart when they make such statements. The following thoughts are simply my personal reaction to how I understand the statement.

The clear implication is that if I truly love someone, I will not point out to them the destructive path they have taken in life. I should rather turn a blind eye to their sinful behavior that I know, according to Scripture, will result in their eternal destruction. If I really love them then I will keep quiet about what the Bible teaches is a lifestyle choice that is abhorrent to God.

The principle I am speaking of is found in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel. God appoints His prophet as a watchman for the people of Israel. The following command of God to Ezekiel is quite eye-opening, to be sure.

Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Ezekiel 3:17-19, NKJV

The premise is clear: to really love someone is to be willing to speak the truth to them about the consequences of their actions that are denounced in Scripture. What is the greatest display of love that we could ever show our family members, our friends, our acquaintances? Is it to sit by quietly while we watch them live lives that will lead to their eternal destruction? Or is it to share with them the teachings of the Bible concerning the consequences of their actions and behaviors?

And for those who might think that a quote from the Old Testament is non-binding on this present age of grace, let me quickly remind you that Jesus taught the same principle. Don’t listen to me – listen to Jesus Himself:

And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city! Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Matthew 10:14-16, NKJV (Jesus speaking)

So, is true love my willingness to turn a blind eye to another person’s sinful behavior? Am I to be silent in the face of those who have chosen lifestyles, and have made other choices in life that are clearly denounced in the Bible, or am I to love them enough to tell them the truth?

For the sake of clarity, let’s consider the specific lifestyle choices referred to in the quote at the beginning of this blog: the two men down the street who got married; the young girl who had an abortion; the atheist who lives on the corner; the woman who feels more comfortable as a man.

First, the two men who got married. The Bible is unmistakably clear on this subject: marriage is for a man to be united to a woman in a life-long commitment. Scripture gives no place for same-sex marriages. As a matter of fact, same-sex relationships are forbidden in the Bible. Am I, then, to applaud such relationships, or am I to speak the truth in love from the Bible’s instructions?

Second, the young girl who had an abortion. I wish the writer had referred to a young girl who was contemplating an abortion, as the loving thing to do would be to share with her the sanctify of human life. However, in the case spoken of, as followers of Christ it would be our responsibility to share with her the message of God’s amazing forgiveness in Christ. An abortion cannot be undone, but grace can be received. But we should never minimize the Bible’s teaching on the sanctify of life in the face of abortion.

Third, the atheist who lives on the corner. Atheism is the belief that God does not exist. The Bible says that it is a fool who says there is no God. It also teaches us about the eternal existence of this Supreme Being who created everything that exists. There is ample evidence in nature itself that testifies to the existence of God. The psalmist says that the heavens declare the glory of God. We see evidence of His existence everywhere and in everything. We should lovingly share with the professed atheist testimony to the Bible’s teachings, and then, as Jesus says, if they reject the message then we are to wipe the dust off our feet as a powerful testimony to them of their own decision to reject. God’s offer of salvation.

And finally, the woman who feels more comfortable as a man. Once again, the Bible states clearly that God created male and female, period. Anything else is clearly denounced in Scripture. We, as believers, should strive to live according to the teachings of the Bible, and not according to how I might “feel” at any given time. We are to live by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings, and not by feelings that can shift as quickly as the wind can change directions. Personal feelings should always be filtered through the lens of the Word of God.

For followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be heralds of the truth of Scripture. True love is to share that truth with others. We are then to leave the decision to accept or reject the message of the Gospel to the individual. It is, in the final analysis, their choice to make.

That, in the estimation of this writer, is true love.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made!

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I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.

Psalm 139:14, NKJV

Personal check-up: When you look in the mirror, are you pleased with the reflection looking back at you, or are you disappointed and dissatisfied with the reflection? How do you like your looks? How do you like your talents? How do you like your abilities? Would you like to look different? Would you like to be able to do some of the things that you see others doing? Are you pleased with the skills you have, and the things you can do? Just how well do you like yourself?

The verse quoted above asserts that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. At the moment of conception, the DNA map of my life was instantly set. My map determined my color of eyes, my color of hair, my body build, my sex, my likes and dislikes, my talents and skills, my gifts, my personality, and on and on. In essence, my entire being was mapped out at that precise moment.

And the psalmist states that it was a result of being fearfully and wonderfully made by the Maker of all – God. And God does not make mistakes, nor does He make junk. He created you to be you – a unique human being made in His image.

But if you’re like most humans, there are probably some things about yourself that you would change if you had the ability to do so. Now, granted, some things are changeable. Hair color can be changed. Eye color, with the help of colored contacts, can be changed. Appearance can be changed in other ways by gaining or losing weight, shaving your head, growing a beard, etc. There are things we can do to change our appearance.

And then, there are things we can do to learn new skills. Some skills and abilities seem to come naturally and tend to bring a great sense of satisfaction in life because we are doing the things that we were designed to do. But, we can learn skills that enable us to do things that we were not necessarily designed to do – they were not part of our original map. We can do those things, again, because we are fearfully and wonderfully made with the ability to learn and grow and develop.

So, what’s the point? If we can change some things about ourselves, and if we can change our appearance, and if we can learn new skills, then why is it significant that we understand and grasp the concept of being fearfully and wonderfully made? Simple: to grasp this important fact enables us to look in that mirror and appreciate what we see. It helps us to be more appreciative for who we are and what we can do, realizing that this is a direct result of our DNA map that was given to us at the very moment we were conceived in our mother’s womb. Fearfully and wonderfully made!

Let me close with a personal reflection. I have always battled insecurity and a lack of confidence. I have also always disliked my appearance and some features of my physical anatomy. I have often stood looking in the mirror, wishing that I could change some of those things that I dislike about myself. This has been a lifelong struggle for me. But when I take time to stop and remind myself that I am who I am, and I can do the things I do, because of the handiwork of God Himself, it heightens my appreciation for the fact that I am, truly, fearfully and wonderfully made. This should cause me to rejoice in the person I am. My life is a gift from God. Now, what I do with it is my gift to Him.

Let’s be quick to thank Him for this unbelievable gift, and show our appreciation by giving our life back to Him.

Until next time:

Blessings!