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Good
Monday Mornin
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is
not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily
angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
I have written before about my dog Lati, but I want to tell you today
about Murray. Murray is the best dog. He is half basset hound, half golden
retriever. Yes he is funny looking. But he is a wonderful dog. And Murray
loves people. No matter what, he is always your friend. He embodies the
phrase, "mans best friend." It doesn't matter what I do, or how
I treat him, he is always there, always wants a good petting and always,
always loves me no matter what.
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandments were, He said in
Matthew
22:37-38 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest commandment. And
the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself." I look at
that and I am amazed at how much we Christians miss it. Really. Think
about it. We want to love God, I don't know of anyone who is a Christian
that would say, "Nope I don't want to love God", but we don't
want to love people. Sure we want to love them when we need them, or when
we feel like we are getting something from them, but what about when they
are not everything we thought or think they ought
to be? And how can people be so disposable if we love them like we say we
do? What I mean is why do we shut people out of our lives because they are
who they are?
I can tell you why, when someone does something that directly effects our
world, we no longer extend love and forgiveness to them. We no longer want
to have them in our lives because they hurt us. But look at those
sentences I just wrote and what is the number one word in there, ME! So
that is self seeking, and that is not love. That is using someone for what
they can offer us and then tossing them to the side when they no longer
serve their
purpose. That is not love, that is a form of lust. Look at our passage
today and let's break it down. . .
1. Patient - Has no time limit. Is able to withstand the worst of trials.
2. Kind - Always wanting to lift up never to tear down.
3. Not envious - wants the other person to succeed
4. Not boastful - does not need to be in the spotlight but puts others
there.
5. Not proud - does not tear someone else down so that they can look
better themselves.
6. Not rude - always, always, always puts others first.
7. Not self-seeking - this is the one that can get tricky, this says that
one is willing to sacrifice ones self for the better of the other.
8. Not easily angered - Does not jump to conclusions, but is willing to
work things out.
9. Keeps no record of wrongs - when something is over it is over and
forgotten never to be brought up again.
Now is this tough stuff? You bet it is. But when you think about how hard
it is, think about Jesus. There was never a time in Jesus' earthly life
where He put Himself before anyone else. He was always looking to help and
not hurt. Jesus went all the way to the cross to die for you and me and
for people who He knew would spit in His face and He did it any way.
Now back to Murray. When I look at him, I see real honest love. The kind
that never gives up, the kind that is unselfish. And when I look at him I
think, "If a dog can do that, why cant humans?"
Guys love like this is a choice. If we say we love God, then we should not
be able to live without loving people. And no there are not any excuses.
It does not matter what someone has done to you or how awful you feel like
you have been treated because Christianity is not about you, it is about
dying to you. Jesus, praise His Name, has never given up on me. I have
done things to Him, and continue to do them, and He still loves me. And I
don't know about you, but I want to love people that way, I want to strive
to love people that way. Will I always like them? No. Will they always do
things the way I think they should? No. Should I love them anyway? Yes!
I hope this helps you guys do life this week.
I LOVE YOU ALL!!!
Pastor Jason Lyle
The Open Range Church of Henry County
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those
who
believe and are saved.
Hebrews 10:39
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