Indispensable, That’s How Love Should Be

If you spend your time hating, whether it’s your job, people in your life or life in general it creates; stress, anxiety, sleepless nights, solitude, loneliness, and jealousy. As hate consumes you, it also destroys relationships and your ability to discover the good there actually is in someone. It destroys your ability to enjoy life. Hate drives your behavior toward others by spewing words of hate towards your fellow-man. You might even go so far to say that you’ve been hurt so much it’s become easier to distance yourself from others. But is it really the way you want to live life.

We’ve all faced moments where we’ve chosen to hate someone or something in our lives and most likely it’s because we’ve been hurt, deeply hurt. So how do we turn ourselves around? How do we rebuild ourselves so that we may love again?

FORGIVENESS

Anybody got an ex-wife or ex-husband? Family that has destroyed your childhood due to abuse? Maybe friends that stabbed you in the back in some unforgivable way? Maybe you’ve lost a loved one due to disease or murder. You got badly injured in an accident due to someone negligence, you’ve been robbed, violated. All of these events can lead us to be bitter, hateful and unforgiving.

Forgiveness is probably the hardest thing to do when we’re hurt but remember no matter the sin or awful behavior you may have had done to you, God is ready to forgive them, just as he has forgiven you. It’s human to feel anger toward someone. Hate is powerful.So letting go and letting God is the beginning. As you ask God to forgive you, ask God to forgive that one individual or events in your life that changed who you are today. The past is just that, we can’t change what we’ve done or what’s been done to us. We can only move on, but moving on means letting go of that hate.Can I get an amen?

What you need to do now is to forgive yourself. The shame we can carry for things we’ve done can really destroy our inner self. Feelings of unworthiness can easily consume us. Asking God for forgiveness and really making a change in what we have become to a brand new start is the first step. Only when you can truly love yourself will loving others become easier.

So now what?You’ve been hateful and angry for so long you’ve forgotten what it means to love. We know that we can go on in life but without love we’re we are nothing. When I speak of love I don’t me mean you have to be married or in a relationship, there’s more to love than that. I think it’s so easy to feel insignificant when we’re alone. But guess what, you are not alone. No matter where you are right now, no matter how loathsome you think you are. No matter how low your self-esteem may be, God’s right there ready and willing to love you through it. Because that is what God is, LOVE.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 NIV says

” If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 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. For we know in part and  we prophecy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror: then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

If you replace the words love and it with God, you will understand how much he loves you. And when  you  love the way that God loves, “LOVE NEVER FAILS”

God, I know I’m guilty of letting emotions get in the way of loving others the way I know I should. Give me the strength and courage to reach out more and love others the way you so unconditionally love me.  Help me to forgive those who’ve hurt me deeply and to seek your  forgiveness so that I am not held captive with feelings of unworthiness. Help me  to let go and let you bring about a brand new change in my life so that I can love and serve others with confidence knowing that I am loved by you God. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

If you are without a church, take the time to visit one this Sunday. Seek positive and uplifting people to surround yourself with. Remember that no one is perfect, we all must learn to grow whether it’s through life challenges or mistakes, seek God. Through the power of Jesus Christ who died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, we are given the opportunity to change and live a better life.

Be blessed in all that you do,

Joanne

Do You Ever Get Scared?

Believe it or not, even the disciples were troubled and scared. Here they were hanging out with Jesus Christ and they’re worried about their lives, worried about what’s going to happen to Jesus in the future, worried what they’ll do without Him. What are they going to do? What does their future hold?

As humans, you and I can easily fall into temptation in this world. When we want to satisfy our urges and we’re unable to control ourselves from alcohol, to drugs , to eating junk foods, all are addictions people face. So we become troubled because of our lack of self-control. We lose sight of who we are and where we are going. So we doubt ourselves and our lives and wonder if there is hope out there. Just as we have found ourselves doubting who or what we are facing or becoming in the future, so did the disciples, think about this. The disciples were hanging out with a pretty radical guy for His time. The church leaders and Pharisees were set in their way of worshiping God then along comes Jesus with a  pretty radical message. He’s telling everyone he’s God’s Son, doing miracles by reviving the dead, turning water in to wine, and to top it off hanging around with criminals and sinners. Let’s face it, you know the disciples had to be freaking out, wondering if they would be persecuted right along with Jesus. These reactions were the same I think we would have today, it is human nature. Not knowing or not having complete confidence in your trust in someone along with fear of the unknown can seriously affect your ability to be fearless or confident in your life.

So Jesus had just arrived in Jerusalem to a great crowd welcoming him calling him “the King of Israel”. ” Blessed is he who comes in the name name of the Lord”   John 12:12 NIV. After this welcome, Jesus boldly predicted his death in front if a crowd. John 12:31-33 NIV says, “This voice (referring to God’s voice the crowd had just heard) was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgement on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.”  At this point, the crowd’s like, wait a second, we were told  according to law that the Messiah is suppose to live forever you know. So how could Jesus say “the Son of man must be lifted up” John 12:34 NIV.

So now the crowd’s starting to turn right? Even after all the miracles Jesus had performed and the messages shared with all. But that was suppose to happen just as Isaiah had prophesied. “He has blinded their eyes (referring to darkness, evilness) and hardened their hearts so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts nor turn- and I would heal them.” Isaiah 6:10 NIV

Because of the cruelty and fear of the Pharisees the crowd wouldn’t  openly acknowledge their faith, they were scared of repercussions.

We see this today as Christians are being killed by ISIS because of their beliefs, my own beliefs. That’s pretty scary stuff to think about and sure could change anyone’s mind when faced with death right?.

So there you have disciples afraid especially since Jesus just said he’s going to die. This has to come to pass. How would you handle that news?

John12:44 NIV “Then Jesus cried out “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”

John 12: 47-48 NIV “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words, the very words I have spoken will condemn them the last day.”

So yikes, the disciples hear Jesus basically saying to the Pharisees, dudes, you don’t listen to my words, so be it, but you’ll have to answer to God, and it won’t be pretty.

You know the Pharisees have issues now with Jesus and your hanging out with him. It would certainly be easy because of our human nature to start freaking out, fear for your life. Therefore, you know why the disciples needed some kind of reassurance, comfort from Jesus that everything would be okay.

Well let’s look at today’s persecution of  Christians in this world. From being ridiculed and exiled. to being executed, how do we or how can we feel secure in this world for believing in Jesus?

Jesus heard and felt how the disciples were anxious about their future, their lives just as he hears our worries  and anxieties when we pray daily whether it’s surviving day by day or  worrying about eternal life.

In John 14: 1-8 NIV Jesus says ” Do not let your  hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. you know the way to the place where I am going.”

John 14:12-14 NIV ” I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

Whatever we ask in Jesus’ name, he will do for you. So many prayers I have prayed, So many prayers Jesus answered. He has lifted me up when I thought I could never be lifted. He has healed my body, my heart, my soul of all wounds and sins without him, I am nothing, so I ask you:

Are you ready to accept Jesus as your personal Savior. Are ready to ask Jesus into your life? If so I ask that you pray this simple sinner’s prayer.

Jesus, I know I’m a sinner, you know my heart, but I also believe that you died on a cross for the forgiveness of my sins. Jesus you are my Savior and I welcome you into my life. Please guide me into an example of you Jesus, that I may be more of you and less of me. In your name Jesus I pray, amen.

Compassionate and Gracious, Our God

I think sometimes it’s easy to wonder if God truly cares about us. I mean, what makes us think he even cares or exists for that matter.

In my life, I have hit low points, in the midst of doing what is wrong, and worse yet, feeling even more alone when I chose to do what is right. Trusting that God will get you through during these low points takes a lot of courage and trust that God will intervene.

For instance, when  we examine today’s world and witness tragedies in the news that are happening all around the world, how easy it is to wonder if God would even forgives man’s inhumanity to man. I know it is easy to immediately pass judgment and automatically assume the worse when it comes to criminal acts. No doubt, anger and disgust and a cry for the electric chair has crossed our minds. We are human and we are by no means perfect in what we say or do.

It is apparent, that for whatever reason, when a person commits a heinous crime there are always circumstances that brought those individuals to this low point in their lives. In the midst, evil seeped into their minds, words, actions and deep into their inner core.

There will always be circumstances that lead us down the wrong paths,how far down we travel is an individual journey. Temptations, and lack of self-control often lead us to make bad choices we surely will regret later in life. It’s those hiccups that make us feel we can never be redeemed.

PSALM 103:8-18 NIV

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. he will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed,he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him and his righteousness with his children’s children– with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.”

Psalm 103:8 NIV says “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. The American Heritage College dictionary defines compassion as follows: (noun) Deep awareness of suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.” and also defines compassionate as: (adjective) Feeling or showing compassion; sympathetic. to pity

So while we are out acting foolish, making stupid mistakes, traveling down the wrong path, possibly destroying our lives, God looks down at us with compassion. He has a deep awareness of what we are doing or going through. He knows what’s in our hearts, minds, and souls he sees our anguish and wants to relieve us of our pain. He knows hurt has caused us to do things we normally wouldn’t. So he waits patiently as we struggle through our personal journeys for a prayer or cry for help. “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” Psalm 103:13NIV

If you have children, you can understand how God has a deep unconditional love for all. As a parent we’ve experienced different level of disappointment in our own children that may have caused us pain but we show compassion toward them in an effort to get them through and hopefully guide them into making better choices. We hope they learn the power of forgiveness so they grow from their experiences and become better people because of it. God sees us as his children and like a parent he hopes we’ll seek forgiveness and change our future words and actions so that they are pleasing to him. Just like we long to do what is pleasing to our parents.

In all your actions and words seek God first. Let him guide you down the path to everlasting life. For when we choose  to be Christ-like in what we do, that is when through love we make good decisions. To be Christ-like, you learn to love one another the more we grow in a relationship with Christ, the more we want to do what is pleasing to God. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” If we study what Christ was like, then we know what is right and good. With more patience, courage, love and understanding maybe this world would be a much better place.

God, we know there are many who feel they have traveled way to far down the wrong path. Some feel they are not worthy of your forgiveness, feeling no chance for redemption. God let us pray that they have learned from their mistakes and seek you, dear God, in hopes of being redeemed and through your love almighty father, the will to change their lives and become doers of all that is pleasing to you. Fill us up with love, compassion and understanding of our fellow man so that we may become more Christ-like. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

God Bless and keep you safe!

Joanne