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The Evidence of Love

Have you ever found yourself saying, “I love you Lord” but deep down you are not really sure if you even know what that means? Well…that is me 99.9% of the time. However, today I discovered that I can finally put the question of whether I truly love God or not to rest with this simple test:

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. 2 John 1:6a NIV

Wow! this actually stopped me in my tracks!

The evidence of the love we have for God is found in our obedience. To rephrase, obedience is the inertia (the driving force) of our love. It is the vessel that carries out the intent of our love.  It is the donkey that carries a triumphant Jesus into Jerusalem.  A scripture comes to mind:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son… John 3:16 KJV

The intent of this love was that Jesus, would pay the ultimate sacrifice to redeem us back to God. However, if Jesus had not been obedient, the purpose for that love would have never been fulfilled.

He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Philippians 2:8 NLT

We sing wonderful songs of the love that motivated Christ to die for us and that is amazing. But let me tell you,  it was obedience that sealed the transaction of love the day an agonizing Jesus carried His old rugged cross up to Golgotha. Jesus had a choice (authority) to lay his life down and take it up again and that day, He was intentional in His obedience  to choose you and I (read John 10:18).

For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19 NIV

The victory of salvation and redemption came through the obedience of Jesus. This is why you cannot speak of a victorious christian life outside of obedience. As one of my readers said, obedience is key. But I digress…

Jesus testified to His love for God in His obedience:

But I do exactly what the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. John 14:31 Berean Study Bible

So I leave you with this thought: To love is to obey and to obey is to love. Be intentional.

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The Intentionality of Obedience Part 1

via Why marry a Godly person? Part 1

A few days ago God taught me a valuable lesson on obedience through this post on “Why marry a godly person” referenced above. As I was reading and re-reading my post as I always do, my eye caught something I had written in the moment without much thought. This is what I wrote:

“So the question today is, “Why is it important to marry a Godly person?” The obvious answer is because the bible says we should not be equally yoked with unbelievers… and rightly so! But why? Two answers…

In part 1, I shared about foundation and then proceeded to share about God’s Spirit in us in part 2. As I pondered over the blogs again, I realized I had missed the more obvious and most important answer: BECAUSE GOD SAYS SO!

Wow! that simple…

I love to ask and answer the question of why…why this?…why that? In fact I’d have fit right in with the Berean Christians (Acts 17:11) back in the day! It is how I process life and my world, and it is part of my process with God. When I read a scripture and want to go deeper with it, I ask, “why?”. When my expectations for life fall short and the answers to prayer is not forthcoming, I ask God, “why?” Sometimes when my husband randomly says ” I love you”, I ask “why?”

I do not believe the statement, “God is unquestionable” in the sense that we should never ask God why. I am certain of the fact that God is interested in a passionate and open relationship with creation where we can ask Him anything. He is not a Father so far removed from His children; a Lover so distant and cold; that we only have a one-sided relationship with Him. I am sure that as much as God is interested in our business, He wants us to be curious and inquisitive about His. So dare to ask, “why?” (In the same breath I caution not to be arrogant. Do not ask questions in a manner that demands that the Creator justify His ways to His creation. Ask with the willingness to be content with His answer even if He does not give an answer at all).

When it comes to obedience, I am learning that God does not mind when we question His demands and His righteous laws in our quest to obey them. Many righteous men of old did same. We have examples in Moses, Gideon, David, Job, prophets of old, the disciples, and many others. However, God is more impressed when we obey without questioning… just trusting fully that He will never lead us astray.

Abraham, the patriarch of faith, is an exemplar of such obedience. He trusted God in the face of many difficult life decisions. And in every instance, even though he did not have all the pieces of the puzzle, he simply obeyed because… GOD SAID SO.

As much as I love to know the what, the why, the how, the when, the who,  and the where of every circumstance, I believe God is leading me to a place where I can step  outside of the confines of what I know to a place of absolute trust; A place where my trust is without borders and goes beyond the questions to the place of “because you say so”

Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Luke 5:5 NIV

So as I start this journey into the intentionality of obedience, I encourage you to hop on this train with me and be open to saying, “I will obey…BECAUSE GOD SAID SO”

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior (Hillsong UNITED: Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)

 

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Why marry a Godly person? Part 2

So a couple of days ago, I started this series; “Why marry a Godly person” to share what God taught me about the topic and one of my readers requested I finish it. So here goes… The second reason why we must not be equally yoked with unbelievers is a lot more abstract than the first; which was to build your house (marriage) on the rock.

I’ll attempt to explain the second reason from the scripture:

Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? James 4:5 NIV

When you became born again, God’s Spirit took up residence in your heart with a promise never to leave you or forsake you. This Spirit gives you the right to have a father-son/daughter relationship with God Himself!

And he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us. 2 Corinthians 1:22 NLT

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15 NLT

God’s Holy Spirit in you is a guarantee that you will receive everything he has promised including eternal life (Read Ephesians 1:14). In other words, God does not take the deposition and disposition of his Spirit in us lightly. He jealously longs after his Spirit. Dare I say, He jealously guards and watches over his Spirit in you. Now what has this got to do with marriage?

Sex is a spiritual transaction that unites body, soul, and spirit. It is why two become one in marriage. Unfortunately, that equation works whether the union is between two married christians, or a one night stand, or a believer-unbeliever duo. The only force, strong enough to undo the transactions of sex, is the Word of God. Remember the Word of God divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow…. so if you have had multiple sexual partners, all is not lost… but I digress.

As I was saying, whenever there is a sexual union, there is an exchange that has the potential to contaminate your spirit; the new Spirit that God Himself has given you; the Spirit of Redemption, the Spirit that he jealously yearns for. And God does not like that. So now in the light of this, lets read the anchor scripture from which this discussion stems:

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. 2 Corinthians 6:14 – 7:1 NIV

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Why marry a Godly person? Part 1

When it comes to marriage, I consider myself a bit of a novice since I’ve only been married for a minute; so I generally tend to stay away from dishing out marriage advice. However, a few weeks ago, God taught me something I’d like to share.

So the question today is, “Why is it important to marry a Godly person?” The obvious answer is because the bible says we should not be equally yoked with unbelievers… and rightly so! But why? Two answers. The simpler answer: FOUNDATION

This brings to mind a parable: the parable of the wise and foolish builders. At the risk of oversimplification, it is said that the wise man built his house on rock and when the rain and wind beat upon the house it remained firmly planted. The foolish man, on the other hand, built his house on sand and that house could not withstand the forces of nature (Matthew 7:24-28).

Jesus is our firm and solid foundation; a foundation described as the rock on which we build our lives, our loves, our hopes, our dreams. A christian whose heart is sold out in obedience to the word of God brings a foundation that is solid rock to a marriage. The unbelieving partner brings sand.

But the wicked [ungodly, unbeliever] are like a surging sea that is unable to be quiet; its waves toss up mud and sand. Isaiah 57:20 NET

Here’s the simple mathematics:

Rock + Rock = a firm, sure, and solid foundation for a house (marriage) that will stand the test and trials of life.

Rock + Sand = a potentially unstable foundation for a house (marriage) with an uncertain future.

Let me tell you a parable of my own…

There was once a little piggy that built her house with sand and the big bad wolf came and huffed and puffed and blew her house down. But her sister was wiser. She built with rock so when the big bad wolf (satan) came, he huffed and puffed… and huffed and puffed.. and huffed and puffed… but could never blow the house (marriage) down. And I know this because…

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11 NIV

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Loving people with intentionality Part 1

Have you ever felt like in spite of how unfaithful you are in your walk with God, He loves you more than the next person? I have had that feeling time and time again and have basked and reveled in that feeling that, of everyone in my world, God loves me the best!

As you read this you might think, “Well, that is not true! God does not discriminate!” And rightly so. However, God is intentional about the love He shows to each and every person on earth. He loves everyone the same and yet is He able to make each and everyone in their own way feel like He loves them the best!

Remember the parable of the lost sheep?

What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. Matthew 18:12-13 NIV

This does not mean that the shepherd (Jesus) loved the 99 sheep any less. It just means that when God pursues you He is intentional about it and He makes you truly feel the length, the depth, and the breadth of his love.

Jesus is calling us all to this place of intentionally loving people: rich or poor; red, yellow, black, or white; prostitute or pope; gay or straight. When people come into contact with you they must leave that encounter feeling without a shadow of doubt that Jesus loves them the best… because…

…we live like Jesus here in this world. 1 John 4:17b

 

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The Intentionality of Gracious Conversations

A couple of days ago, I spoke to a friend  who opened up to tell me she had been hurt by something I said over a year ago. I vividly remember walking away from that conversation a year ago thinking it was the most candid and the best conversation I have had with anyone in my social circle…so to find out that I had offended a dear friend.. boy did that crush me!

This morning, I woke up pondering how we could have had such differing perspectives to the same conversation and then this scripture came to mind:

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:6 ESV

So what does it mean to be gracious?

I found this definition online: Gracious people are kind and their behavior is characterized by tact.  A gracious person is a graceful person, someone who at least attempts to not hurt others’ feelings with clumsy words or thoughtless deeds.

Wow! I am truly humbled by this definition because that explains exactly how we offend people unbeknownst to us. The more I pondered over this scripture, I noticed a few more things:

Seasoned with salt: Salt flavors, salt preserves. So if I walk in and out of any conversation and I have not flavored the life of another with love, joy, peace, hope, faith… or if I have not preserved the dignity, the love, the peace, the joy, the hope, the faith of another then I have failed to be gracious.

Let your speech: It did not say God will let your speech…The onus is on me to be intentional about being gracious; about being tactful and purposeful about not offending anyone in my conversations.

Granted I am human; and sometimes regardless of how gracious I will try to be I will falter. But God encourages me that his Holy Spirit will help me if I am truly sincere and so I leave you all with this scripture:

Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Philippians 4:5 NLT

 

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