Showing posts with label Ephesians 4:32. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ephesians 4:32. Show all posts
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
No Excuses. Unless...
Something I have been thinking about a lot recently is how much time many of us spend looking for the "Unless".
We know the Bible is full of things we should be doing to follow the commandment of loving others as yourself. (Mark 12:31) Which is difficult to do sometimes. Really difficult. This leads to us trying to make excuses and justify our failure to love on others.
I'll be honest. Sometimes I wish it was there. The unless.
Love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12:31 NLT)
Unless... your neighbor is really annoying
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44 NIV)
Unless... they were really mean or hateful and just don't deserve it
Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. (Matthew 5:42 ESV)
Unless... you really want or need it for yourself.
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. (Proverbs 31:8 NIV)
Unless... you are too busy to get involved
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:4 ESV)
Unless... you believe no one is going to look out for you unless you think of yourself first.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32 ESV)
Unless... what they did was so terrible that they don't deserve to be forgiven.
But you know what? It's just not there. No where does Jesus ever say it's OK to be selfish, or jealous, or prideful, or hurtful. No circumstances that make it alright or that justify it.
Only... Love your neighbor. Love your enemies. Love others
Just... Love.
We know the Bible is full of things we should be doing to follow the commandment of loving others as yourself. (Mark 12:31) Which is difficult to do sometimes. Really difficult. This leads to us trying to make excuses and justify our failure to love on others.
I'll be honest. Sometimes I wish it was there. The unless.
Love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12:31 NLT)
Unless... your neighbor is really annoying
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44 NIV)
Unless... they were really mean or hateful and just don't deserve it
Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. (Matthew 5:42 ESV)
Unless... you really want or need it for yourself.
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. (Proverbs 31:8 NIV)
Unless... you are too busy to get involved
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:4 ESV)
Unless... you believe no one is going to look out for you unless you think of yourself first.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32 ESV)
Unless... what they did was so terrible that they don't deserve to be forgiven.
Only... Love your neighbor. Love your enemies. Love others
Just... Love.
Monday, January 21, 2013
My Love Dare: Day 2
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. ~ Ephesians 4:32
Day 2: Love is kind
"Kindness is love in action"
Are the people I am usually the least kind to are the very people I should show the most kindness? The people I love. The people who love me. Why?
Am I more likely to speak harshly, or sarcastically, or sharply to The Man of the House than others? Why?
When I meet some one's eye in the store, or a parking lot, or the gym, or at church I usually try to smile. Do I do that when I make eye contact with The Man of the House across the living room or when we pass in the hallway? Why?
The Love Dare states that kindness has four basic core ingredients:
Gentleness: Being careful how you treat your spouse. Being sensitive and tender with his feelings. Not being unnecessarily harsh. This doesn't mean you don't say difficult things when they need to be said, but that you "speak the truth in love".
Helpfulness: Meeting the needs of the moment. Serving your spouse without first worrying about your rights. Stepping up to assure your spouses needs are met - even if that means putting yours on hold for a while.
Willingness: Being flexible. Instead of grumbling and complaining - compromising and accommodating. Listening and being cooperative instead of demanding your own way.
Initiative: Think ahead. Take the first step. Don't wait around to be asked. See the need, meet the need. Greet first. Smile first. Serve first. Forgive first. You shouldn't wait for your spouse to show kindness before you will be kind.
OK.... clearly I have some work to do. I've gone through life, and my marriage, believing I was mostly a kind person. Kind enough...
But is "kind enough" enough? Would I want someone to treat me "kind enough?" If I'm being honest - no, probably not. So why should I expect that to be good enough for The Man of the House? Simple answer: I shouldn't. I love him. More than any other human being in the world. So I should be kinder to him than to any other human being in the world.
TODAY'S DARE: IN ADDITION TO SAYING NOTHING NEGATIVE TO YOUR SPOUSE AGAIN TODAY, DO AT LEAST ONE UNEXPECTED GESTURE, AS AN ACT OF KINDNESS.
The timing was quite helpful to me in this dare. It was a Saturday. One when The Man of the House had to work and then needed to make a trip to the Recycling & Transfer center to discard of all our household trash. Before he got home, I went through the house and bagged up the trash in the small wastebaskets throughout the house (the ones in bathrooms and bedrooms).
So far this whole Love Dare thing felt pretty easy. I can only imagine that it won't always be this simple.
What is desirable in a man is his kindness. ~ Proverbs 19:22a (NAS)
Day 2: Love is kind
"Kindness is love in action"
Are the people I am usually the least kind to are the very people I should show the most kindness? The people I love. The people who love me. Why?
Am I more likely to speak harshly, or sarcastically, or sharply to The Man of the House than others? Why?
When I meet some one's eye in the store, or a parking lot, or the gym, or at church I usually try to smile. Do I do that when I make eye contact with The Man of the House across the living room or when we pass in the hallway? Why?
The Love Dare states that kindness has four basic core ingredients:
Gentleness: Being careful how you treat your spouse. Being sensitive and tender with his feelings. Not being unnecessarily harsh. This doesn't mean you don't say difficult things when they need to be said, but that you "speak the truth in love".
Helpfulness: Meeting the needs of the moment. Serving your spouse without first worrying about your rights. Stepping up to assure your spouses needs are met - even if that means putting yours on hold for a while.
Willingness: Being flexible. Instead of grumbling and complaining - compromising and accommodating. Listening and being cooperative instead of demanding your own way.
Initiative: Think ahead. Take the first step. Don't wait around to be asked. See the need, meet the need. Greet first. Smile first. Serve first. Forgive first. You shouldn't wait for your spouse to show kindness before you will be kind.
OK.... clearly I have some work to do. I've gone through life, and my marriage, believing I was mostly a kind person. Kind enough...
But is "kind enough" enough? Would I want someone to treat me "kind enough?" If I'm being honest - no, probably not. So why should I expect that to be good enough for The Man of the House? Simple answer: I shouldn't. I love him. More than any other human being in the world. So I should be kinder to him than to any other human being in the world.
TODAY'S DARE: IN ADDITION TO SAYING NOTHING NEGATIVE TO YOUR SPOUSE AGAIN TODAY, DO AT LEAST ONE UNEXPECTED GESTURE, AS AN ACT OF KINDNESS.
The timing was quite helpful to me in this dare. It was a Saturday. One when The Man of the House had to work and then needed to make a trip to the Recycling & Transfer center to discard of all our household trash. Before he got home, I went through the house and bagged up the trash in the small wastebaskets throughout the house (the ones in bathrooms and bedrooms).
So far this whole Love Dare thing felt pretty easy. I can only imagine that it won't always be this simple.
What is desirable in a man is his kindness. ~ Proverbs 19:22a (NAS)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)