Saturday, November 29, 2008

Daily Digest #188

Sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it. —Genesis 4:7

We're facing some problems here in Thailand. The protesters are still taking hold of the airports, but media says flights will resume Saturday night. Let's pray for peace in this country once again. Let's also pray that the stranded people find comfort and purpose for the rest of their stay here..... Anyway, let's make time to reflect on today's passage.

I've had issues with a person for some time. I was tempted to resort to saying harsh words, but acted indifferently instead. It was like being consumed by hate little by little. Then I realized how much I have let it take control over me. My days started and ended with anger. It was silly. When I look back, I realize how much time and energy I've wasted. I forgot to look around and discover other useful and helpful things. I even forgot to include these concerns in my prayers.

Bitterness and resentment are a waste of time and energy. When we allow these things to take over our lives, we'll end up living an empty life. The Lord invites us to free our hearts of anger and bitterness, and make ourselves hollow so He may fill us with His love. Let us allow God to cleanse our hearts. May we choose to build a closer relationship with God through His son, Jesus Christ. Pray always.

++++++++++++ ++++++++

2008/11/26

Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions. 1 John 3:18 (NLT)

*** *** *** ***


Love is something you do. Do you really love someone? Let's see how you act toward that person. You show love by what you do, not just by what you feel.

Love is more than attraction and more than arousal. It's also more than sentimentality, like so many of today's songs suggest. By this standard, is love dead when the emotion is gone? No, not at all. Because love is an action; love is a behavior.

Over and over again, in the Bible, God commands us to love each other. And you can't command an emotion. If I told you "Be sad!" right now, you couldn't be sad on cue. Just like an actor, you can fake it, but you're not wired for your emotions to change on command. Have you ever told a little kid, "Be happy!" I'm trying, daddy!

If love were just an emotion, then God couldn't command it. But love is something you do. It can produce emotion, but love is an action.

The Bible says, "Let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions" (1 John 3:18 NLT). We can talk a good act: "I love people." But do we really love them? Do you really love them? Our love is revealed in how we act toward them.


2008/11/27

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 (NLT)

*** *** *** ***


Love is a skill that can be learned. In other words, it's something you can get good at and that means you get better at love by practicing love.

You may think you're a good lover, but God wants you to become a great lover, a skilled lover, a master lover. Yet, most people never learn how to love. You can become an expert at relationships.

Wouldn't you like to become known as a person of extraordinary love? When people speak of you they might say: "He doesn't care who you are or what you look like." "She doesn't care where you've been or what you've done or where you're from."

The only way you get skilled at something is to practice. You do it over and over. The first time you do it, it feels awkward, but the more you do it, the better you become.

The same is true with love (1 John 4:7). Let's practice loving each other. As the Bible says, "Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all" (1 Timothy 4:15 HCSB).

Labels: ,