How Much Do You Love Your Neighbor And Yourself?

He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matt 22:37-39 NRSV)

First comes loving God. It strikes me that loving the one who loves you so much that he would die for you just seems to be a logical reaction to me. How or why would you not love him?

Jesus reminds us that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Too often I witness people expressing their love for others by staying out of their affairs. For some reason, a large part of society thinks that loving someone means ignoring what they do; no matter how damaging it might be to their futures?

So, if you love others as you love yourself, I ask you: how much do you love yourself? Do you love yourself enough not to do damage to yourself? Do you not do things that are going to burden you with negative moral or legal consequences? I would think that people who love themselves will avoid participating in activities that would damage their futures. If that is true for you and you desire to love your neighbors as yourself; then, I would also surmise that you would also not encourage or ignore activities that people whom you love to participate in that which will damage their futures.

Loving someone sometimes means saying the hard things. It sometimes mean warning people that they what they are doing or about to do will hurt them and hurt others that they love. That would be the loving thing. That would be the kind thing. That would be the compassionate thing to do.

Often, I hear people saying things like, "It's not my place to judge." It is not judging someone to warn them that they ought to not jump off a cliff or stick their hands into a fire. It is not judging someone to warn them that they have fallen off the path and that they ought to turn around and get back on it. That is simply an expression of love.

Saying nothing is sometimes the most unloving thing one can do. Speaking the truth, and I remind you once again that Jesus is the truth, is the loving thing to do. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Law Upon Law

Jesus replied, "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them." (Luke 11:46 NIV)

We are in the midst of primary elections around the county. These elections include offices all the way from local community offices to Federal positions. To a certain degree we will be electing leaders to make important decisions for us based on a bit of fake news; a lot of bitter back-biting; nasty, nasty attacks on the opponents. Who can tell which law-makers are best for the positions? As they make decisions they will either instigate, legislate, or enforce new laws stacked upon the old laws supposedly for the sake of justice; for doing what is best for the people. Too often these decisions will be made based on what lobbyists want for themselves or their specific business or cause and not what is actually good for communities or the country as a whole. Egos and greed seem to rule the day.

Unfortunately, John Adams appears to have been perfectly correct when he stated, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." We have an outstanding constitution in this country. However, there are some who think that it should be done away with or at the least drastically changed. They consider it archaic. For an unrighteous nation who needs law upon law to live; maybe it is inadequate. So do we do away with the constitution or do we, as a nation, decide to attempt to live by the righteousness of Christ rather than trusting in these multitudes of laws that we have created to serve justice? For those who believe that Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice for our sins the law has been put into our hearts and written upon our minds. St. Paul wrote to the Hebrews (10:15-16)  

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:

   “This is the covenant I will make with them

   after that time, says the Lord.
   I will put my laws in their hearts,

   and I will write them on their minds.” 

If this would be true for the world, we would have no need for the cost of making law upon law in every corner of the world and the burden that comes about because of these countless laws.

Jesus condemned the teachers of the law, the Pharisees, for loading people down with laws that they could hardly keep. The law that God gave to Moses was not enough. They and we seem to have to add to the laws; to micro-manage society.

It is difficult to keep the law when there are so many that one cannot even know what they all are. I am not just talking about traffic or criminal laws. I am also considering all the laws, the red-tape that comes with daily living; red-tape that goes with building a new home; running a family business; even purchasing insurance. Yes, you have to have all your ducks in a row to even file a claim on insurance you may have been paying on for years. The average person is just trying to earn a living and to live life. But, the burdens that come with so much red-tape take up much of the time that we would otherwise have to live life.

There are way too many rules and regulations to follow. Who can know them all? Sadly, that is the price we pay for living in an unrighteous world. Justice will not happen by making more laws in a lawless world. Justice will only happen when the law and the love of God is written upon our hearts.

God's Peace – Pr. J

Slow To Anger

 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 

                                                                                                           (James 1:19-26 NIV)

Not many people care to be around bullies for too long. It is not pleasant to be around someone who can become angry at the drop of a hat. They may say they are standing up for what they believe, But, in fact, usually, their outbursts are attempts to justify their (or someone else's) self-centered desires and lifestyles.

James reminds us that "everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires." (vs 19) Anger does not produce righteousness. It produces unrighteousness. It produces drama, anxiety, and all kinds of other evils. "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you." (vs 21)

We, who look to Jesus who is our righteousness, ought to consider the needs of others before we speak or act so that, with the help of God, others may be blessed.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Slow To Speak; Slow To Anger

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you." (James 1:19-21 NIV)

Slow to become angry or never become angry? James does not tell us that we should never become angry. There are times when we should be very displeased (angry) over events. Righteous anger will motivate us to seek a way to help in a bad situation; not make it worse. An example of righteous anger is when we see someone being bullied or assaulted or otherwise pushed down and we step up to befriend and help that person instead of only being angry at the bully. Righteous anger will stir us to help others; not harm anyone.

Anger tends to beget more anger and nothing fruitful comes out of people attacking each other. We ought, as James advises, to be very slow to speak and very slow to become angry. The words of angry lips can be like a sword in battle causing much damage to lives and to relationships. That damage that can be most permanent.

Rather than anger that seems so prevalent in this day; may the Word of God planted in you, fill you with his peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J  

Live In The Light Of Day

The forests come alive at night as various animals seek their prey and the prey wandering in the wilderness are busy dodging the predators. This seems to be the way of the whole animal kingdom.

But, for humankind, most of us are fortunate enough to be able to go about the  business of living during the light of the day. Most of us are fortunate enough to do this; but, not everyone. There are many whose circumstances require them to work to feed themselves and their families by working midnight shifts.

However, the lions are not the only ones who choose the cover of darkness to stalk their prey. There are also those among humankind who, rather than work in fruitful employment, choose to prey upon others for their livelihoods. They often come out at night. Fortunately the children of light prefer not to be out at night and are not as easy targets as the night-stalking predators might like. The children of light rest during the hours of darkness in preparedness and anticipation of the coming day.

Moral of this story: rest when the night comes; live life in the light of the day; live life in Jesus Christ who is the light of the world.

God's Peace - Pr. Judy