Tag: Love

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Warning: No Mercy Hoarding Allowed

Dearest sisters,

I must tell you that although my letter is brief it comes with a fervent prayer that it will stir in you the sincerest desire to be thankful and generous with God’s mercy.  When I think of how our great God loves new beginnings there is no scripture more telling of this Truth than:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

Everyday God pours His mercy out to His beloved children because, each and every day we awaken from our slumber and open our eyes to this world, He knows we desperately need it.  We desperately need Him. Without Him we could easily be swallowed up by the world, the enemy and our own sinful flesh, the three battlefronts of our souls.

Because His love is sure and steadfast His mercy is endless. It does not take being in Christ very long before we realize how incredible this Truth is. If we have ever tried to forgive another person without this anchor you know, and I know our bitterness and resentment eventually resurface. Soon, the love and forgiveness we gave becomes something we wish we could take back. We become very choosy with whom we will give our mercy and forgiveness to. We decide who is worthy of it and who it is not! Wow! Wait just a minute that sounds familiar!  The servant who was graciously given mercy by his master and forgiveness for a debt he could never repay now chokes the person who owes him a day’s wages, comparatively speaking! Matthew 18:21-35.

“God so loved the world, that He gave us His Son…” (John 3:16). The language of this well- known verse exemplifies what the Lord says to us in Lamentations.  God loves so He gives. If you ever wonder why it is difficult to give mercy to another person, or that you want it back it could be that you don’t understand love at all. Love always gives and is constantly looking outward not inward. Check it out in I Corinthians 13:4-8.

The mercy which comes from the heart of God is never to be stored up and rationed out. That is what I call greedy. There are many excuses for hoarding the mercy God gives to us, but I think fear is most likely the number one excuse we are reserved in our giving. We are fearful of being hurt by the one we are making ourselves vulnerable to. We fear being rejected, we fear that if we give mercy to another there won’t be enough left for us. We fear being without at a later time, thinking God’s door will someday close. We fear that whatever we give out will not be given back to us. We fear looking stupid in the eyes of the world. We fear losing control of our little storehouses when in fact they do not even belong to us in the first place. You and I have been bought by the blood of Christ therefore we belong to God, He owns us! That includes our little storehouses.

We do not deserve God’s mercy, yet in an act of love He freely gives it to us.  It was not meant to be held on to but to be given out to others each day.  And at the end of the day our storehouse should be empty. Sister when I close my eyes at night I want my heart to have been emptied out, wrung out of all the goodness and mercy God has bestowed on me that day. Because, come the dawn of the next day (if He wills it to be) He will provide me (you) with it once again! New mercies each and every day. A new day a new beginning!

Who needs your mercy today? Will you choose to open the storehouse of your heart today and share what God has graciously poured into it? I pray that all who read this will do so gladly.

With love and mercy,

Susan

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The Lord’s Unfailing Compassions

Dear sister,

Being a care giver is a very strenuous mission. It taxes one physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I should know because I have been the mother of a special needs child for 27 years now.  Obviously because she is my child the love I have for her is not only indelible but it is a powerful source of motivation to care for her. However, I have learned that even my love for her fails at times.   If it is only because of my love for her that I care for her and act on her behalf then she will at times be wanting. I am only human and it is impossible for me to show her love and care one hundred percent of the time.

From a very early age I began teaching my daughter the truth that human love can only go so far.  I started the habit of finishing our day with prayers, sometimes a song, and a Bible story.  Then an exchange of snuggles, kisses, laughter and I love yous.  On my way out the door, with the lights out and her heart full I would ask her “Who loves you the best?”  The first few times she would say “Mommy and Daddy” to which I would say “Yes, mommy and daddy do love you but Jesus loves you even more!” And I would explain how that was.

Our Triune God is the only one who can love us mercifully and compassionately through and through, over and over, for all eternity.  I am grateful that God’s attribute of compassion is a shared one. However, having cared for someone 24/7 for these twenty – seven years (whether she has been in my presence or not) has shown me that it truly is only God’s compassions that fail not. My compassions are weak and feeble at best, no matter how much I love the person I am given the opportunity to show compassion towards.

God’s unfailing compassions are based on the attributes which He alone possesses. Some of these attributes are that He is the supreme ruler of all things, He is all knowing, all powerful, and always present.  He cannot be measured and He never ever, ever changes. Therefore, His compassions can never fail, meaning they are always working for the good of the recipient of those compassions, to the praise and glory of His Name.

When I see God’s compassions through this lens my heart melts.  It melts because I know that even though He has graciously shared the attribute of compassion with me so that I might be compassionate towards others, I have failed and I will most likely fail again. I need Him and I need His compassion towards me, a fragile, weak and sometimes rebellious sinner. My heart melts in knowing because of Christ’s righteousness being imputed to me, I am able to receive His compassions and to transfer those compassions to others in need. God showed compassion to those He calls His children by giving us His Son and by dying so that we might live for Him.  So, why would I not? Why would I withhold what God has so graciously and abundantly given to me? God forbid that I would be greedy with that which He so freely lavishes upon me!

I’m not perfect nor do I want to be. However, may you and I dear sister long to be compassionate like our Heavenly Father is and to rejoice when we see that His compassion toward us has not left us wanting. May we rejoice in the fact that He is sufficient in all ways.  Look for it today sweet sister, don’t miss the opportunity to rejoice in His unfailing compassions!

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion…”  Lamentations 3:21-23

In awe today,

Susan

 

 

 

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When Jesus Weeps: Knowing the God of Compassion

Dear Sister,

It’s always been very easy for me to take or leave romantic relationships. Silly as it may sound, “working things out” for whatever reason was never a thought that even went through my head. Every issue was a make it or break it issue—I was that naive.

I know now that relationships take a lot of work—even when you really like the person you are with. It may seem easy for a time, but eventually the rose-colored glasses come off and the problems start appearing apparently out of nowhere. Those lovey dovey feelings you felt in the beginning are now somehow replaced with irritation, frustration, or even disappointment with your significant other.

But Jesus does not leave us alone with our emotions on those days. He doesn’t frown upon the days when you’re not your usual bubbly self, singing in the car on the way home from work. If you read the psalms you’ll see that God never dismisses our emotions, but encourages us to engage with Him through them.

But perhaps the most profound verse in the Bible is also the shortest verse: Jesus wept. (John 11:35)

Did you ever find it curious that when Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was dying, Jesus intentionally waited TWO more days in the place where he was before going to Judea where Lazarus was? He knew Lazarus’ illness and death was “for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4). So, he waited, and Lazarus died.

When Jesus does arrive, Lazarus has already been in the tomb four days. But before he even gets to the tomb we are told that Jesus was “deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled” at the sight of Mary and those with her weeping. Then, instead of going straight for the grand finale of the resurrection, Jesus takes the time to weep at the tomb. Jesus wept!

In this ordinary display of grief, Christ reveals not only his humanity, but also his divinity. He shows us that God is a compassionate and emotional being who is willing to come alongside us and walk through whatever it is we might be going through.

For me, I struggle with loving someone that I’m in a romantic relationship with. In fact, in all my feeble attempts at romance, I don’t think I successfully loved any of one of them. I wasn’t even trying! But you know what else I never did? I never asked God to help me. I never asked God to intervene or show me how to love the person he had placed in my life.

So, sis, whether you’re angry, sad, disappointed, or frustrated, look to Christ. Ask Him to intervene, knowing that you do not have a high priest who is unable—or unwilling—to sympathize with our weaknesses. He hears you. He sees you. And He loves you!

Walking with you,

Kayla

 

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Acceptance vs. Agreement

Dear sister,

“Love the sinner, hate the sin” bothers me. This phrase is used a lot in Christian circles and I understand why. Scripture commands us to love our enemy as much as we love ourselves (Matt. 5:43-45) and to hate sin as much as God does (Ps. 97:10), so the principle is there. But I don’t see this balance being lived out often. There is either the extreme shunning of the sinner because of their sin or the loving of the sinner while embracing their sin. There should be a way to truly love a person and yet at the same time not endorse their choices. I believe this is the difference between agreement and acceptance.

In our culture, any form of disagreement can easily be viewed as intolerance. To accept a person means you have to accept their behavior, but the acceptance I’m talking about can show love and grace while not wavering from the truth. A good example of this is with our family members. I’ve had to have conversations with loved ones who just wanted me to accept them by being okay with their sin. In those instances, I’ve had to make the distinction that I do accept and love them, but that I don’t have to agree with them in order to continue a relationship with them.

We shouldn’t have to compromise on our personal convictions and we shouldn’t have to burn bridges either. Sometimes this means creating boundaries, which is not the same as burning bridges. Boundaries motivated by love help to maintain the relationship. It’s not easy …  it takes both truth and grace to grow a relationship. There are people in my life, especially family members, that I will love no matter what! We may not always agree and I may not like the choices they make, but that will not lessen my love for them by any means.

There will be times when we have to make the hard decision on when to let go of a relationship or where to draw the line. For me, I think the goal is always to maintain a loving relationship and build bridges. After all, it’s hard to speak the truth to someone you don’t have a relationship with. It is not loving to let people live in sin and believe the lie that no harm will ever come of it.  It takes trust in a relationship to speak truth in love. Any unwanted advice comes off as criticism and if the relationship is not strong or close, truth comes off as judgment. But we speak the truth because we love people, even if it means losing a relationship. That’s why, if agreement cannot be reached, it sometimes is best to just reach a point of peace, realizing you will always love and accept them, but cannot entirely agree with them. This is why we pray for true repentance.  We are to love the sinner, speak the truth, and trust God will continue the work He started.

In Christ,

Karlie

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The King…Our King…My King

Dear sisters,

We Americans are a cocky brood. It is one of our strengths as it brings ingenuity and fantastical ideas to life, but it also heeds our understanding of other admirable attributes. Living in Thailand for four-ish years helped opened my eyes to one of these attributes that has changed how I view of our Lord and King.

Thailand is still ruled by a King. He is more than loved; he is highly esteemed and honored. I was instructed early on never to step on Thai Baht (their currency) as it bears the image of the king. Think about how many times you drop a quarter and step on it to keep it from leaving your sight or to bring it closer to you so you can pick it up. This is unheard of in Thailand. His image is never defamed, his character is never questioned, and unlike our country, the media never turn up dirt on him.

Traffic is stopped so he can pass freely. The pedestrian walkover bridges are emptied so no one is higher than the king as he passes. Every movie theater begins their show by playing the king’s anthem and all stand in respect until the song finishes. Each Friday honors the king by people choosing to wear yellow shirts in honor of the day he was born. I have never talked to a Thai person who has a bad word to say about him. In his healthier days, he would sweat in the unbearable heat while walking with the poor farmers to find out their needs. His science background helped him find a way to seed clouds in the hot season to help the farmers receive rain for their crop. He is a king who loves his people and they honor him for it.

Living in this environment made me realize how much I do not honor my king, Jesus. I grew up knowing that all men and women put on their pants the same way I do and everyone makes mistakes. I was encouraged to always work hard and then try harder so I could be anyone and do anything. All good things, except my view of fallible humans bled into my view of God. I used my human experience to be my foundation of who God is rather than the truth of scripture informing me of who God is. Therefore my honor to Him was not as it should have been and my actions showed it. I prayed disbelieving that He could answer my request. I went to church not to honor Him, but to see friends. I did good things not for His glory but for my own. Honoring my king was not evidenced in my life no matter how much my mouth proclaimed it was. Thailand helped open my eyes to what it means to truly honor the king in word and deed.

How about you dear sister? Do you praise and esteem your King more than yourself? Do you live your life in a way that shows how much you honor your King? He has done more for us than seeding clouds for rain. He showed His love by becoming one of us and living in this broken world so we would know He understands our every feeling and circumstance. He died by the hands of sinful men to forgive our sin debt. He gave us His righteousness forever! He is a King that rules perfectly and knows all things! We can trust Him!

“Oh My King, help us honor, respect, and esteem you more than ourselves. May we sing your praises and stand in awe of you more than all else in our life and may we never defame your name in word or in deed.”  CC

Your Sister in Christ,

Colleen