[Love]…does not seek its own (NKJV); [Love]…is not self-seeking (NIV). Love does not demand its own way (NLT); [Love]…takes no thought for itself (BBE); Love is not forward and self-assertive (WNT); Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking (AMP); Love cares more for others than for self. (MSG). [Love]…doesn't think about itself. (GW).
This description of love also ties-in with the admonishment of Jesus, when He said “Take no thought for your life”:
22 Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.
Luke 12:22 NKJV
It is the love of God which enables us to stop worrying about the everyday things of life. When we have the love of God in us, we know that everything that we will face that day is going to be alright, even when things do not go exactly how we would personally like them to go. If we find ourselves constantly worrying about things all the time, trying to work things out ourselves, then we might find ourselves becoming rather disappointed when things do not go as we planned them.
Love gives us the ability to “let go and let God.” However, if we do not already experience this love, it can be difficult to let go of worrying and to trust God in a given situation. We cannot “let go and let God” if that love is not already working within us. It is for this reason that we need to seek to identify the sources of sin which are hindering the flow of love in our lives. At once, Christians can take this to mean that they have to “try” to resist bad habits, such as smoking, drinking, pornography, etc. It is true that these things can play a part in hindering our relationship with God to an extent. However, it is best that we seek to identify what it is within us that are driving us to do such things.
Bad habits will usually be fuelled by a wrong belief or attitude which keeps us from experiencing God’s best for our lives. This attitude could be unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment. If we deny ourselves the presence of God, then we will experience a sense of separation from God, which will in turn, drive us towards the fulfilment of lustful cravings. Covetousness is often born out of this spiritually dead state. Lust will drive people to try to identify what it is that they are missing in their lives, what it is that is robbing them of peace, what it is that will make their lives whole again. Unfortunately, lacking spiritual discernment, people will identify sources of potential pleasure and fulfilment through the use of the senses. This leads to the typical activities which Paul calls “the works of the flesh”.
When a person identifies the true source of love, he comes to the realisation that the love of God is already in Him, ready for use:
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:5
Rather than seeking love via some external source, which is covetousness, we should seek love from within ourselves, knowing that through faith in Christ, we have become partakers of the Divine Nature. In fact, we should not “seek” this love, as such, but simply know that it is within us and cannot be generated through acts of charity or an effort of the will.
This love that is in us is for the purpose of allowing our personalities to be transformed so that God plays a part, a major part, in our daily conduct. With love in our hearts, our attitude can be like that of the Psalmist who said, “The Lord is the strength of my life.”
1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalms 27:1
When we allow the love of God to dominate our lives, that love will divert a person’s attention from the issues of his own life and towards the lives of others. This does not mean that he becomes neglectful concerning himself, but it means that his focus has shifted away from himself. As a person submits to the subtle promptings of God in his spirit, the promptings of love, then he will not have to worry about himself.
The only “formula”, if you want to call it that, that Jesus gave to His disciples and the church, for the attainment of material needs, was that they do not worry. Jesus made no mention of paying tithes or doing good works as a means of achieving prosperity. It is only modern-day ministers who have turned the pursuit of prosperity into something that we are to do through the use of principles and formulas.
So it seems that the reason why people don’t get their needs met is because they worry: they try to plan and analyse things in an attempt to control their lives and make things happen in a predictable way. Our lives are more-often-than-not, unpredictable. For a neurotic, this unpredictability can be terrifying. But for a secure-minded person, the unforeseen circumstances of life can be exciting and challenging. The difference is of course all down to how much we abide in love or how much we abide in fear. Selfishness can therefore be seen as the character trait of an insecure person who seeks to control his life according to his own efforts. Selfishness is all-consuming as it absorbs all the time and energy that a person has, all in the pursuit of happiness and fulfilment. If we could only learn to let go of that selfishness we could truly learn the unforced rhythms of grace – as Matthew 11:29 in The Message translation puts it.
The reason why people worry is because they do not experience the sense of peace that can only be found in knowing the love of God. When we know the love of God, a sense of peace comes upon us that makes it difficult, if not impossible, to experience fear, and therefore, to worry.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
John 4:18
It should bring us a great sense of rest when we come to the understanding that we are not supposed to meet our own needs. If the burden of providing for ourselves and our families rests upon our shoulders, it is little wonder that we worry! We can therefore delight, marvel and give thanks to God for the reassuring Words of Christ in Matthew 6.
24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Matthew 6:24-26
One way of looking at Matthew 6:24 is that when we worry about material provision, we are actually serving mammon! According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, “Mammon” is defined as: A Chaldee or Syriac word meaning “wealth” or “riches” (Luke 16:9-11); also, by personification, the god of riches (Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:9-11).
The Bible tells us that God will bless those people who attend to the needs of others:
24 There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty.
25 The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.
Proverbs 11:24-25 NKJV
24 It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything.
25 Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself.
Proverbs 11:24-25 TLB
We should not seek to make a formula out of Proverbs 11:24-25, in that we seek to increase our favour with God and our prosperity, by serving others and by giving money to the church and to charitable causes. It is possible to do good works but with the wrong attitude and motive. I believe that there are many Christians today who pay their tithes and even give large offerings to their church - all because they read a book or heard a sermon that told them they would be rich if they did so.
So when it comes down to love, it has a lot more to do with beliefs, attitudes, desires and motives than it does our actions. I believe that right action will be the inevitable outcome of right beliefs, motives and so forth. However, don’t be surprised if someone who has a heart of love is not so eager to put a great deal of time and effort into the church related activities that ministers have told us that we ought to do as Christians. We have been presented with a church for centuries that has been steeped in tradition, rules, rituals and selfish ambition. It is therefore difficult to discern at times the church that Christ gave His life for and what it should look like. Furthermore, we all have our own lives to live and our own personal destiny to fulfil – what is right for one person might not be right for another.
So how do we get these right beliefs and attitudes? We have been presented, in the church, with a model of positive thinking by an effort of the will, as pioneered by the likes of Norman Vincent Peale when he published his bestselling book, The Power of Positive Thinking. I’m not entirely against this person, book or concept – by the way. But I have found in my own life that attempting to control my thoughts and feelings can be the most difficult thing in the world.
So far, I have found that the best means of knowing the love of God is to cease from my own efforts to please Him and to rest in the knowledge of the finished work of the cross. There is a peace that can be found when we consider the birds of the air, how they neither toil, nor spin, nor gather into barns – yet our Father feeds them. We should rest in the knowledge that we are more important than they and that our Father will meet our needs without our need to worry and to make things happen ahead of time.
Photo Give us this day... courtesy of Mr. Kris
4 comments:
Paul S, you suggested that we look within us to find that which are driving us to sin, then you went on the say that our bad habits are usually fuelled by a wrong belief or attitude. Although you are not very clear, gleaning from your other writings, I believe you are suggesting that the key is our belief or attitude, but suggesting that people have wrong belief or attitude do not in itself help people to come to grip with what is going in the issue of sin.
Sure, meditations of the heart are important, because from them cometh the actions, including words or speeches which can edify or destroy. What is more important is how to we cultivate the right meditations of the heart or arrive at right belief or attitude. This you have not quite dealt with it.
May I suggest that, that which is within us which is driving us to sin is Iniquity or Sin or carnal flesh. Un-forgiveness, resentment, covetousness, and selfishness can be looked at as bad roots that have taken hold of a person, but they step from giving in to the temptations, lies and snares of carnal flesh within us, or Satan or evil spirit which can be external or even within us, as in the cases of demon-possessed people. Leaving out the second category, within us, according to the Apostle Paul, carnal flesh still co-exists within us with the Holy Spirit, for a born-again. The bad roots have to plucked from a believer's life if they are present, but what is a more fundamental thing is that we have to teach people how to fish, and not just give people the fish to eat; sure, as an immediate measure for those who are really hungry, we have to give them the fish to eat, before we even teach them how to fish, but nonetheless, we have to teach them how to fish; otherwise, the same bad roots still come back.
continue on next comment ...
continuation 1...
Right meditations of the heart or attitude or beliefs or whatever like terms that you like to call them, the formation of which is dependent on a couple of things. Chiefly, knowledge is important, not just any knowledge, biblical knowledge, Knowledge of course, is not sufficient, you still need understanding of the knowledge. After that, we need to want to apply them thereof. Our experiences in lives also shape our attitude. Supernatural encounters with God, Holy Spirit convictions, too can change our outlook. If supernatural encounters and Holy Spirit convictions appear remote, our experiences with God in our lives, continue to influence us. Although, experiences have their place, the truth from the whole counsel of the Word of God still stands paramount. So, even without experience, believing the Word of God and going from there is still the right thing to do.
What is the key knowledge and understanding, and truth, concerning the matter of what is within us that drive us to sin, and how are we to approach it? The Apostle Paul gave the strategy: Resist the carnal flesh, hark unto the voice of the Holy Spirit in us. Without going into details, it is sufficient to say that for a born-again, the carnal flesh no longer has authority or control over your life, Jesus Christ has wrestled that back from Satan by His works on the cross; so you do not need to be subject to it. It is not completely destroyed just like Satan is not yet completely destroyed; and it has powers just like Satan has, and Satan or carnal flesh will tempt you still and exercise their powers on you if you allow them to. This is the core understanding that we must tell Christians - this is proper spiritual discernment. There is no easy way out, although some find it easier in some circumstances or after passage of time. Even the Apostle Paul had to struggle with it, what more we. You are not wise to thumb down the call for people to resist committing bad habits, which I take them to include sins. Scripture exhorts us to resist sins, even to the point of shading blood. Sins and temptations are to be resisted; there is no other way out. Do not look for an easy way out, and please do not teach/suggest that there is an easy way out.
coninue on next comment ....
continuation 2 ...
While our actions flow from the meditations of our hearts, please do not play down the need to take actions. Concerning love, faith and hope, the correct spiritual discernment is that they all call for actions. If you have faith, but do nothing, what kind of faith is that? Dead faith, said the Book of James. Likewise, what kind of love is that if it is not accompanied by any action? It is the same with hope, are you giving at least some control over your life to God, not to say, all of it? We are not saved by works, but we are saved for good works. What good is a tree that bears no fruit or serves no purpose? Do you know what Jesus said of such trees? Throw them into the fire and let them burn. If the church you are attending is not doing the right thing, pray about it, ask God about it, even ask God if it is ok for you to go to another church. But stop hitting churches generally. Black sheep are expected, but many churches, and their leaders are of good intentions and even of right theology in persuading Christians to serve in one way or another, in church; there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, generally, and they are not being selfish. Suppose your church really is not acting correctly, and you do not want to serve in that church, are you serving outside the church? Are you reaching out to non-believers, helping the poor and needy, and helping those afflicted in lives, talking about the meditations of the heart, attitudes and beliefs? One is selfish if all he thinks of and cares about, is himself. Often times, talk is cheap; complaining about others and doing nothing ourselves, are even more common. Everybody has their own lives to live, and I say everybody has their own problems, but when you want to wait till you finish pursuing all your personal agendas and have all your problems solved, you will never arrive at a time to serve.
Always go back to the Word of God; is will important in the whole issue of the Christian faith? The answer is yes. Paul S, I know controlling our thoughts and feelings can be difficult, but if it is the right thing to do in the eyes of God, we still do it. We do not, not do a thing just because it is difficult. A truth set us free, we like the sound of that, don't we; but do you know that sometimes, truth is difficult to accept, yet we must still accept it, believe in it, eat it and internalise it?
Paul S, you are getting confused. One tries to please God, not to know the love of God. One tries to please God because one loves God. You try to know and understand what God has done for you, to know the love of God. You also try to get to know Him, from His Word, from what He has done post-Scripture, and even currently around the world. While you are still doing all that, you begin to love Him, trust Him, and rest in Him. When you have learned more of Him, of His love for you, of His will, of what pleases Him, you begin to love Him more, and you do the things that would please Him, and you avoid things that displease Him or offend Him, and you try to do things He would like done, and you begin to align your will with His will (you see, will is important), and you will begin to bear fruits pleasing unto God.
continue on next comment ...
continuation 3 ....
The Word of God does not teach idleness and irresponsibility. We are to be responsible and act responsibly, but it does not mean that we do not trust God. What would happen if everybody just sit around and do nothing? One must be careful that one does not fall into spiritual foolishness; please properly divide the Word of God. And a proper dividing of the Word of God would be we are to do our part, be responsible, act responsibly, plan, but leave room for God to operate.
As to tithing, it is biblical. Do not attack it. One gives to God, not to men. The giving back to God is a recognition of what we have, came from the blessings of God; from what He has given us, we give back unto Him. Its uses included provision for those who serve God full time. It is putting the money where the mouth is, so to speak. It is love, faith and hope in action, there you have it, action tells on your meditations of heart, attitude and belief. It is all possible that God honours those who honour Him, so just leave people’s testimony alone, even if you think God had blessed them on any other grounds or on no ground at all. God loves a cheerful giver. Concerning motives, one should stand up when they affected others’ well-being, or a command or law is broken; if it is matter between the person and God, let God be the judge, we do not judge. We can say what the Word of God says, by way of teaching, but we do not judge. It is best not to judge another person’s motive of tithing or giving of offering to God.
Post a Comment