Showing posts with label neighbors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label neighbors. Show all posts
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Be Generous
People love to get stuff, especially free stuff. Americans are famous for their big cars, big houses, big food portions, big everything. But I wonder if that is true of our hearts. We tend to be generous with everything but ourselves. I am putting myself on the hook too. It is easier to be generous with a few dollars than with myself or my time. Chapter 6 of 13 Decisions That Will Change Your Life introduces some folks you don't know but their generosity will inspire your life.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Surrender Opens Doors
Two of my favorite modern day heroines are Corrie Ten Boom and Elisabeth Eliott. Corrie chose a prison camp rather than turn away the Jews being persecuted in her town. She provided a haven for many before being arrested herself. She saw her sister, Betsy, waste away and die but Corrie was faithful to her task. She surrendered but never gave up.
Elisabeth became a widow at a very young age. Her husband, Jim, was slaughtered as he attempted to preach Christ in Ecuador. Instead of giving up, she surrendered her life to reaching the people in that tribe. The journey was long but fruitful and proved to be a lifelong adventure.
What adventure are you missing by resisting surrender?
Elisabeth became a widow at a very young age. Her husband, Jim, was slaughtered as he attempted to preach Christ in Ecuador. Instead of giving up, she surrendered her life to reaching the people in that tribe. The journey was long but fruitful and proved to be a lifelong adventure.
What adventure are you missing by resisting surrender?
Friday, April 27, 2012
Loving Your Neighbor
Love. Love. Love. Love. The gospel is a word is love. Love thy neighbor as thy brother. Love. Love. Love.
I grew up singing that song in vacation Bible school. Sounds easy and when I was young I thought it was. Love to me was kissing my parents goodnight, getting treats from my Grandfather, sitting on Santa's knee, or being praised for good grades. What's not to love?
As an adult, I learned that not everyone loves, I also learned not everyone is lovable. That's when the command to love is hard to obey. Later one I heard someone say, "remember like and love are not the same thing."
That was freeing. Jesus never commanded us to like everyone. But He did mention loving others a lot - a whole lot. I have spent the last 45 years learning the difference and figuring out how to do it.
I grew up singing that song in vacation Bible school. Sounds easy and when I was young I thought it was. Love to me was kissing my parents goodnight, getting treats from my Grandfather, sitting on Santa's knee, or being praised for good grades. What's not to love?
As an adult, I learned that not everyone loves, I also learned not everyone is lovable. That's when the command to love is hard to obey. Later one I heard someone say, "remember like and love are not the same thing."
That was freeing. Jesus never commanded us to like everyone. But He did mention loving others a lot - a whole lot. I have spent the last 45 years learning the difference and figuring out how to do it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)