Monday 1 September 2014

Let's Talk About...

Let's talk about you and me
Let's talk about all the good things
And the bad things that may be
Let's talk about…

Love baby

Ah? Of course the original lyrics do not say "love" they say... am I allowed to say that word on here?

SEX! They say Let's talk about SEX, baby!

I think I might be blushing...

are you? 

Well actually I don't want to talk about sex, its not that I don't want to but at this point in time I have another word on my mind, one that could be closely connected to, it should be inseparable from sex, but in this broken world we live in that's not the case...

Let's talk about LOVE, baby! Actually as I write this I'm thinking maybe in our culture "love" is more of a scandalous word then "sex"? After all according to the movies people are doing the deed by the third date but the four letter word L-O-V-E isn't uttered till far after that, if it is ever spoken, usually nearing the end of the movie. 

I have a few thoughts on why this is, and I am sure you do too, but I'm not going to share them at this time, because I am straying from my original intentions! 

OK focus Maria!

Faithful
Steadfast
Disciplined
Enduring...

this is what it is to love, to love with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength.

don't be fooled by popular culture, love is not easy or merely an internal feeling...

love is focused and has external action implications.

that is to say to love is to behave  a certain way, it involves intentional action.

How do I know this to be truth?

1 John 4:8 tells us “… God is love.”

If God is love than let's look to his love for what it means to love...

Read Psalm 136:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who alone does great wonders,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who by understanding made the heavens,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who spread out the earth above the waters,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who made the great lights,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
the sun to rule over the day,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
the moon and stars to rule over the night,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
and brought Israel out from among them,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who divided the Red Sea in two,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who led his people through the wilderness,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who struck down great kings,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
and killed mighty kings,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
Sihon, king of the Amorites,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
and Og, king of Bashan,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
and gave their land as a heritage,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
a heritage to Israel his servant,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
and rescued us from our foes,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
he who gives food to all flesh,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.

Did you notice that every example of God's steadfast love is expressed in an action? Doing great wonders, delivering Israel from Egypt, providing food for all flesh...

THEN there is the greatest action of love...

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:16)

AND

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. (1 John 4:9)

So what's my point in saying all this?

I think the point, the bottom line is:

Love, real true love will have eternal action implication, it is faithful, steadfast, disciplined, and enduring...

(or bottom lines ;) 

To "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" and "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt 22:37,39) MUST manifest in external actions, if it does not it is not love.

I know that is a hard word to read. Please know that I am writing this to myself as much if not more than I;m writing it to you...

I recently wrote a paper on social justice, and it messed me up in all the best but most uncomfortable ways. 

I want to challenge you to take sometime to reflect on how or how not your love for God and others is or is not being manifested in external actions... be real with yourself, ask the Holy Spirit to show you, and pray that he would empower you to take the practical steps to actually do something about it, to take actions of love... this is not meant to be a burden, but rather this is part of what it means to live the abundant life with Jesus...

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works! (Heb 10:24)