Have you ever wondered why the marriage/divorce rate is so high? Have you ever wondered why there are as many suicides? Have you ever given serious thought to the life you live? Have you ever wondered how much love and respect you keep vs. how much love and respect you give? 1 Cor. 13 says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, 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." All too often "love" tends to be a one-way street. A one-way street in the sense that we tend to care about others so much that we actually can forget to love ourselves as well.
Loving ourselves is so vital to the relationships that we keep with others. But how can loving ourselves be more impactful in our pursuit of loving others? The bible in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Loving ourselves began with the love of Jesus. Loving others begins with loving ourselves. If we love Jesus then we know how to love ourselves. If we love ourselves then we know how to love someone else. There is another side to this though. If we have love for ourselves and we have a love for Jesus and know what love is through His example, then we recognize when a lack of love is expressed toward us.
In the world that we live in today, many people express love in many ways but when difficulties arise, a line seems to be drawn between how much love and respect we give ourselves vs. How much love and respect we give to the other person or people involved. We downgrade ourselves and upgrade others. Some get emotionally bothered when someone don't give them equal love and respect. It's okay to "think of others more higly than ourselves" as the scriptures teach us but that didn't mean forget about ourselves in the process. When the going gets tough it is easier to live with self than others. We can control self and cannot control what others do. So how much do you love yourself? Do you let the actions of others determine the self-respect and self-confidence you display? The characteristics of love in 1 Cor. 13 have as much to do with how we love ourselves and practice it, as it has to do with the relationship we keep with others. The love of Jesus is universal in action. We are to love our enemies just as much as we love our family and friends. BUT, PLEASE, LET US NOT FORGET HOW IMPORTANT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF LOVING!!! IT IS BETTER TO PRESERVE THE LOVE of CHRIST IN US SO THAT WE CAN EXPRESS LOVE IN THE RIGHT WAY!!! HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE YOURSELF?
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
The "Newness of Life" in 2011
17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
Every December, as the year prepares to come to a close, there is the great anticipation of the approaching New Year. Many people start to think about the year that was and many think about the year that will be. Many people start thinking about their New Year's Resolutions based on what the, more than likeley, did not accomplish in the prior year. Regardless of what is considered when the New Year gets ready to turn, everyone looks forward to the New Year. There has just something about having a fresh start. Many of us wish we could start our child years over again because of what we know now as adults.
Think about this, though, from a spiritual perspective; when you were baptized you were taught that it was a fresh start. As a matter of fact, the scripture taught us that we were made new and the old was passed away. God, because of His Grace granted us a clean slate, washing away our sins giving us hope when we felt hopeless, stimulating life when we feel lifeless. He gave a light at the end of life's dark tunnel and we have been walking in that marvelous light ever since.
2010 is gone. All the trials we went through, God blessed us to overcome. All the great things that happened, God has blessed us through them. We have met knew people, started new projects, went through the first couple of semesters of classes, among many other things. Now we look to 2011 and we have the whole year ahead of us. We start a new day, new week and and a new month and the "Newness" is still alive. Our God, who is the same God this year as was last year, still expects righteous deeds out of us. We are still called to save lost souls. We are still commanded to share the love of God with all those we come in contact with. God still expects us live according to His purpose and plan.
We must remember, though, that Satan still has plans for 2011 as well. He still wants us to fold under the pressures that we go through this year. He still wants us to question why we live for Him. He still is planning to deceive us, test our faith, make us turn away from the Almighty God. He still wants us to prove that we are still human and have sin in our camps of life. DON'T LET SATAN GET THE UPPER HAND TODAY OR ANY OTHER DAY. Be patient with person, be persistent with your practice, be consistent with the consciousness of your faith in God. The "Newness of Life" in 2011What will be new about your "Newness of Life" of life? Will you bless somebody to see the New Life that you have had for a long time? Allow God to continue to work in your life.
Every December, as the year prepares to come to a close, there is the great anticipation of the approaching New Year. Many people start to think about the year that was and many think about the year that will be. Many people start thinking about their New Year's Resolutions based on what the, more than likeley, did not accomplish in the prior year. Regardless of what is considered when the New Year gets ready to turn, everyone looks forward to the New Year. There has just something about having a fresh start. Many of us wish we could start our child years over again because of what we know now as adults.
Think about this, though, from a spiritual perspective; when you were baptized you were taught that it was a fresh start. As a matter of fact, the scripture taught us that we were made new and the old was passed away. God, because of His Grace granted us a clean slate, washing away our sins giving us hope when we felt hopeless, stimulating life when we feel lifeless. He gave a light at the end of life's dark tunnel and we have been walking in that marvelous light ever since.
2010 is gone. All the trials we went through, God blessed us to overcome. All the great things that happened, God has blessed us through them. We have met knew people, started new projects, went through the first couple of semesters of classes, among many other things. Now we look to 2011 and we have the whole year ahead of us. We start a new day, new week and and a new month and the "Newness" is still alive. Our God, who is the same God this year as was last year, still expects righteous deeds out of us. We are still called to save lost souls. We are still commanded to share the love of God with all those we come in contact with. God still expects us live according to His purpose and plan.
We must remember, though, that Satan still has plans for 2011 as well. He still wants us to fold under the pressures that we go through this year. He still wants us to question why we live for Him. He still is planning to deceive us, test our faith, make us turn away from the Almighty God. He still wants us to prove that we are still human and have sin in our camps of life. DON'T LET SATAN GET THE UPPER HAND TODAY OR ANY OTHER DAY. Be patient with person, be persistent with your practice, be consistent with the consciousness of your faith in God. The "Newness of Life" in 2011What will be new about your "Newness of Life" of life? Will you bless somebody to see the New Life that you have had for a long time? Allow God to continue to work in your life.
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