Love, Sweet Love

1 Peter 3:8-22

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 
1 Peter 3:8 (NIV)

There is an old song playing in my head as I write these words. "What the world needs now, is love, sweet love. That's the only thing there is just too little of." Isn't this the truth. If love ruled the world like it does in the popular Hallmark movies, we would all be so much better off.

Try to envision this: Facebook posts that only speak of loving each other. Grocery store lines with smiling faces, friendly gestures on the highway from fellow motorists. People helping each other out as the normal way to be. Too much to ask?

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)  

Jesus commands us to love each other. These words can be found in numerous places in scripture, so there must be a good reason to love like this. I am sure that initially in The Garden, love was the overarching theme, the reason God created us. God is love and we are created in His image. So, what happened? Why is love such a fleeting and diminishing emotion? Why is it so much more acceptable to hate and condemn and vilify each other?

I have a hope in my heart that eventually love will conquer all. That hope is Jesus, who will come again. Love will be the driving force for everyone. It all comes back to Jesus, the Word, the Truth and Love.

Consider/Discuss:

• How can we make one small change in how we love someone today?
• How could this change impact others as well as us?

The Old Way Has to Go

And so I insist--and God backs me up on this--that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They've refused for so long to deal with God that they've lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can't think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion. (Ephesians 4:17-19 MSG)

Does this speak to you? Statistics prove that professed Christians and their behaviors are no better than those who profess to be 'nones', having no religious affiliation. Don't you find it staggering how we, who call ourselves after Jesus Christ, don't try to act more like Him? 

True Discipleship, "doing the things Jesus did and saying the things Jesus said", can't be taught too often. Jesus died so we have a better way to live. Jesus died so we can live forever with Him. This sounds so trite and just what one might expect from a devotion like this, but...truth is truth.

Examine culture today. Who do we idolize, follow on Facebook, pattern our lives after? If you are over forty, think about life twenty year ago. What made you happy? What disgusted you? Now look at today and ask those same two questions. If you are over fifty or more than sixty, the answers are even more stunning.

Paul taught the people that things must change. Behaviors of our past need to reflect Jesus' influence on us. No more following the crowd. It is time to get our priorities right. We need to put emphasis on the saying, "they will know we are Christian by our love." Adding, they know we are Christian by our actions and by hearing our stories. 

Ephesians 4:17-19

Status Update

The world sure has changed over the past 30 years.  I was watching one of those holiday cartoons with my son the other night, you know the ones that come on once a year and it's tradition to sit in front of the TV and watch.

After playing it for probably the fourth time my son asks, “Did you watch this over and over when you were a kid?”  I had to laugh as I explained that we didn't have DVR when I was his age.  He was stunned.

My husband and I continued to explain that we didn't have a lot of things he has.  No cell phones, WiFi, internet. We didn't have Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or Twitter.

I was actually surprised myself to see how much things have changed in a short period of time.  While all of these additions to life can be fun and entertaining, I can't help but feel they also give too many people the stage to have influence in our lives.

Our scripture passage today comes from Proverbs 3: 5-10.  Verse 5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…”  We do the opposite of this most of the time, don't we.

We will run to Facebook articles, news interviews, and our friends opinions before we turn to God.  But he want us to trust him with ALL of our heart and NOT lean on our own understanding.  

This passage is not telling us to turn off our brains.  It is telling us to use our brains and seek the ONLY one who has the answers we need.  Why? Proverbs continues saying, “He will direct our path”.

God will give us the direction we need.  Some versions of this passage say, “He will make our path straight.”  Isn't that what we are looking for when week seek out all this information?  God, the one who created us and who loves us says he will show us which way to go if we would trust him.

Now that's news worthy of posting.

Read today's passage Proverbs 3:5-10