Love and Charity

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; (1 Cor 13:4-5 KJV)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (1 Cor 13:4-5 NIV)

In the thirteenth chapter of Corinthians some translations use the word charity for love and in others the word love is used instead of charity. The two words are intricately connected. Love promotes charity. Unfettered charity is most usually a result of love. We give because we love. We love because Jesus loves us so much that he was willing to give his life that we might live.

It is unfathomable to me that anyone would put their personal pleasures before the needs; the safety; the well-being of someone that they claim to love. But, it happens. It happens a lot! Children are neglected and abused because the parent has priorities for themselves than truly loving their children. Elderly parents are neglected because children have better things to do. 

I am not sure how we've come to this place where narcissism is so prevalent. Maybe, it has always been there; but, we just never noticed because we too were stuck in that place where we thought that we have to love ourselves before we can love others. When we think like that we can get stuck in a place where there is no love or charity for others because we never quite to the place where we love ourselves unconditionally. What happens instead is that we keep striving to make ourselves happy; but, we keep failing because happiness and joy actually comes from being in relationships with God and with others which we have neglected in the pursuit of making ourselves happy.

St. Paul wrote to the Philippians: "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 

Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." (Phil 2:1-4)

Jesus gave us the commandment to love others as he loves us. "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:34-35)

May God grant us all a spirit of love and charity that we might live in joy and in peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Care For Your Children!

"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." (Psalm 127:3 KJV)

For at least a couple of generations now, I have witnessed children being neglected and some abused. Sure, most, but not all, have adequate food, shelter, clothing, etc.. Most of the children are physically provided for. But, not all of them. This morning, the neglect that I'm thinking of isn't due to lack of caring for physical needs. The neglect that I'm thinking of is when love is withheld and abuse is allowed to occur. Parents will cover for each other to save face. Some children are even left to, in effect, raise their parents because their parents put themselves before all others. They put themselves before God. They put themselves before their children. Sometimes, they have a lot of fun with their children. They horse around and play with them because that makes the parents feel good for the moment and then they are off to do their own thing.

There are some who say that there are many children raising children. Sadly, in many cases it has gone beyond that. The children are raising their parents and they are not equipped. I am not saying that the whole world or all parents are being raised by their children. But, way too many are. It really is up to the parent to raise up a child in the way that they should go. It is not up to the child to take care of the parents needs and desires. It is not up to the child to take the fall for a parent who cares only about their own future.

"Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." (Eph 5:14)

Wake up, as they say, and smell the roses. Your children are a gift from God. Care for them, guide them, teach them, love them as God loves you. Do what is right by your children and love them even as they love you.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Confess The Truth?

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9 NRSV)

Let us not miss the word confess in the verses from 1 John. All too often, I have heard apologies without the person who is apologizing even being able to recognize what they are apologizing for. They might apologize for hurting you or someone else; for disappointing you. They might apologize for not doing what they were responsible for doing. But, do they really acknowledge that they did something they ought not have done or neglected to do something that they promised to do? 

Is just saying "I'm sorry" enough to be reconciled to others if we cannot acknowledge the sin that we have been committing and change? Sooner or later others will recognize that we have not been speaking the truth when we apologized. Failure to recognize the sin in us is a failure to recognize Jesus the Christ who is the truth. Do we think that he is so limited in nature that he cannot see beyond the walls we, ourselves, have attempted to hide behind?

Jesus tells us: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) There is no sense in trying to hide the truth of our sins from ourselves or anyone else. The truth is that Jesus knows what goes on in our lives that others may not be able to see. He knows the real motivation for what we do or do not do. He knows our inmost thoughts. We cannot hide our sins from God; so may as well get it over with; confess our sins; and live life reconciled to God and one another.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Our Father

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven.
What does this mean?--Answer.
God would thereby [with this little introduction] tenderly urge us to believe that He is our true Father, and that we are His true children, so that we may ask Him confidently with all assurance, as dear children ask their dear father.

http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php

Who's father? Our Father.

While I hear that some object to God the Father being male; I rejoice that I have a Father in heaven that I can trust; who is always there for me. I "get it" that there are some who were neglected or abused by their fathers on earth and may cringe at even the title father. But, as for me, since early childhood, knowing that I have a Father in heaven that truly loves and care for me has given me great comfort. He has been with me no matter what trials I have faced in life. It is good to be able to trust someone to be there to listen to you when you need someone. Our Father is always there for us.

I give thanks that my true Father who is in heaven truly loves me and He truly loves you.

God's Peace - Pr. J