Trying to Love People

By Peter Lundell –

I’m trying to love bad people. It’s hard, and I often fail.

I’m trying love people of other religions, even the terrorists. It’s so hard, and I often fail.

I’m trying to love adulterers, drug addicts, thieves, murderers, cheaters, liars, perverts, and child abusers. O Lord, it’s hard, and I usually fail.

I’m also trying to love Christians who don’t act like Christians. Sometimes that’s been me.

I don’t like loving all these people. It’s easier to scorn them, justify myself, and pretend it’s okay for me to be this way. It’s easier to simply be religious, which is why many people are.

But I keep running into Jesus. He will judge those people; I don’t have to. Instead he insists that I love all people with the love of God—irritating people, disgusting people, and people who are enemies to me.

Many Christians get angry about people they do not like. I don’t blame them. But if we’re truly followers of Jesus, He won’t exempt us. He insists we love others, including our enemies. For that we need the grace of God.

Jesus can be difficult to follow. We love Him because He loves us so much, but He also loves those who are easy to despise. Thankfully, we have testimonies of many persecuted churches to inspire us to love those who hate us.

None of this means that people who do bad things are okay. It means that while we’re alive on this earth, we love people with the love of God. We do not love because others deserve it but because of who we are.

Imagine what would happen if large numbers of Christians did this. The whole world would turn upside down.

That’s exactly what Jesus intended.

PRAYER: “Jesus, work in me to love people, especially when it’s hard. I open my heart to Your Spirit to form me more in Your image that I may step beyond myself to love with Your love.”

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34 – 35 NIV).

A Dangerous Exception

By Rosemary Flaaten –

My task was to whip up a skillet of scrambled eggs for my hungry family. As I cracked one egg after another into my mixing bowl, suddenly an egg hit the mixture that looked a little odd. The yolk was not firm and was a darker orange color. Had the bacon not been sizzling beside me, I would have also noticed the slight pungent odor that wafted from this latest addition. But in my haste, I rationalized that the yolk in question really wasn’t any different than the others and that it wouldn’t affect the taste or quality. My family had a different response, though, when they tasted those eggs. Disgust and gagging brought our family brunch to a premature close.

All the eggs were fresh except one. That one egg became a dangerous exception.

King Solomon had ascended the throne of Israel and scripture tells us that he “showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the statutes of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places” (1 Kings 3:3 NIV– emphasis added). Solomon seemed to be doing everything right by serving God, but he, too, has a dangerous exception in his life. God had been very clear that His people were to have nothing to do with the pagan gods and their spiritual rituals. Solomon chose to follow God’s ways, except in this one area, which eventually drew him away from God with devastating results.

My cooking experience and my study of Solomon has caused me to evaluate my own heart and life to see what dangerous exceptions I have allowed in my life. Could it be said of me that I follow hard after God, except that I choose to be self-sufficient?  Am I obedient to God’s commands, except that I coddle the secret sin of envy? Do I love my neighbor, except for when she gossips about me?

Do you have any dangerous exceptions in your life and heart?

PRAYER: God show me where my heart has become calloused to your conviction and give me the courage to deal with the dangerous exceptions You reveal.

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38 NIV).

Jesus Christ, C.S.I.

By Cheri Cowell – 

One summer, I was seated as a jurist on a capitol murder case. For three days we heard evidence introduced by a CSI (Crime Scene Investigator). I love watching television shows based on real crimes that have been solved by good police work. By watching these shows, I’ve learned that one of the first things all good crime scene investigators do is take a look at the scene to determine if the criminal was someone the victim knew or was a stranger. Did you know Jesus was the first CSI?

In today’s scripture, the Pharisees could not accept Jesus was the Son of God, so they had to believe He was “in league with Satan” (verse 9:34). Jesus read their thoughts and responded to them saying, “Lets look at the evidence. Would a strongman or guard allow a thief to just waltz right in to rob him without first tying him up? Would a gang remain together very long if its members fought against each other?” If the Pharisees answered “no” to these arguments, then they couldn’t say that Jesus and Satan were on the same side. God has an advantage I’m sure today’s police would love to possess—He knows our thoughts. Jesus proved His case. The crime scene evidence didn’t match the accusation.

PRAYER: I praise You, God, for being able to see beyond the flimsy excuses I may use from time to time. Thank You for giving me eyes to see the evidence proving You are indeed the King of kings, Lord of lords, and Christ my Savior Immanuel.

“Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house” (Matthew 12:29 NIV).

Let Me Not Be Ashamed

By Janet Morris Grimes –

Sometimes I wonder if God giggles under His breath at my interpretations of His words. Those same words He so carefully chose, written by the messengers He so carefully chose, so that I would never be left in the dark.

He never meant for me to figure this life out by myself.

So when I try, it’s no wonder I get it wrong.

“Let me not be ashamed.” I’ve read these recurring passages throughout the book of Psalms hundreds of times, focusing, of course, on the parts that affect me the most.

My translation of this was simple, and somewhat selfish, so my prayers naturally followed suit.

“Dear God, Let nothing happen that might cause me embarrassment, or make a fool out of me. Keep failure far from my family. I have my pride, you know? And if it’s okay with you, I’d like to keep that and my reputation intact.”

Building a house on the slippery foundation of pride will ensure that it will come tumbling down around me, especially when I remain the focus of my prayers.

Recently, when life was not going particularly the way I hoped, I happened across this verse. Life was spinning out of my control, and I had difficulty finding the peace I so generously recommend to others.

“What if I end up making a fool out of myself?” I asked.

How is it that I claim to trust God with my life, but then provide for Him a list of parameters with which to work?

But then I’m gently reminded that the Creator of the Universe does not need my help, nor my parameters. He needs my trust, my submission, and more than anything, for me to surrender my pride; for me to quit worrying about what other people think of me and my family.

‘Let me not be ashamed’ might require me to get my hands dirty. It might require me to go willingly to places that might make me uncomfortable. It might require me to take risks, especially when failure is a strong possibility.

It might require me to take on the heart of God, so that the fear of embarrassment or shame no longer crosses my mind.

Because, when I think about it, my only goal is to give back to Him the life He first gave to me, to be used as needed.

Which means it should never have been about me in the first place.

PRAYER: Dear God, let us not be ashamed, nor be worried about anything that might bring us shame. Help us to see the world through Your eyes, so that our focus remains on You rather than ourselves. This is Your world, and that is all we need to know. Help us to rest in that,. We trust you with our happy endings. Teach us to trust you also then with our shame.

“I trust in you. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me” (Psalm 25:2NIV).

Syncing Up

By Jarrod Spencer –

As personal digital assistants (PDA) and MP3 players are introduced into the technology world, the term synchronization, shortened to “sync,” has also been introduced. One will “sync” or “sync up” such an object with a computer. This action assures that both pieces of technology have the same information in them. Neither of them is competing, nor are they withholding any information from the other. It is a convenient tool to have for backing up, retrieving, and transferring information from one piece of technology to the other.

Now, phones are using the “sync” feature. This allows you to plug it in to your computer and save all your contacts. With the popularity of the “smartphone,” you have all your contacts, addresses, birthdates, anniversaries, appointments, pictures, videos, and any documents you wish to store, all in one small, portable object.

Christians also have the privilege of being able to “sync up.” With technology, there is a smaller unit (PDA/MP3/phone) that can hold a fraction of what the larger unit (computer) can hold. As we parallel this to us and our Creator, we are the smaller being and He is the ultimate being, and we can hold a fraction of what our Creator can hold.

When you connect to Him, through prayer, thought, or meditation, you are essentially “syncing up.” You might be trying to understand what His will is for you or asking for Him to care for a particular person or situation. “Syncing up” allows Him to better understand what you are experiencing. There isn’t a competition going on. When finished you are on the same page as Him.

With technology, each time something changes, we have to “sync up” our devices. As a Christian, our lives change daily, so we must “sync up” with our Creator regularly.

Take time to connect with Him so that the two of you can be in sync. Just as it is a benefit in technology to “sync up” between each unit, it will be even more beneficial to you to “sync up” with your Creator.

May we be constantly plugging in and syncing up!

PRAYER: Faithful Father, thank You for the opportunity to “sync up” with you anytime I need to. May I be willing to take what You communicate to me and use it for Your glory!

“This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever” (John 6:58 ESV).

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