Cherish each other?

Why is it so hard for Christians to cherish each other?

Let the question sink in for a bit, and see if that rings true in your experience.

One of the definitions of the act of loving is to cherish, which can also be worded: to highly value, and to keep highly in one's thoughts.

Jesus commands us in John 13:34 that we "love one another" as He loves us, or to value and often consider each other in the same way that Christ does of each of us.

I find myself to be lacking in this area. It's so easy for my mind to shift away from thinking about and considering those in need, even if my heart still longs to help them. It's easy for me to neglect those with whom I should long to fellowship. 

But then, I think the church is the same way: only give thought to those who are actively seeking your help, or you are actively seeking to minister to. 

Do we cherish and treasure each other? Do we cherish and treasure fellowship with other believers? Do we cherish using our church services to build up and equip each other?

How many Christians do not cherish their children? How many do not give much thought to where their children are, what they are watching on t.v. or who they are spending time with?  How many do not give thought to whether or not their children are spending time in God's Word and whether or not they are developing a healthy relationship with God?

Do we cherish one another? Do we give up our thoughts to consider each other and how we can be a blessing to others?

I asked my Sunday School class this question this past weekend: are you keeping your thoughts bent toward how God is trying to use you in every situation? 

So, do I do that? Do you? Do you keep in mind that God wants to use you in effective ways every day? Do you look for the ways that God is trying to use you to bless your neighbors and your relatives and even strangers? 

I think that if Christians were more apt to cherish those around us, we would be much more effective in our faith and in our evangelism. 

Peace and grace, brothers and sisters. 

Characteristic of a Christian: Love

I had a discussion with my Sunday School class this past week about our responsibilities as Christians, which is something I have been considering of late.

Obviously, the biggest call on the life of a Christian is to show the world God and God's love. As First John 4:8 says, "Whoever does not love, does not know God, because God is love."

Ephesians 5:1-2 expounds a bit on that: "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

Now while we are supposed to show God's love, there is something more to this: If we are to be imitators of the God who is love, then we should be doing everything we to actually be love for others.

We turn to 1 Corinthians 13 to find out the characteristics of what love, and therefore what we as Christians, should be:

Love: is patient, is kind, is not envious, is not boastful, is not proud, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered, does not keep records of the wrongs against it, does not delight in evil things, rejoices in the truth, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, and never fails.

By the same token: love is not passive, and love is not "tolerant" of evil.

When we stop and take measure of our lives as Christians, do we measure up to God's standard of love? I hope so, I hope we are trying to.

Peace and grace, brothers and sisters.

The Lord's Prayer?

I am amazed at the general misunderstanding that I find in U.S. churches when it comes to the "Lord's Prayer."

It has almost become nothing more than a cute little poem that gets recited in Sunday morning services and before football games. More than that, however, I do not think it was ever supposed to become the staple for the believers' communication with God that it has become.

It gets started out in reverence and mock-holiness: "Our Father, who abideth in Heaven, ever-hallowed by thy name. Thy Kingdom come, and Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven."

It is a very wonderful beginning to a prayer, but I may say that it is said mostly by people who, while they may call themselves Christians, have no interest in seeing the Kingdom of God come right now, and would be more than a little put-off if God really did start changing their lives to fit His will. 

The rest of the prayer gets rushed through, mostly because it is completely misunderstood, and few take the time to ponder what the words mean that are robotically coming out of their mouths: "Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our transgressions, as we forgive those who transgress against us. Lead us not from temptation, but deliver is from EVIL(!)"

Aside from being rushed through without thought, here is my point: 

JESUS MEANT FOR HIS "PRAYER" TO BE A TEMPLATE FOR US TO USE TO LEARN HOW TO PRAY, not to be meaningless or repetitive words.

He even says in the verse leading up to the "prayer:" "When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again." (Mt. 6:7 NLT)

We were not meant to simply repeat Jesus' words over and over and expect that to be good communication. God wants discourse with us! 

Just imagine if the only thing I ever said to my wife was this: "Hello dear, you are wonderful. I am so blessed to be your husband. I will always love you. Please always love me."

Maybe at first glance, it would be romantic, and the first couple times, she might love it. But, if that is as far as my communication with her ever went, we would have problems. 

God desires communication with us. He gave us the ability to speak. He gave us the ability to form language. And He gave us a template for prayer. 

"Father, you are awesome. You are such an amazing God, and I am so blessed to be your son. Thank you so much for blessing me and always providing for me. Please continue to bless me every day as I strive to live for you and make this earth love you more. Please forgive me for my sins, and hold me accountable for the ways that I forgive others. And guard my heart from temptation, and protect me from Satan's attacks. I love you, Lord."

One last point: "Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us." This gets very misunderstood. It is saying, forgive me in the same way that I forgive others. If I do not forgive well, then I have some things to work on, because God's going to hold me to account for that.


Peace and grace, brothers and sisters,
Joshua

 

Idolatry and Idleness in worship.

A friend asked me recently about the danger of "idol" worship in the modern church. She meant the inclusion of those things in people's lives that become idols in our lives, and how easily the church will lose its effectiveness because of it. 

I, on the other hand, heard "idle" worship in the modern church, and it led to a deep discussion about which is the bigger danger. 

Are we, as Christians, more in danger of losing our focus on God and relationship with God because of the things that become more important in our lives than Him, or because of the fact that so many of us go to church, sing worship songs and fall into a routine, a "going-through-the-motions" existence?

"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idol (and idle) worship." 1 Corinthians 10:14

Peace and grace, brothers and sisters.