Hello Friends!
It has been a long time since I have written a blog here, but I just have some things on my mind and chest I want to share that have been thinking about for some time now. So, here we go...
I want to talk about hospitality and the lack thereof, particular among Christians. You know, growing up I was a part of a church that did a great job of being hospitable and doing socials to keep the church members in community and socializing. There would be potlucks and sometimes breakfasts' as well there would be other sort of things. Also, I had some friends we would invite each other over to our houses after church and hangout. To some point, even when as I got a little older and having been to different churches, there were still hospitality.
However, now I am in my late 20's, I feel like there really is not much hospitality going on, especially being single. I have noticed young married couples, even ones with kids, they do stuff together and invite other couples over and really do this whole hospitality well. I do not understand why myself and others my age and single are often neglected and stuck at home more times than not, while the married coupled are hosting dinners and such. Don't get me wrong, it is great being with others in the same stage of life. Sometimes, its awesome being at home for a quite evening. It is great I can choose to go out and do stuff. There is a lot of freedom there. But, I have learned it is good to be around people in all walks of life. I have some great friends whom are married. There are a few that I can call and they will be there to talk, pray and encourage me, which is awesome! But it seems singles, especially older singles get left out of things, or worse, always asked to babysit. I have not had that problem fortunately, but some singles do,
My question to you married folks is: Is that all you think people who are not married are good for??
I get it is a good opportunity to make some money and even serve couples so they can get out and do things, Just, do not make that the only thing to ask single folks to do, they want to be included in the fun things too!
Again, just sharing stuff from my mind and chest. I am a lot of people in my life in different walks of life and I am thankful for them and their encouragement.
So, as far as hospitality goes, I really enjoy hosting people. It is biblical to show hospitality to others. It is a great way to invite friends who do not go to church and build up relationships. But, lets take a look a what the bible says:
Romans 12:9-16 "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited." There is a lot to this passage, but yeah we really should make hospitality a priority.
In the book of Titus, Paul writes about how someone who is an overseer is hospitable. Titus 1:7-8 "Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless-- not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined."
1 Peter 4:8-11 "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength of God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Christ Jesus. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."
So, we are to be hospitable. Now, you will notice, that it does not really specify on who other than each other, one another, ect. So, we need to do things with not just people in our same walk of life, though sometimes that is good and is helpful, but others of other walks of life too, Like, show me where in the bible it says for couples to only hangout with couples, again that it is important too, but it should not be the only thing, and singles to hangout with only singles. Seems to me, in the early church especially everyone gathered together, I am single, but I have had young couples over to hangout and I had a ton of fun with them. We are the body and should gather together and function as such, regardless if we are single, married, have kids, do not have kids, are empty nesters, ect.
In college, it was important to me to have socials and people over. Though I admit I mostly focused on college-aged people. I wanted to provide a place to come and hangout in a safe environment and away from the typical wild-college party. I enjoyed that a lot. I do not do that as much anymore and I would like to get back into having people over.
In Hebrews, we are presented with a another way of looking at the hospitality thing. Hebrews 13:1-2 "Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." So, you could be doing just that.
It is important to include strangers, like new people to a group or church or work environment, ect. If you only invite a certain group of friends, you could be leaving the door open for the clique thing to come in, which is not love and is hurtful, Again, its ok to hangout with the go to friends from time to time, just be open to the Lord bringing in new folks and new friends and try to include in things at some point,
Another point I want to talk about in hospitality, is what is said in the book of James.
James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world"
It is important to look out for the widows and orphans. I believe we should look out for the single parents too! Single moms and even single dads should be looked out for too. They should be included in things and shown hospitality. It is important to be sensitive to their needs and what they are going through, but give it a shot. At the end of the day, we all want to be apart and we all want to be able to sit down and share stories and be included.
So, this just what has been on my heart, We are human and mess up, I know I have. I know I have fallen into excluding people, and if you are one of those reading this, I am so sorry, forgive me. I know for me as well, I have really have just wanted to hang out with single people, but I need to hangout with folks from other walks of life too.
My final encouragement, as I struggle with this sometimes, is if you are unsure who to invite to a party, social, ect. Pray about it! Seek the Lord and ask him and he will guide you. Again, if there are friends you know you want, its ok. You do not have to invite everyone every time. You can't fit everyone in your home. Just let the Holy Spirit lead the way and live in grace and freedom.
Monday, September 26, 2016
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
1 Corinthians 13: What is Love? Love is Not Self-Seeking
Hello Friends,
Here is another blog on what God has been teaching me on what love is.
Love is Not Self-Seeking.
Self-seeking: Selfish
You know, being self-seeking can be hard not to do. We naturally want to look out for ourselves. Look out for number 1, etc. However, we are to look out for others, help them out if they need it. Granted we need to be careful and wise in how we spend our time and money and help people. Helping others should still be a priority.
1 Corinthians 10:24 "Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others."
Again, as I have written in previous blogs, we should look to build people up, not tear them down. It does not matter if you agree with them or not on various things. If you disagree on politics, sport teams to cheer for or whatever, still be kind and look to build him or her up and look out for their good.
These days, it is so sad to see people seeking out to hurt others, just because they share a different view on politics or life in general. Christ calls us to love one another. We need to love, pray for, and bless those who hurt or are mean to us.
Galatians speaks of being self-seeking as not a good trait. Galatians 5:19,20 "The acts of sinful nature are obvious... idolatry, and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factious..."
You also see it described as a negative trait in James.
James 3:14-18 "But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."
Then in Proverbs 18:1 " An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgement."
Its interesting that self-seeking person is described as "unfriendly." Looking out for only you can damage relationships and push people away. We have all done it at some point or another. Anyone reading this and I have done that in our friendship, I am sorry. I have certainly have hurt some friendships in this manner.
I need to put others first before me, more often. We make mistakes everyday. We have grace and forgiveness in Christ, which is great. We do still need to apologize when we do slip up.
Seeking the good of others can actually help you have more people around you, who want to be around you, seeking their good can help them feel good and help them grow, as it can do the same for you. Its a matter of your intentions and having good ones.
Christ, in looking out for our good, died for us on the cross and paid our debt. Now we spend a glorious eternity with him in heaven.
2 Corinthians 5:15 " And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again."
Philippians 2:2-4 "...then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in the spirit and purpose: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves: Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
So, its fine to look to your own interests for sure, try to help others out with theirs too. Also, when consider others better than you, that means, look to their needs. If they ask for help, try to find an opportunity to help out, even it means missing out on a Saturday football game or something like that. Look to help out others more than yourself. So it does not mean you have to go around believing that you are no good and everyone is better than you. Have confidence in who you are and your abilities and interests, be happy with who you are you, you are special and awesome!
Here is another good verse:
Romans 15:1-2 "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up." (or her)
Build others up. You don't have to butter them up, just look to encourage and help. Do it in a loving manner and with good intentions. Helping someone to get something out of it, can be self-seeking. Now if you are doing work, knowing they are paying you and they have told you they would pay you, that is a little different, but still cautious of your intentions.
Be encouraged that we all struggle and mess up. We all have moments of self-seeking times. I certainly do. Our hope is in Christ and his love and mercy for us each day. Continue to fight on in this race as Paul described it.
Here is another blog on what God has been teaching me on what love is.
Love is Not Self-Seeking.
Self-seeking: Selfish
You know, being self-seeking can be hard not to do. We naturally want to look out for ourselves. Look out for number 1, etc. However, we are to look out for others, help them out if they need it. Granted we need to be careful and wise in how we spend our time and money and help people. Helping others should still be a priority.
1 Corinthians 10:24 "Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others."
Again, as I have written in previous blogs, we should look to build people up, not tear them down. It does not matter if you agree with them or not on various things. If you disagree on politics, sport teams to cheer for or whatever, still be kind and look to build him or her up and look out for their good.
These days, it is so sad to see people seeking out to hurt others, just because they share a different view on politics or life in general. Christ calls us to love one another. We need to love, pray for, and bless those who hurt or are mean to us.
Galatians speaks of being self-seeking as not a good trait. Galatians 5:19,20 "The acts of sinful nature are obvious... idolatry, and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factious..."
You also see it described as a negative trait in James.
James 3:14-18 "But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."
Then in Proverbs 18:1 " An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgement."
Its interesting that self-seeking person is described as "unfriendly." Looking out for only you can damage relationships and push people away. We have all done it at some point or another. Anyone reading this and I have done that in our friendship, I am sorry. I have certainly have hurt some friendships in this manner.
I need to put others first before me, more often. We make mistakes everyday. We have grace and forgiveness in Christ, which is great. We do still need to apologize when we do slip up.
Seeking the good of others can actually help you have more people around you, who want to be around you, seeking their good can help them feel good and help them grow, as it can do the same for you. Its a matter of your intentions and having good ones.
Christ, in looking out for our good, died for us on the cross and paid our debt. Now we spend a glorious eternity with him in heaven.
2 Corinthians 5:15 " And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again."
Philippians 2:2-4 "...then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in the spirit and purpose: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves: Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
So, its fine to look to your own interests for sure, try to help others out with theirs too. Also, when consider others better than you, that means, look to their needs. If they ask for help, try to find an opportunity to help out, even it means missing out on a Saturday football game or something like that. Look to help out others more than yourself. So it does not mean you have to go around believing that you are no good and everyone is better than you. Have confidence in who you are and your abilities and interests, be happy with who you are you, you are special and awesome!
Here is another good verse:
Romans 15:1-2 "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up." (or her)
Build others up. You don't have to butter them up, just look to encourage and help. Do it in a loving manner and with good intentions. Helping someone to get something out of it, can be self-seeking. Now if you are doing work, knowing they are paying you and they have told you they would pay you, that is a little different, but still cautious of your intentions.
Be encouraged that we all struggle and mess up. We all have moments of self-seeking times. I certainly do. Our hope is in Christ and his love and mercy for us each day. Continue to fight on in this race as Paul described it.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
1 Corinthians 13: What is Love? Love is Not Rude
Hello Friends.
Here is another blog about what God is teaching me. It is more about what love is and isn't. This comes from 1 Corinthians 13.
So, Love is Not Rude.
Rude: Impolite, offensive, lewd, unmannerly, disrespectful, obscene.
You know there are so many different ways that rudeness occurs among people. When people are with other people, things do get messy. We all have been rude at some point, I know I have. There are some example of rudeness that I have seen, experienced, and I am sure have done my self that some people may not understand as rudeness.
Like, as the term goes "trolling" social media sites. Believe it or not, you are going to encounter people with different views and beliefs, some of which you may not agree with. With social media these days, people post things that fit their views or what they like. If you do not like it, then move on, "trolling" others and whining about it is quite rude. Talk to the individuals about it, if it bothers you that much. If you "troll" people are constantly arguing with people over their posts on their site, that is immature and not loving. People do or should have freedom of speech, and we need to be mindful of that and what they and we post. We need to be respectful of others. Be mindful of what you post, if it is not uplifting, kind, encouraging, or speaking truth and it is just going to cause meaningless arguments, consider not posting it. Social media can be a tough thing to navigate, so show caution.
Other example, me being in my late 20's and single, I have had many couples stick their noses in my business ( place their noses should not be) and dictate that I need to be married to be complete and happy. I have been labeled "the single" on many occasions. And frankly, many of my married friends do not make much, if any effort to socialize with me. I get that is a busy stage of life. My point is, it is super rude to try to run someone else's life. I would like to find someone, that would be awesome, but I am pretty happy in being single right now. Why can't you celebrate with others in where they are and the victories they obtain, rather than telling their current stage is not good enough? That is rude! It is not just singles. Married couples get pressured about having kids, parents getting their kids into college, ect. How about stop being rude to each other and help encourage and guide rather than tear down?
I apologize for the rant, but these are things that have bothered me a great deal. Here is some great stuff: I know I have made mistakes too, if anyone reading this knows me and I have done anything that is rude to you, I am sorry.There is grace, forgiveness, and hope for all of us. Just know we all mess up, so do not get down.
So, lets dwell into the word:
Mark 7: 20-23 "He went on: What comes out of a man is what makes him unclean. For from within, out of men's hearts come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man [and woman] unclean."
James 3:17 "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, and good fruit, impartial, and sincere."
Solid verses for sure. James 3:17 sums up what love is in a nutshell. We should be considerate of other and their feelings. This can be and is tough, especially with others whom you do not see eye to eye on lots of things. But we are still people and we have feelings.
Here is a good one to follow up James 3:17.
Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."
When you help out with things, do it in way that is helping. Not merely just so you can get something or a favor. Again, sometimes that can be tough.
Helping others can be tough. Give it to God and he will help you. I know he has helped me and still is helping with this area. There is always room to grow.
In the bible, it is said that followers of Christ will be seen and defined by their love for one another. Sadly, there are cases of believers getting caught up in popularity contests; cliques. They shun other believers and even new people to the church. That is not love.
1 Peter 2:17 "Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the King."
We need to love each other. Believers need to love other believers. They are brothers and sisters in Christ.
Here is a goodie.
1 Thessalonians 5:11-15 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.Now we ask you, brothers to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone... but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else."
We should look to build others up and be kind. It can be hard sometimes and I have messed up in this area. Keeping going and keep trying to love each other and be nice. Being kind can make somebody's day. I know there have been times when I was not having a good day and a stranger showed me kindness and it made me feel better.
This next verse is a toe cruncher. It crunched my toes. It is important though, especially with the political stuff going on right now.
Titus 3:1-2 " Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men."
It is toe crunching because it is calling for us to respect those in authority and not to slander anyone. That can be hard. In particular, with the politics going on right now. I believe us as believers we need to watch what we do and say and not get into quarrels and slandering others, even politicians we do not like. God will deal with them. He will provide for us. We need to be educated and need to vote. But don't get into quarrels or slander as that can hurt relationships we are called to build. I am guilty of falling into the political thing and liking slander against politicians I do not like. That is wrong of me. I am sorry for that. I am sure I will fall into it again, it is so easy to fall in that, especially with social media.
My encouragement is keep loving others, Respect and hear what others have to say. Look to build up and be mindful of what you say, you go along with, you post and/or like on social media. Doing these things can make you really stand out.
No one is perfect and we all make mistakes. People hanging around other people can get messy. Finding ways to be kind to one another and respectful, can go a long way and can even brighten somebody's day.
Here is another blog about what God is teaching me. It is more about what love is and isn't. This comes from 1 Corinthians 13.
So, Love is Not Rude.
Rude: Impolite, offensive, lewd, unmannerly, disrespectful, obscene.
You know there are so many different ways that rudeness occurs among people. When people are with other people, things do get messy. We all have been rude at some point, I know I have. There are some example of rudeness that I have seen, experienced, and I am sure have done my self that some people may not understand as rudeness.
Like, as the term goes "trolling" social media sites. Believe it or not, you are going to encounter people with different views and beliefs, some of which you may not agree with. With social media these days, people post things that fit their views or what they like. If you do not like it, then move on, "trolling" others and whining about it is quite rude. Talk to the individuals about it, if it bothers you that much. If you "troll" people are constantly arguing with people over their posts on their site, that is immature and not loving. People do or should have freedom of speech, and we need to be mindful of that and what they and we post. We need to be respectful of others. Be mindful of what you post, if it is not uplifting, kind, encouraging, or speaking truth and it is just going to cause meaningless arguments, consider not posting it. Social media can be a tough thing to navigate, so show caution.
Other example, me being in my late 20's and single, I have had many couples stick their noses in my business ( place their noses should not be) and dictate that I need to be married to be complete and happy. I have been labeled "the single" on many occasions. And frankly, many of my married friends do not make much, if any effort to socialize with me. I get that is a busy stage of life. My point is, it is super rude to try to run someone else's life. I would like to find someone, that would be awesome, but I am pretty happy in being single right now. Why can't you celebrate with others in where they are and the victories they obtain, rather than telling their current stage is not good enough? That is rude! It is not just singles. Married couples get pressured about having kids, parents getting their kids into college, ect. How about stop being rude to each other and help encourage and guide rather than tear down?
I apologize for the rant, but these are things that have bothered me a great deal. Here is some great stuff: I know I have made mistakes too, if anyone reading this knows me and I have done anything that is rude to you, I am sorry.There is grace, forgiveness, and hope for all of us. Just know we all mess up, so do not get down.
So, lets dwell into the word:
Mark 7: 20-23 "He went on: What comes out of a man is what makes him unclean. For from within, out of men's hearts come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man [and woman] unclean."
James 3:17 "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, and good fruit, impartial, and sincere."
Solid verses for sure. James 3:17 sums up what love is in a nutshell. We should be considerate of other and their feelings. This can be and is tough, especially with others whom you do not see eye to eye on lots of things. But we are still people and we have feelings.
Here is a good one to follow up James 3:17.
Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."
When you help out with things, do it in way that is helping. Not merely just so you can get something or a favor. Again, sometimes that can be tough.
Helping others can be tough. Give it to God and he will help you. I know he has helped me and still is helping with this area. There is always room to grow.
In the bible, it is said that followers of Christ will be seen and defined by their love for one another. Sadly, there are cases of believers getting caught up in popularity contests; cliques. They shun other believers and even new people to the church. That is not love.
1 Peter 2:17 "Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the King."
We need to love each other. Believers need to love other believers. They are brothers and sisters in Christ.
Here is a goodie.
1 Thessalonians 5:11-15 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.Now we ask you, brothers to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone... but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else."
We should look to build others up and be kind. It can be hard sometimes and I have messed up in this area. Keeping going and keep trying to love each other and be nice. Being kind can make somebody's day. I know there have been times when I was not having a good day and a stranger showed me kindness and it made me feel better.
This next verse is a toe cruncher. It crunched my toes. It is important though, especially with the political stuff going on right now.
Titus 3:1-2 " Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men."
It is toe crunching because it is calling for us to respect those in authority and not to slander anyone. That can be hard. In particular, with the politics going on right now. I believe us as believers we need to watch what we do and say and not get into quarrels and slandering others, even politicians we do not like. God will deal with them. He will provide for us. We need to be educated and need to vote. But don't get into quarrels or slander as that can hurt relationships we are called to build. I am guilty of falling into the political thing and liking slander against politicians I do not like. That is wrong of me. I am sorry for that. I am sure I will fall into it again, it is so easy to fall in that, especially with social media.
My encouragement is keep loving others, Respect and hear what others have to say. Look to build up and be mindful of what you say, you go along with, you post and/or like on social media. Doing these things can make you really stand out.
No one is perfect and we all make mistakes. People hanging around other people can get messy. Finding ways to be kind to one another and respectful, can go a long way and can even brighten somebody's day.
Monday, June 22, 2015
1 Corinthians 13: What is Love?: Love is Not Proud
Hello friends,
The next characteristic of love we will learn about is, that Love is Not Proud.
Pride: High or overbearing opinion of one's worth or importance. Boast, elation, or satisfaction at achievements, qualities, or possessions.
Proud: Feeling greatly honored. Haughty; arrogant. Well pleased, satisfied, contented. Conceited, vain.
So it is proud/pride. It does not mean it is not ok to take pride in your work or something you worked hard on and finished ( maybe a wood carving, painting, a project at work. Or accomplishing a degree from school or a certification, ect.) Nothing wrong with that at all. The pride/proud we are looking at is more so of being puffed up, arrogant, boasting ( remember that love does not boast), conceited, making others feel belittled, ect.
1 Samuel 2:3 "Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed."
Romans 12:3 "For by the grace given me I say to everyone of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you."
Romans 12:16 "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of lowly position."
Our heavenly Father, wants us to be humble and love each other no matter where we stand in society; if we are wealthy or poor. Cool or not. If we have a big, important job or a small role job, ect. God wants us to associate with one another. It is wrong to shun someone because he or she is not hip, cool, wealthy, attractive, ect. As followers of him, we need to love everyone around us, and not just those hip, cool people either. We are the body of Christ and are all precious in his sight. Grow up all of you clique people!
Romans 8: 1-3 "...we know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up; but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God."
Being proud/ prideful is not a good thing as we will see in the word.
Proverbs 16:5 "The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: they will not go unpunished."
Luke 18:14 "...For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Proverbs 13:10 "Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice."
Proverbs 21:24 "The proud and arrogant man-"mocker" is his name; he behaves with overweening pride."
Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." This is where the phrase "Pride comes before the fall" comes from.
That being said, we need to be humble and love others; not just the cool, hip, wealthy, charming people, but everyone! We need to be open to hearing what others have to say and what they know; they very well may have the solution to a problem you are trying to solve. Help others learn rather than belittle them that you know better than they, if they do not quite know it. Be willing to ask for help and for advice. I can tell you helping others and getting help from others is a great feeling. You can save yourself some major headaches that way.
Finally, in a time when people are low, and depressed and lonely, look to bring people in. reach out to someone you know might be needing help or just a friend, bring that person into your group. Help others grow and encourage them too. Excluding people from the "cool" group is not cool at all, nor does this make you look cool at all. Love like Christ, and include people.
Know that God is love. We all struggle and make mistakes. I know I am prideful sometimes; I know I am puffed up about my knowledge of reptiles and amphibians from time to time, it is a struggle. God forgives. Seek him, he loves no matter what you have done.
The next characteristic of love we will learn about is, that Love is Not Proud.
Pride: High or overbearing opinion of one's worth or importance. Boast, elation, or satisfaction at achievements, qualities, or possessions.
Proud: Feeling greatly honored. Haughty; arrogant. Well pleased, satisfied, contented. Conceited, vain.
So it is proud/pride. It does not mean it is not ok to take pride in your work or something you worked hard on and finished ( maybe a wood carving, painting, a project at work. Or accomplishing a degree from school or a certification, ect.) Nothing wrong with that at all. The pride/proud we are looking at is more so of being puffed up, arrogant, boasting ( remember that love does not boast), conceited, making others feel belittled, ect.
1 Samuel 2:3 "Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed."
Romans 12:3 "For by the grace given me I say to everyone of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you."
Romans 12:16 "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of lowly position."
Our heavenly Father, wants us to be humble and love each other no matter where we stand in society; if we are wealthy or poor. Cool or not. If we have a big, important job or a small role job, ect. God wants us to associate with one another. It is wrong to shun someone because he or she is not hip, cool, wealthy, attractive, ect. As followers of him, we need to love everyone around us, and not just those hip, cool people either. We are the body of Christ and are all precious in his sight. Grow up all of you clique people!
Romans 8: 1-3 "...we know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up; but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God."
Being proud/ prideful is not a good thing as we will see in the word.
Proverbs 16:5 "The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: they will not go unpunished."
Luke 18:14 "...For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Proverbs 13:10 "Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice."
Proverbs 21:24 "The proud and arrogant man-"mocker" is his name; he behaves with overweening pride."
Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." This is where the phrase "Pride comes before the fall" comes from.
That being said, we need to be humble and love others; not just the cool, hip, wealthy, charming people, but everyone! We need to be open to hearing what others have to say and what they know; they very well may have the solution to a problem you are trying to solve. Help others learn rather than belittle them that you know better than they, if they do not quite know it. Be willing to ask for help and for advice. I can tell you helping others and getting help from others is a great feeling. You can save yourself some major headaches that way.
Finally, in a time when people are low, and depressed and lonely, look to bring people in. reach out to someone you know might be needing help or just a friend, bring that person into your group. Help others grow and encourage them too. Excluding people from the "cool" group is not cool at all, nor does this make you look cool at all. Love like Christ, and include people.
Know that God is love. We all struggle and make mistakes. I know I am prideful sometimes; I know I am puffed up about my knowledge of reptiles and amphibians from time to time, it is a struggle. God forgives. Seek him, he loves no matter what you have done.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
1 Corinthians 13: What is Love?: Love does Not Boast
Hello Everyone,
This will a short blog, but hopefully a helpful one. We will continue to learn about what love is. We will first look at Love does Not Boast.
What does boast mean? well, Boast: talk about oneself with indulgent pride. Act of boasting. Brag. Blow one's own trumpet.
In short, if you get a promotion or a new vehicle or a nice vacation, don't go bragging about it, and I do not mean do not get excited or not share it with anyone, but be nice about. Don't be rubbing it in the faces of people, especially if you know that is something they are working towards but it just has not happened for them and they are feeling down about it. It is a good thing to share victories and happy moments with people and it is good to be happy for those whom gain these things, just doing it in moderation.
Another thing is that bragging about yourself and your accomplishments can be a negative thing as well. Going around and bragging about you and how great you are can be rude. It is for sure a good thing to share your accomplishments as well as others. It is a great thing to be proud of your work and the goals you succeed in reaching. However, saying your better than someone else all the time ( it sometimes can be done in jest and you and others can have fun with it) but sometimes it can certainly tear someone down.
Let us look at some of the verses that talk about boasting.
Proverbs 27:1-2 "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. Let another praise you; and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips."
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 "Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things- and the things that are not- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God- that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord."
Here the final one I will leave with you.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works; so that no one can boast."
So the point is that we should celebrate our achievements and goals we make, but do it in a kind way that does not tear some one down. Be humble about it. Try to help some one out with a goal he or she is aiming for. Be loving.
This will a short blog, but hopefully a helpful one. We will continue to learn about what love is. We will first look at Love does Not Boast.
What does boast mean? well, Boast: talk about oneself with indulgent pride. Act of boasting. Brag. Blow one's own trumpet.
In short, if you get a promotion or a new vehicle or a nice vacation, don't go bragging about it, and I do not mean do not get excited or not share it with anyone, but be nice about. Don't be rubbing it in the faces of people, especially if you know that is something they are working towards but it just has not happened for them and they are feeling down about it. It is a good thing to share victories and happy moments with people and it is good to be happy for those whom gain these things, just doing it in moderation.
Another thing is that bragging about yourself and your accomplishments can be a negative thing as well. Going around and bragging about you and how great you are can be rude. It is for sure a good thing to share your accomplishments as well as others. It is a great thing to be proud of your work and the goals you succeed in reaching. However, saying your better than someone else all the time ( it sometimes can be done in jest and you and others can have fun with it) but sometimes it can certainly tear someone down.
Let us look at some of the verses that talk about boasting.
Proverbs 27:1-2 "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. Let another praise you; and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips."
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 "Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things- and the things that are not- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God- that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord."
Here the final one I will leave with you.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works; so that no one can boast."
So the point is that we should celebrate our achievements and goals we make, but do it in a kind way that does not tear some one down. Be humble about it. Try to help some one out with a goal he or she is aiming for. Be loving.
Friday, May 15, 2015
1 Corinthians 13: What is Love?: Love does not Envy
Hello readers!
Here is another post on what God is teaching me about love. This one is on Love does not envy:
Envy: Discontented, aroused by another's fortune.
Jealousy: Suspicious or resentful. Envious, covetous.
Love does not envy. This can be very tough as perhaps you know someone who got a new car or a new house or went on a very nice vacation while you might be struggling to make ends meet. It can be hard not to envy this person. I am in a place where a lot of my friends have decent cars, jobs, and significant others, while I do not. It is a hard place and it is even harder not to be envious. This is something I am for sure dealing with.
Thankfully, God sustains and his mercies are renewed every morning. He has blessed me in so many ways and he is showing me how he has. So, let us learn together what he says in the word in regards to envy and how it does not go along with love.
Romans 13:13-14 "Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in...dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."
Proverbs 14:30 "A heart of peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones."
1 Corinthians 3:3 "You are still worldly. For since there is still jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?"
Man, in other words, you are acting more so of the world than of Christ when you allow jealousy and quarreling into relationships with people. In Galatians chapter 5, jealousy, discord, envy, and dissension are listed among "acts of sinful nature." It is hard. I think everyone struggles with that at some point in time. There is grace and forgiveness from the Lord. We need to give it to God and perhaps talk to the person(s) you are having trouble with. I will say that my toes are feeling a bit sore, but I need it.
Romans 13:9 "The commandments "Do not commit adultery", "Do not murder", Do not steal", "Do not covet", and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Mark 7:20-23 "He went on: what comes out of a man is what makes him unclean. For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed; malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean."
A final note I will add is that jealousy and envy towards people can hurt. It can hurt them, your relationship with them, can hurt your relationship with God, it can make socializing awkward. It can cause damage. You can lose a lot because of it. I know I have lost friends due to it. I would encourage you to give it to God, pray for healing and restoration, and do not allow what you may not have that a friend or friends have to keep you from having wonderful and blessed friendship.
Here is another post on what God is teaching me about love. This one is on Love does not envy:
Envy: Discontented, aroused by another's fortune.
Jealousy: Suspicious or resentful. Envious, covetous.
Love does not envy. This can be very tough as perhaps you know someone who got a new car or a new house or went on a very nice vacation while you might be struggling to make ends meet. It can be hard not to envy this person. I am in a place where a lot of my friends have decent cars, jobs, and significant others, while I do not. It is a hard place and it is even harder not to be envious. This is something I am for sure dealing with.
Thankfully, God sustains and his mercies are renewed every morning. He has blessed me in so many ways and he is showing me how he has. So, let us learn together what he says in the word in regards to envy and how it does not go along with love.
Romans 13:13-14 "Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in...dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."
Proverbs 14:30 "A heart of peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones."
1 Corinthians 3:3 "You are still worldly. For since there is still jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?"
Man, in other words, you are acting more so of the world than of Christ when you allow jealousy and quarreling into relationships with people. In Galatians chapter 5, jealousy, discord, envy, and dissension are listed among "acts of sinful nature." It is hard. I think everyone struggles with that at some point in time. There is grace and forgiveness from the Lord. We need to give it to God and perhaps talk to the person(s) you are having trouble with. I will say that my toes are feeling a bit sore, but I need it.
Romans 13:9 "The commandments "Do not commit adultery", "Do not murder", Do not steal", "Do not covet", and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Mark 7:20-23 "He went on: what comes out of a man is what makes him unclean. For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed; malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean."
A final note I will add is that jealousy and envy towards people can hurt. It can hurt them, your relationship with them, can hurt your relationship with God, it can make socializing awkward. It can cause damage. You can lose a lot because of it. I know I have lost friends due to it. I would encourage you to give it to God, pray for healing and restoration, and do not allow what you may not have that a friend or friends have to keep you from having wonderful and blessed friendship.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
1 Corinthians 13; What is Love? Love is Kind
Hello All!
Here is the next blog of what God is teaching me. Here we will continue learning about what is Love in 1 Corinthians 13. Looking at verse 4, we next shall learn about love being Kind.
Kind: Of a friendly nature and generous. Considerate, thoughtful, generous.
Proverbs 14: 21 "He who despise his neighbors, sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy."
Being kind to those less fortunate than yourself; some in need. Maybe they are struggling with fiances; maybe they are struggling to find work; Maybe they are struggling to make friends. Maybe they are struggling with an addiction. Whatever it maybe, being kind to someone who is needy and/or struggling shows that person love.
Luke 6: 35 "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back, Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."
Ephesians 4: 32 " Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you."
God wants to love others; even those who upset us, offend us, hurt us, or even despise us. If a stranger cuts you off in traffic; love him or her. If a friend hurts you in anyway, love him or her. Be kind and forgiving. Forgiving and being kind to enemies and even people you love but have been hurt by, honors the Lord and demonstrates love. It is not easy for sure, but God will give you the strength to do it, if you ask and allow him to.
That is how people know we are followers of Jesus or at should know how we are followers. Let us look at a verse we saw in the last blog about love is patient.
Colossians 3:12-13 "Therefore, as God's chosen people; holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
2 Timothy 2:24 "And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful."
What is neat is here is another verse we saw in the last verse that points to another characteristic of love. We will see this verse again.
Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patient, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Gentleness and self-control."
So, I find it really neat that there are other verses that points back to some of the characteristics of love.
Here is the last verse I will share with you:
2 Peter 1:5-8 "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and goodness, knowledge and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control; perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Here is the next blog of what God is teaching me. Here we will continue learning about what is Love in 1 Corinthians 13. Looking at verse 4, we next shall learn about love being Kind.
Kind: Of a friendly nature and generous. Considerate, thoughtful, generous.
Proverbs 14: 21 "He who despise his neighbors, sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy."
Being kind to those less fortunate than yourself; some in need. Maybe they are struggling with fiances; maybe they are struggling to find work; Maybe they are struggling to make friends. Maybe they are struggling with an addiction. Whatever it maybe, being kind to someone who is needy and/or struggling shows that person love.
Luke 6: 35 "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back, Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."
Ephesians 4: 32 " Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you."
God wants to love others; even those who upset us, offend us, hurt us, or even despise us. If a stranger cuts you off in traffic; love him or her. If a friend hurts you in anyway, love him or her. Be kind and forgiving. Forgiving and being kind to enemies and even people you love but have been hurt by, honors the Lord and demonstrates love. It is not easy for sure, but God will give you the strength to do it, if you ask and allow him to.
That is how people know we are followers of Jesus or at should know how we are followers. Let us look at a verse we saw in the last blog about love is patient.
Colossians 3:12-13 "Therefore, as God's chosen people; holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
2 Timothy 2:24 "And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful."
What is neat is here is another verse we saw in the last verse that points to another characteristic of love. We will see this verse again.
Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patient, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Gentleness and self-control."
So, I find it really neat that there are other verses that points back to some of the characteristics of love.
Here is the last verse I will share with you:
2 Peter 1:5-8 "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and goodness, knowledge and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control; perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)