Welcome!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Today: Living and giving life through love
Passage: 1 John 3
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:16-17, NIV)
Yesterday morning, our younger son, now in fourth grade, was telling me:
“Dad, you must read 1 John Chapter 3; it is powerful”
I read it-only to see that he was true
Paul rightly reminds us that in the end times, people will become selfish, lovers of themselves (2 Timothy 3)
But faith in God and the relationships we have are much more powerful and important than our bank balance, job or anything else
The greatest loss in life is the loss/ lack of relationships
People may not care much about it when they are young, but will realize it, when they get older
Sometime back I was being told about the death of someone who lived past the age of 90, and then died
He was doing all right until his wife failed to recognize him, because of her illness; but when his wife could no longer recognize him, that broke his heart
He died within a few weeks of that
The break of relationships and our own bad habits like anger, hatred and jealousy can all make us sick in the mind and the body; healing to our body and mind can happen more quickly and powerfully through loving relationships than through medical treatment
Few weeks back, I saw a medical doctor on the TV, who became critically ill, but was back to work as a Director, in a few months’ time. He said, he was healed because of love and compassion others showed to him during that time, and not through medications
It is important how we deal with people who are sick, in our own households
It happens a lot that when someone gets sick, people ignore them
That makes them die faster, but it is not a good thing to do that
We live at a time and in a (busy) world where people make and break relationships hastily, like changing dress
But the one element that binds people together unconditionally is the love of God-Agape!
There is no love like the love of Jesus
It was all voluntary and unconditional-while we were still enemies
Love contains responsibility; lust does not take responsibility
Love is about “what I can give”, while lust is about “what I can get”
That is why many are after lust than love
Responsible relationships are sustained by love
The biggest complaint against Church is that we don’t practice what we preach
The word of God is powerful; we should let it pierce into out hearts and transform us
As Christmas is approaching, it is a good time to show and share the love of Jesus to others
One of the best Christmas gifts you can give to someone you know is a Bible, in a language they can easily understand; not to forget charity, where it is needed
God bless your day
BG
Prayer: Lord Jesus, Thank you for the greatest gift-that is you. You not only spoke love, but lived it. Help me to practice what I preach. Amen.