Matthew 7:12
“Do for others what you want them to do for you. This is the teaching of the laws of Moses in a nutshell."
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
Social media is blowing up
today with posts about 9/11/2001. Almost everyone has a “9/11 story”…if
only to say, “I remember where I was when it happened.” And we do
remember all of the horrific, devastating, life-altering events of that
day - and the days/weeks that followed. May God grant His peace and
comfort to all who were directly or indirectly affected by that
tragedy…and in one way or another, this includes all of us.
Having
said this, I wonder just how much we do remember about 9/11…because in
that moment, many of us came together in extraordinary ways. We dropped
the judgments and the pretenses, and we became friends helping friends,
neighbors supporting neighbors…Christian brothers and sisters loving
others. And I have to ask…what has happened to us in the last fourteen
years?
The backbiting and judgment, hatred and fear seem to be at
all-time highs. Because of our access to “instant media,” we not only
know more about this…we are able to perpetuate it. “Did you hear what
XYZ said or ABC did?” we ask almost giddily. We cannot wait to revel in
the latest come-uppance of someone who played “high and mighty” in some
way - and we are more than a little eager to knock him/her down a peg.
We set ourselves apart from the masses and pretend that we have no
problems – or shortcomings and downright failures…that we are just a
smidge better than the next guy.
Or…we look at others, throw up
our hands, and say, “Not my problem!” The current refugee crisis in
Syria…and the hungry and homeless (both the 2-legged and four-legged
varities) in our own community immediately come to mind. What happened
to the spirit of camaraderie that followed 9/11? What happened to
working together rather than picking each other apart? How have we lost
our way so badly?
In her book, For the Love*,
author Jen Hatmaker says, “We are not good gods over one another; we are
better humans beside each other.” Matthew 7:12 is known by many as
“The Golden Rule”…and indeed, its words encompass a hallmark by which we
are all called to live. It’s time we got started…and I can’t think of a
better day than this one.
©2015 Debbie Robus
*For The Love
- ©2015 Thomas Nelson Books for HarperCollins Christian Publishing,
Inc.
Showing posts with label loving like Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label loving like Jesus. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for July 22, 2015
1 John 4:8
But if a person isn’t loving and kind, it shows that he doesn’t know God—for God is love.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
My friend Michael shared a link on Facebook to a devotional blog written for the United Church of Christ website by Matthew Laney, Senior Minister of Asylum Hill Congregational Church, UCC, in Hartford, Connecticut. The title of this post is “Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin?*”…and Laney notes that he has never been a fan of this phrase. He adds that this comment has been used frequently in reference to members of the LGBTQ community.
But lately, Laney has found himself making (or thinking) the same comment with regard to fellow “Christians” who want to disrespect and discriminate against others. Have a brother or sister in Christ who is vocal about a certain person or group of people? “Love the sinner…hate the sin.” Know someone who “is truly a good person”…AND a bigot? “Love the sinner…hate the sin.” Sit on a pew with someone who sings praises to God every Sunday and then rants at the coffee shop all week about this leader or issue or another (with off-color, hate-filled jokes included)? “Love the sinner…hate his/her sin.”
Laney says that he came to the conclusion that this sentiment…”always struck me as a way to feign love for someone right before kicking them in the teeth!” He suggests that instead, we try to “do what Jesus did…love the sinner and love the sinner some more - and pray the prayer He prayed: ‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.’”
I’ll be honest…I have spent the better part of a day trying to create a mental list of Christians in my personal “circle” who consistently operate in the love of Christ…whose tone is never critical or condescending…and I’ve come up with a terribly short list - and I’m not sure I could even put myself on it! Why is this? I believe it’s because we are human…and sinners…and none of us is perfect. But I DID come up with a list of people I know and love who demonstrate Jesus’ love and acceptance of others pretty consistently…people who I know without any doubt have the goal of loving the sinner – and then loving him/her some more. And as the old gospel hymn says, “Oh, LORD, I want to be in that number!”
Let’s make this the day that we truly begin to “walk the walk” that lines up with our “talk.” Let’s show others how much we love God by only speaking kindly…with love, acceptance, grace and mercy. Let’s demonstrate with every breath and movement that we have fully committed our hearts and lives to Jesus Christ…that we acknowledge that we are ALL sinners in some way – and our job is not to judge another in any way/shape/form. Let’s ask God to forgive ALL sinners…even those whose “sin” is that of deriding or rejecting others. Let’s remove the phrase, “love the sinner, hate the sin” from our vocabulary…and our daily living. If we truly know God and love Him, this should be a no-brainer. Are you with me?
©2015 Debbie Robus
* http://www.ucc.org/daily_devotional_love_the_sinner_hate_the_sin
But if a person isn’t loving and kind, it shows that he doesn’t know God—for God is love.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
My friend Michael shared a link on Facebook to a devotional blog written for the United Church of Christ website by Matthew Laney, Senior Minister of Asylum Hill Congregational Church, UCC, in Hartford, Connecticut. The title of this post is “Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin?*”…and Laney notes that he has never been a fan of this phrase. He adds that this comment has been used frequently in reference to members of the LGBTQ community.
But lately, Laney has found himself making (or thinking) the same comment with regard to fellow “Christians” who want to disrespect and discriminate against others. Have a brother or sister in Christ who is vocal about a certain person or group of people? “Love the sinner…hate the sin.” Know someone who “is truly a good person”…AND a bigot? “Love the sinner…hate the sin.” Sit on a pew with someone who sings praises to God every Sunday and then rants at the coffee shop all week about this leader or issue or another (with off-color, hate-filled jokes included)? “Love the sinner…hate his/her sin.”
Laney says that he came to the conclusion that this sentiment…”always struck me as a way to feign love for someone right before kicking them in the teeth!” He suggests that instead, we try to “do what Jesus did…love the sinner and love the sinner some more - and pray the prayer He prayed: ‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.’”
I’ll be honest…I have spent the better part of a day trying to create a mental list of Christians in my personal “circle” who consistently operate in the love of Christ…whose tone is never critical or condescending…and I’ve come up with a terribly short list - and I’m not sure I could even put myself on it! Why is this? I believe it’s because we are human…and sinners…and none of us is perfect. But I DID come up with a list of people I know and love who demonstrate Jesus’ love and acceptance of others pretty consistently…people who I know without any doubt have the goal of loving the sinner – and then loving him/her some more. And as the old gospel hymn says, “Oh, LORD, I want to be in that number!”
Let’s make this the day that we truly begin to “walk the walk” that lines up with our “talk.” Let’s show others how much we love God by only speaking kindly…with love, acceptance, grace and mercy. Let’s demonstrate with every breath and movement that we have fully committed our hearts and lives to Jesus Christ…that we acknowledge that we are ALL sinners in some way – and our job is not to judge another in any way/shape/form. Let’s ask God to forgive ALL sinners…even those whose “sin” is that of deriding or rejecting others. Let’s remove the phrase, “love the sinner, hate the sin” from our vocabulary…and our daily living. If we truly know God and love Him, this should be a no-brainer. Are you with me?
©2015 Debbie Robus
* http://www.ucc.org/daily_devotional_love_the_sinner_hate_the_sin
Daily Devotional for January 12, 2015
John 3:16-18
“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Pretty much every one of us learned John 3:16 as a child, and we can recite the words “by heart”. But here’s how most of us hear the verse…”For God so loved ME that He gave His only Son, so that if I believe in Him, I will be saved for all eternity and go to heaven when I die.”
Here’s what we do NOT hear…”God so loved the WORLD…terrorists…murderers…rapists…child molesters…people of all races, genders, sexual orientations, socio-economic and intellectual levels and political parties…drug addicts and alcoholics…abusers...that He sacrificed the blood of His only Son to redeem EVERYONE who repents of their sins and invites Jesus to be their LORD and Savior!
This is a hard pill to swallow sometimes. We don’t want to think that we might see some of these people on the streets of heaven…that people who did horrible, terrible, unthinkable things at some point in their lives might be there right alongside each of us. But this is because we do not fully understand God’s love. I know I don’t.
I love my husband, my mom, my sister, nieces and nephews and extended family. I love my pets in a way that makes some people snicker and roll their eyes. I love my friends. I like to think that I love completely, unconditionally, and without any reservation…but I know better. I am not sure that I love deeply enough. And I’m pretty certain that my brand of love would not allow me to sacrifice anyone for the sins of the WORLD, especially these terrible, horrible, incorrigible people who have existed since the days of Cain and Abel! But God does. HE loves each of us that much. And He offers forgiveness, acceptance, and redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ to ANYONE who will ask for it.
If we want to be more like Jesus, we have to learn to love like He does…to offer tolerance, grace, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, and genuine care and concern to each of God’s creatures. We never know when our example might be the very thing that causes someone to say, “LORD…I want to be included…I want what he/she has. Will you have accept me into your Kingdom?”
The stakes are high…God so loved the WORLD…isn’t it time that we did, too?
©2015 Debbie Robus
“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Pretty much every one of us learned John 3:16 as a child, and we can recite the words “by heart”. But here’s how most of us hear the verse…”For God so loved ME that He gave His only Son, so that if I believe in Him, I will be saved for all eternity and go to heaven when I die.”
Here’s what we do NOT hear…”God so loved the WORLD…terrorists…murderers…rapists…child molesters…people of all races, genders, sexual orientations, socio-economic and intellectual levels and political parties…drug addicts and alcoholics…abusers...that He sacrificed the blood of His only Son to redeem EVERYONE who repents of their sins and invites Jesus to be their LORD and Savior!
This is a hard pill to swallow sometimes. We don’t want to think that we might see some of these people on the streets of heaven…that people who did horrible, terrible, unthinkable things at some point in their lives might be there right alongside each of us. But this is because we do not fully understand God’s love. I know I don’t.
I love my husband, my mom, my sister, nieces and nephews and extended family. I love my pets in a way that makes some people snicker and roll their eyes. I love my friends. I like to think that I love completely, unconditionally, and without any reservation…but I know better. I am not sure that I love deeply enough. And I’m pretty certain that my brand of love would not allow me to sacrifice anyone for the sins of the WORLD, especially these terrible, horrible, incorrigible people who have existed since the days of Cain and Abel! But God does. HE loves each of us that much. And He offers forgiveness, acceptance, and redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ to ANYONE who will ask for it.
If we want to be more like Jesus, we have to learn to love like He does…to offer tolerance, grace, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, and genuine care and concern to each of God’s creatures. We never know when our example might be the very thing that causes someone to say, “LORD…I want to be included…I want what he/she has. Will you have accept me into your Kingdom?”
The stakes are high…God so loved the WORLD…isn’t it time that we did, too?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 13, 2014
2 Corinthians 2:5-8
Remember that the man I wrote about, who caused all the trouble, has not caused sorrow to me as much as to all the rest of you—though I certainly have my share in it too. I don’t want to be harder on him than I should. He has been punished enough by your united disapproval. Now it is time to forgive him and comfort him. Otherwise he may become so bitter and discouraged that he won’t be able to recover. Please show him now that you still do love him very much.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Last night was “Movie in the Park” night at our local city park. The film presented was the Disney hit, Frozen…you know…the one that has the theme song, “Let it Go”! That pretty well sums up what the Apostle Paul is saying here…”Don’t hold a grudge…get over it…move ahead…LET.IT.GO.”
I know…I know! Someone did you wrong…REALLY did you wrong. You’re mad, upset, disappointed, hurt…or whatever. Not only are YOU upset, but your friends and family are unhappy, too. The person who wronged you has earned the wrath and fury of your whole team!
I get it! I know what it feels like to be troubled in some way by another person…to feel sorrow, betrayal, or mistreatment of some sort at their expense. I think most of us have had this experience, to some extent. But Paul makes the point that to continue to harbor these feelings…or to harp on them to the person who has wronged you and/or others…serves no purpose. The bitterness will eat you alive…and your resentment toward the other guy will not demonstrate the love of Christ to anyone.
See, we’ve all caused Jesus PLENTY of trouble and sorrow. We’ve mistreated Him in ways we cannot even articulate. Yet Jesus went to the cross for us, knowing every single thing we would ever say and do to Him…fully recognizing all that we would do to hurt others - and all of the countless ways that we would disappoint and wound Him in our lifetime. He gave His life for ours…knowing all of this. The grace, mercy, forgiveness and love that Jesus showed to each of us on the cross are beyond what I can comprehend.
If Jesus deems us worth all of this…worth His very life on the cross…surely we can show some semblance of grace, mercy, forgiveness and love to others. We’re not letting the other guy off the hook…we’re stepping up to the plate and honoring our relationship with Jesus Christ. There will be retribution and consequences for the bad behaviors of others…but meting these out is not our responsibility. Our job as Christians is to love others like Jesus loves us. And that means knowing when to forgive, forget, and get over whatever has been done to us.
Are you ready to show Jesus how much you love Him? Will this be the day that you “let it go” and offer His grace and mercy to the other guy? Don’t you think it should be?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Remember that the man I wrote about, who caused all the trouble, has not caused sorrow to me as much as to all the rest of you—though I certainly have my share in it too. I don’t want to be harder on him than I should. He has been punished enough by your united disapproval. Now it is time to forgive him and comfort him. Otherwise he may become so bitter and discouraged that he won’t be able to recover. Please show him now that you still do love him very much.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Last night was “Movie in the Park” night at our local city park. The film presented was the Disney hit, Frozen…you know…the one that has the theme song, “Let it Go”! That pretty well sums up what the Apostle Paul is saying here…”Don’t hold a grudge…get over it…move ahead…LET.IT.GO.”
I know…I know! Someone did you wrong…REALLY did you wrong. You’re mad, upset, disappointed, hurt…or whatever. Not only are YOU upset, but your friends and family are unhappy, too. The person who wronged you has earned the wrath and fury of your whole team!
I get it! I know what it feels like to be troubled in some way by another person…to feel sorrow, betrayal, or mistreatment of some sort at their expense. I think most of us have had this experience, to some extent. But Paul makes the point that to continue to harbor these feelings…or to harp on them to the person who has wronged you and/or others…serves no purpose. The bitterness will eat you alive…and your resentment toward the other guy will not demonstrate the love of Christ to anyone.
See, we’ve all caused Jesus PLENTY of trouble and sorrow. We’ve mistreated Him in ways we cannot even articulate. Yet Jesus went to the cross for us, knowing every single thing we would ever say and do to Him…fully recognizing all that we would do to hurt others - and all of the countless ways that we would disappoint and wound Him in our lifetime. He gave His life for ours…knowing all of this. The grace, mercy, forgiveness and love that Jesus showed to each of us on the cross are beyond what I can comprehend.
If Jesus deems us worth all of this…worth His very life on the cross…surely we can show some semblance of grace, mercy, forgiveness and love to others. We’re not letting the other guy off the hook…we’re stepping up to the plate and honoring our relationship with Jesus Christ. There will be retribution and consequences for the bad behaviors of others…but meting these out is not our responsibility. Our job as Christians is to love others like Jesus loves us. And that means knowing when to forgive, forget, and get over whatever has been done to us.
Are you ready to show Jesus how much you love Him? Will this be the day that you “let it go” and offer His grace and mercy to the other guy? Don’t you think it should be?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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