Sept 20th, 2021: Love Lavishly

 


Many years ago, a young university student asked me about my definition of love. My answer was:


"Loving someone is knowing what is good and beneficial for him (her) and offer that before being asked."


A loving husband would offer his wife a chance to get out of the house soon after getting home from work because she has been with their three young children all day.


Walk with someone back to his (her) to their university dorm at night because they feel unsafe to do that alone. It might just be more helpful than asking someone out for a drink on campus.


Decide to donate to a local food bank by not going to our favorite coffee shop for a month. The last time I checked, it cost a charity in my city about $3 to provide a meal for someone who needs food.


What does it mean for us to love one another and offer what is beneficial to others before they have to ask us? How are we going to protect each other physically and emotionally? What sacrifices do we need to consider? What does it mean for us to disregard our fears so that others have their hope restored?


A pastor I know was telling me a few months ago about an experience he had when he visited a village in a country in Africa. The villagers were thrilled about my friend's visit, so they held "a feast". My friend was uncertain about what meat they were serving, and it didn't look very appetizing. He thought that he might get sick. He also knew that if he didn't eat, that would impact his ability to minister. So he decided to pray and then eat. Nothing happened. God protected him. He then told me about his decision not to be vaccinated. I shared with him that if we have to be vaccinated to have the opportunity to minister to the sick and the dying according to the law, we might have to make the same choice. We need to learn how to love without fears so God gets a chance to reveal His power over the wickedness of the world.


“Above all, be loving. This ties everything together perfectly.” Colossians 3:14


“Hate stirs up trouble, but love forgives all offenses.” Proverbs 10:12

Popular posts from this blog

Aug 31st, 2024: Confession

Image
Dealing with pain sometimes affects our ability and flexibility. A physiotherapist friend gave me a set of home exercises to help with that. They are simple yet intense at the same time. Dealing with our human brokenness sometimes affects our ability to see and hear God. Our commitment to spiritual disciplines must be at the core of our relationship with God. One of the disciplines I have been trying to embrace more fully is confession. It’s not just about recognizing where we have gone wrong; it’s about how we have chosen to live our lives independently from God. It’s about whether we truly want God to be part of our lives. The absence of meaningful confession will damage our freedom to experience intimacy with God. "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." - Proverbs 28:13
Read more

Sept 4th, 2024: Praying in Images

Image
It has been a rough few days. Living in immense pain does not allow us much energy to think about anything. I ended up praying in images, and not many words came out of my mouth. Most of the images were of people I know. God knew that I was praying for them as their faces came to my mind. I did not need to mention the circumstances or situations of their lives—He knows. My heart was at peace as I ended my days with these images. He will take care of my body, and I know this because I was able to get some sleep. Tomorrow is in His hands.
Read more

Oct 1st, 2022: Be With Those Who Suffer

Image
  Listening to a young woman who shared her experience of being raped repeatedly by a family member for over four years as a teenager made my heart ache. The man who did that was a leader of a church. He was imprisoned for seven months and released. He was her stepfather. Her mother chose to pick him over her after his release. Her life has changed forever. She had to go to a foster home. Her foster parents helped her with her restoration and her faith in God. Her supervisor at work asked me to see her because someone at work was inappropriate toward her. That triggered many emotions within her. I did not expect the story I heard from her. The meeting took longer than I thought, and it was toward the end of the day. She kept talking about her anger and the pain she felt when men treated her like a subject. I knew that the best I could do was to listen. She told me she had not been able to tell anyone as much as with me. God reminded me of the true calling of being a pas...
Read more