Category: Encouragement

James and Paul disagreed- and it was OK

Did you know that James and Paul had opposing views on what it meant to be a Christian? Did you know that Peter took more of a middle of the road stand? Did you know that each wrote important books in the Bible? Did you know that each of their views are evident in Scripture?

Don’t believe me?

Galatians 2: (Paul writing)

But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision.
Galatians 2:11‭-‬12

James taught that circumcision was necessary, Paul taught it wasn’t- and Peter was stuck in the middle.

At first, Peter sides with Paul.

But, when friends of James came, Peter acted hypocritically.

Paul called Peter out.

Paul didn’t call James out.

It’s ok to have theological differences of opinion.

It’s not ok to treat people differently because of those differences, or depending on whom you are with.

Peter was a disciple, James was Jesus’ brother, and Paul never personally met Jesus during his ministry on earth.

All of them loved Jesus though, and each of them lived according to how they interpreted what that love meant.

For James: Faith without works is dead… I’ll show you my faith by my works… in essence- put your money where your mouth is or it doesn’t matter.

For Paul: For by grace are you saved through faith- not of yourselves, so no one has a reason to boast… a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus, not by obeying the law… in essence- you don’t have to prove yourself- your faith is enough.

For Peter: Be of one mind, sympathize with each, be kind… in essence- avoid disagreements.

For each of these biblical authors, their message was dependent on their life change.

Paul originally persecuted Christians because they didn’t follow the Jewish religion- after his conversion, he didn’t want to burden new Christians with unnecessary laws.

Peter was infamous for his temper. As he grew, his message became more about peace with all men.

James didn’t seem to be fully convinced, or fully committed. Until Jesus rose and ascended. Then, it became all about him proving his faith, and wanting others to do the same.

If you read this far, you’re probably wondering what my point is.

It’s this:

It really doesn’t matter what serving God looks like to you, as long as you are doing what you do as unto God. God sees your heart.

But, on the flip side, just because someone else doesn’t match what you think serving God should look like, it doesn’t mean that they don’t love God.

It’s less about the outward proof of salvation, and more about the inner relationship. If you have the relationship, the outside will either follow or doesn’t matter as much as we think.

Salvation or proof focused people say- how can I be good enough.

Relationship or faith focused people say- how much good can I do?

Don’t get stuck on the appearance. Look at the heart.

Love

lets_fall_in_love-wallpaper-10187402

I love Love.

Whenever I hear about two people falling in love, I can’t help but smile. I want all of the beautiful, juicy details. The mushier they are, the happier I am.

How did you meet? Was it love at first sight? What caught your interest? How did you get each others attention? Who made the first move? When did you realize it was love? What are your plans, hopes and dreams for the future?

The idea of love promises so much.

There is this sense of security that comes with being in love.

You feel protected and safe. You feel happy. You feel like you belong.

My husband calls it a “coming home” feeling.

I love Love- and as beautiful and wonderful as the love I just described is- there is so much more to love than a mutual affection between two people.

In fact, according to the Ancient Greeks, there are 8 types of love:

  1. Agape- Unconditional Love
  2. Eros- Romantic Love
  3. Philia- Affectionate Love
  4. Philautia- Self Love
  5. Storge- Familiar Love
  6. Pragma- Enduring Love
  7. Ludus- Playful Love
  8. Mania- Obsessive Love

Eros is the type of love so many of us are focused on. It’s the type of love that I described above. It’s good to have Eros in your life, but, there is more to life than Eros.

I’m going to shift gears for a minute.

One of my personal struggles and areas for growth is my tendency to have an all or nothing outlook on life. Everything used to be so black and white for me. – Either something is right, or it is wrong. Either something has value, or it doesn’t. Either something is truth, or it isn’t. – A lot of this mentality is a result of how I (mis?) interpreted what others said about what it means to be a Christian.

Now, to get back on track.

It’s really hard to embrace the spectrum of color that is life and love when you are constantly hearing blanket statements about sin and human nature.

Because blanket statements don’t seem to leave room for unconditional (Agape) love.

It is my personal opinion that Agape love includes, but is not limited to, each of the other types of love.

I’ve either heard it said, read somewhere, or felt the implication that true unconditional love is next to impossible- but maybe not completely impossible- for humanity to experience- that God alone is capable of expressing agape love- and the closer we get to God, the better able we are to love others well.

It is because of this “feeling” that I propose the following:

  1. Truth is found in love.
  2. Religion can get us close, but not all the way.
  3. Religious rules stem from the fear of being unloved.
  4. It’s hard (but not impossible) to accept love, when we can’t, or won’t, give love.
  5. It’s hard (but not impossible) to give love when we can’t, or won’t, accept love.
  6. Love is both a noun and a verb.
  7. We can’t always control how we feel.
  8. We can always control how we act.
  9. You don’t have to like or agree with someone to love them- but it definitely helps.
  10. When loving others becomes your focus, the fear of being unloved is removed.
  11. When the fear of being unloved no longer controls you, you see the world differently.
  12. When you love people for who they are, you become less concerned with their choices- and you allow them to experience love without conditions.
  13. Being able to truly love without conditions is the strongest evidence of spiritual growth.

 

But, what IS love?

To quote the Bible:

“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 is intangible- You can see it through others, you can feel it in your life, you can express it through actions and words- but, at it’s core- love is just a concept.

Just an idea.

A whisper, a breath, a vapor.

It has no form. It has no color. It has no shape, no mass, no quantifiable measurement.

Love just is.

and, at the center of it all-

God is Love. (1 John 4:8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Gospel: “Why?” not “What?”

black and white cemetery christ churchPhoto by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Simply put, gospel means good news.
Chances are you know about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. You many not believe it, but you have heard about it.
Maybe the good news isn’t so much that Jesus died- but more that He lived. Maybe the point isn’t so much “what” happened, as “why” it happened. 
 
Maybe we are missing the mark by ignoring why that subtle difference matters.
 
I don’t think the most important take away of the good news is that we get to escape hell.
 
The good news is good news because it’s meant to bring God’s kingdom (Heaven) to earth.
In the words of Jesus “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
The good news isn’t that those who follow Jesus get to miraculously escape the evils of the world we live in, but that those who follow Jesus are constantly working to show love where evil presides the most. 
The good news is meant to invoke so much love for our fellow human beings that it doesn’t make sense to those who don’t understand what it means to truly love.
For example, it’s easy for (most) us to love our family more than we love ourselves- easy to the point of almost being natural.
An instinct.
An impulse.
I wouldn’t think twice about going without a meal to make sure my own kids have enough to eat. My husband wouldn’t think twice about giving me his jacket if I’m cold, even if he is cold too.
It’s not easy to apply those same principals to people we don’t know- people who we aren’t personally invested in or acquainted with. People we have been taught to be wary or judgmental of.
It’s not easy to willingly vote for higher taxes so the poor in our community can have equal access to health care.
It’s not easy to set aside our prejudice and fear so those seeking asylum have the same opportunity to live in peace that we do.
It’s not easy to demand equal rights for all when the path to get there threatens our own privilege.
It’s not easy to hear and listen to the cry for bodily autonomy when we associate that with a threat to our own comfort and quality of life.
But that’s what it means to share the good news. That’s what it means to love others the way we love ourselves. That’s what it means to love the way Jesus loved.
Just as we traditionally think of fathers protecting and mothers nurturing- God protects and nurtures us.
Both men and women were created in God’s own image- and that fact transcends political preference and personal bias. That fact reaches to all nations, every tribe, every tongue, every culture.
Each and every single human being on this earth is the image of God, and as such we are all God’s children.
If we are to believe that God is our parent, then we have to believe that God is their parent too. There is no discriminating factor with God.
It’s important to note that God’s kingdom isn’t limited by geography, or language, or culture- anything that defines or limits earthly kingdoms.
“Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36)
If we truly believe that God is loving and just and merciful and kind- we have to believe that doesn’t only apply to us in our North American bubble- It applies to the Middle East. It applies to Russia. It applies to Syria. It applies to those we are at war with. It applies to those we have peace treaties with. It applies to those we have harmed. It applies to those who have harmed us.
God is Love.
Where love is, God is.
“Anyone who does not love, does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8)
The greatest command is to love God, and to love your neighbor is of equal value:
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22: 37-40)
You can’t love an invisible God if you can’t love visible people.
“If we say we love God, but hate others, we are liars. For we cannot love God, whom we have not seen, if we do not love others, whom we have seen. ” (1 John 4:20)
In order to truly love- we have to first understand what it means to love, and to love well.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-10)

If God is love, then:

God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. God is not rude, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no account of wrongs. God takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. God bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. God never fails.

I don’t think it’s an accident that the first fruit of the Spirit listed is love.

“For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” Galatians 5:22-23

There is no law against love.

And maybe that is what the good news is all about to begin with. 

Maybe that was what Jesus was trying to teach us through his ministry on earth.

Maybe that is what we are responsible for spreading to the whole earth.

If your religion teaches you not to love another person- than your religion is in vain, and it is not of God.

Don’t lose sight of the why.

 

 

Sunday

background beautiful blossom calm waters
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

For as long as I can remember, Sunday’s have always been a special day to me. I think the reason for that is they somehow symbolize a chance for a new beginning, or a fresh start. By the time Sunday rolls around, I can shake off the disappointments or failures of the past week and start looking forward to the blank slate of a brand new week in front of me.

On Sunday, I have time to reflect. I’m the kind of person that one thought triggers another in a sort of chain reaction, and where I end up isn’t where I started, and if I’m being completely honest, isn’t always where I intended to be. And that’s ok, because on Sunday, I can see past the moment, and for a minute, I can see a part of the bigger picture.

On Sunday, I’m motivated to be a better person. Maybe it’s because of the time I have to reflect, but I always end up thinking through my actions and reactions to certain situations of the previous week. Sometimes I’m happy with the choices I made. Usually I’m disappointed with them. I always think of ways I could have handled situations differently, or things I should, or shouldn’t have, said, or things I should, or shouldn’t have, done. Either way, those thoughts give me a resolve to do better next time.

Sunday’s remind me of grace. As a Christian, this reminder/realization is extra special to me. Without grace, I would be stuck in the rut of disappointment. Instead of grace allowing me to realize that I have so much opportunity in front of me, I would be stuck dwelling on my failures. Grace is what allows me to keep moving forward, even after I mess up. The opportunity to reflect allows me to see my shortcomings, grace allows me to acknowledge them and then move on.

On Sunday, I feel loved. I can surround myself with people I love, and who love me, even if only for a little while. That isn’t to say I can’t do this on any other day of the week, but on Sunday, I have the time and presence of mind to appreciate it that much more.

What does Sunday mean to you? Is it special, or is it just another day?