What is Love II

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 13:34-35

I'm sure you have "heard" me say

Christians get the label of "hypocrites" 

and most of the time it's rightfully so..

simply because we don't have any love for one another.

I don't mean we don't love each-other as "Christians"

I'm saying we don't love others in general,

specially if they are not in our little "Cliques" 

People are so quick to throw out "I'm a Christian"

but do they ever think of the responsibilities that employ's ?

Now before you get all..

"Well I'm not perfect...and jesus died for my sins.." 

Blah blah blah

hear me out...I'm not trying to judge or

say you are going to burn in the fires of hell,

because we all have our moments of not loving

when we should be loving.

However maybe if you think about what I'm saying..

it may pop in your head for a reference point when you're thinking

about being hateful..

Back to my point..

Do you really understand what it means to be a Christian?

to utter those words? you do realize people look at you right?

people will watch to see what you do since you say you're a "Christian"

again comes the point of being that good example right?

As a "Christian" we are suppose to be of love..

to show that love to any and everyone..

because just as it says in John 13:34

People will know that you are a follower of Jesus Christ,

not by you running around screaming "I'm a Christian!"

no...by you showing love is how they will know.

Showing the love that Jesus showed us all..

If we don't show that love, if we don't forgive others

as Jesus forgave us of our sins...

then do you think we really deserve to be forgiven?

I'm pretty sure it's Matthew that says

forgive as you were forgiven.

Again we are not perfect, we are human after all..

but we can be humble and admit to our mistakes and flaws,

and at the same time try and improve our attitudes 

towards others. 

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels,

but have not love, I am only a resounding gong

or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy

and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,

and if I have faith that can move mountains,

but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all

I posses to the poor and surrender my body

to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

                                1 Corinthians 12:30

You can quote scriptures, you can know the way..

but if you don't have, and you don't show love..

you have somehow missed the most important thing,

As the scripture says you are nothing...

We must try harder to show the most important commandment of all..

This world isn't all there is..there is so much more

don't waste your time with always having to be "right"

or always having to get the last word,

when we are made fun of/put down/laughed at

if we hold our composure and show love in such a trying time

then and only then are we ever deserving to be called "Christian".

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

1 John 4:7-21

I'm not claiming I'm always full of love,

but God help me I try to be..

I want to be that good example, and I don't want to make God look bad.

There's a lot of pressure on you, or at least there should be,

for when someone knows your a Christian to act like it.

If they look at you and see the world, if they look at you

and you have a bad attitude, and they see your reaction to things..

what is going to make them want what you have?

We are here on this earth to be a witness to stand up for God...

to be different, to be that helping hand, if we treat everyone

the same as the world treats them how are they going to see a difference?

I know this is a total cliche thing to say...

but each day we should strive to be better then we were yesterday,

not for salvation, not because we have to...

but because we want to show the love of Christ.

If you know the hope there is in Jesus Christ..

If you know his never ending..never changing love..

then rejoice! because there is plenty of people who don't!

If you don't know his love...if you can't comprehend it...

If you think he could never love you..

I swear to you he already does love you!

He doesn't care what you have done, how many mistakes..

he sees your struggles, he knows you want to change..

focus on him...look to him and he will guide you

ask him to take away the things you wish not to do,

ask him to change you and make you new.

he wants a relationship with you!

He doesn't want your works...

he just wants you to acknowledge him...

He wants to be the one to lift every burden worry and stress,

He wants to be the one to take you out of the mess you are in...

out of the confusion and hopelessness the abuse

out of this world because you are not of this world!

You are not a burden..

He LOVES YOU!

Yes...

YOU!

not that self created good person you see in the mirror

YOU!

Full of sin.. burden down by the world around you..

shooting up to just feel again..

HE LOVES YOU!

†..So Help Me God..†

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

                               Psalms 42:5

A good question to ones self...is it not?

When every thing around us seems to be breaking down..

It's easy to focus on that negative thats happening,

seriously how many of us, when something terrible happens

say: "Why so down? I must put my hope in God"

It's easier said then done.

However take the time to think about that verse,

because if we have Jesus on our side, and

obviously we do, he did die for us after all,

then what can harm us? what trouble that comes our way..

can we not rise above?

The answer to that is none,

there is no trouble or situation that we can not

look to God as our guiding light and know he has

our best interest at heart.

Again it's easier said then done,

and I'm sure most of you are saying..

"Dude...if you were in my situation, you just have no Idea.."

and you're right, I don't..

but I promise you God does,

I promise you there is a God and he loves you,

and any bad situation you are going through...

there is a reason for it, wether you understand it or not.

You could be lying in a hospital bed right now,

You could be sleeping on the streets...

abused...defeated and lost..

As crazy as it sounds, God doesn't give you anything

you can't handle, He won't let you be put into

a position where you can't come out on top.

It will take work on your part of course,

It will take your faith and trust that he has a plan

It will take you to know that whatever happens...happens..

God is in control...

No Temptation has seized you except what is common to

man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be

tempted beyond what you can bear. But when

you are tempted, He will also provide a way

out so that you can stand up under it.

                                                   1 Corinthians 10:13

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger right?

No pain...no gain?

A perfect saying for what I'm trying to say.

If we believe physically what doesn't kill us makes us stronger..

(no pain no gain)

how come we don't think like that with our faith?

Now I think you see where I'm going with this,

however before you rush into it..let me explain something..

I don't believe God, and let me steal a quote from Bruce Almighty

I DON'T BELIVE..

"God is a mean kid with a magnifying glass."

meaning, I don't believe God gets his jollies..

by punishing his creation,

I don't believe he sits up in Heaven saying

"You will obey ME!" 

[insert test here]

"Oh...you failed...you burn in Hell!"

I believe God may allow for some difficult things to happen,

or step aside and let something happen,

and most of the time I believe it is to wake you up.

For he is a jealous God, and he wants your focus on him..period.

So back to the question of...

why don't we apply:

"What doesn't kill us.. makes us stronger" to our faith?

whatever we go through,

whatever little things that happen,

 and we look back and we say

"God...I should of handled that better"

it's something we learned, it's something to

file in the old memory bank and remember

to simply learn from our mistakes.

For it will make us strong the next time around,

so we don't keep doing the same mistake over, and over again.

This all falls inline with us thinking positive,

Not just thinking but BEING positive..

How can we not be positive when we have God on our side?

If he is in control, and all things happen for a reason..

shouldn't we just let go?

just give glory to him, and surrender? 

Put your trust in God, for he can carry the burdens that surround you...

I know it's hard, and nobody is perfect...

It's hard when things don't go your way...

I'm saying this to give you hope, to give you faith..

to know God will protect you.

I use to think my negative thinking was a positive

in a sick twisted sort of way, I would say:

"If I expect something bad to happen..

I wont be disappointed when it does"

the flip side to that is if something good does happen

I would always find the negative to point out.

 Who wants to hang around a "Debby Downer"

I mean seriously, and the point I'm trying to make is this...

If you expect bad to happen, then guess what?

 It's going to happen, thats just the way it is.

Do you think God wants you to be a negative & bitter person?

No...he wants you to be happy! He wants you to enjoy life,

he wants to lift every burden from you, there is no need to worry.

So the next time you are going through trials and hard times..

I say to you rejoice.....WHAT? yes thats right..rejoice!

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever

you face trials of many kinds, because

you know that the testing of your faith

develops perseverance. Perseverance must

finish its work so that you may be mature

and complete, not lacking anything. If

any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God,

who gives generously to all without finding fault,

and it will be given to him. But when he asks,

he must believe and not doubt, because he

who doubts is like a wave of the sea,

blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not

think he will receive anything from the Lord;

He is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

                                                       James 1:2-8

God gives generously without finding fault...

that is a powerful line in its self,

I don't know about you, but I'm constantly thanking God for his glory,

because I sure the hell know I don't deserve it one bit.

God,through his word, is telling us to relax

calm down, and just turn to him when trials come...

don't just go

"Why God...Why...take this away please"

but you really don't believe he will take it away,

In your eyes your just going to God as a last resort

thinking "Hey, maybe he will take it away who knows?"

rather you should know he is there for you & say something like:

"Why God...Why...I don't understand, help me understand...

I know through you all things are possible,

and I know that you will help me through this and you will provide

for my needs."

notice how I still started with "Why..God..Why" for there is nothing wrong

with asking God a question, but at the same time

you should glorify him, and acknowledge through him all things are possible,

and he will save you from every stress every worry..every 

pain every addiction anything and everything, and he wants to bless you.

All you have to do is just ASK...

Ask and it will be given to you;

seek and you will find: knock and the door

will be opened to you. For everyone who asks

receives; he who seeks finds; and to him

who knocks the door will be opened.

                                           Matthew 7:7

Break down your walls, maybe you know of God..

and maybe you read the word, and right now you are struggling..

Let me asure you that God is listening...

you don't have to pray a certain way...

you don't have to say fifteen hail maries,

God just wants you to ask,

and when you ask...to believe he can help...

to know that through him you are washed clean

and protected, and nothing can touch you..

you are his and you are not alone.

let him break down those walls of guilt,

let him come in and worry for you..

(although he doesn't worry, but you get the point)

just....LET GO..

You sit beside me
And I love you
But I hate you
I don't want to feel this way
But I can't stop
You reach for my hand
But I move it
Before you can
I won't let you have the
Power once again

**So help me, God
To let this go
To let this go
So help me, God
(Become what I believe)
To break this hold
(I'm afraid to leave)
To find myself
(I just need to breathe)**

You think you know me
But you changed me
Into somebody
That I don't ever want to be again
I'm letting go now
Of this burden
I've been holding
I've been hurting myself now for way too long

It's not too late
It's not too late
To leave it all behind
It's not too late
It's not too late

"So Help Me God"

By

FireFlight