If we are to prove the case for love—that God's love is first our salvation, and then the answer for every problem—we must overcome the most damning evidence against our case: division.
"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."
~ Luke 11:23 (NKJV)
On football field or battlefield, whether shaping an offensive to take the goal or maintaining defense to protect the goal, one soon understands the value of a united team and the danger if adversary isolates individual. "Divide and conquer" is a fundamental weapon of the contest.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
~ 1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)
Our adversary has become adept at dividing us. In earliest days of Christianity, Jewish and Greek believers in Jesus worked to overcome differences. A thousand years later, a great schism between Greek and Roman churches was solidified, followed by Protestant breakaway from Rome in another half millennium. Like the web of cracks that forms when the surface of ice or glass is hit, hundreds of denominations separated from one another during the centuries to follow, with factions among even denominations and congregations.
Most certainly, divisions are sometimes necessary (Amos 3:3, 1 Corinthians 11:19), such as during the Reformation era. But far too often, we Christians distance ourselves from the people we most need because we foolishly allow diversity to become division.
What our adversary intends for evil, God can and will use for good. Truth is necessarily affirmed when the righteous boldly suffer in its defense—whether a Christian sheds blood or is simply shunned. Diversity has flourished amid the divisions, creating a rich variety in worship styles and development of spiritual gifts. Ministry can be particularly effective when structured to reach specific people.
When we capitalize on diversity, we become the body of Jesus Christ in the fullest sense:
… by speaking the truth in love, we will grow up completely into the one who is the head, that is, into Christ, in whom the whole body is united and held together by every ligament with which it is supplied. As each individual part does its job, the body's growth is promoted so that it builds itself up in love.
~ Ephesians 4:15-16 (ISV)
The key to seeing growth and being built up (rather than being divided and weakened) lies both in that first line—
… by speaking the truth in love …
—and in the understanding that not every truth of the faith is a fundamental Truth for which the body of Christ must bleed:
And decline stupid and ignorant debates, because you know they breed strife. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but must be gracious to everyone, articulate, willing to suffer wrong, in humility educating those who are in opposition …
~ 2 Timothy 2:23-25
As we study and discuss and wrestle with one another over how we will practice the many truths of faith, we can avoid unnecessary divisions when our argument returns to affirmation of fundamental Truth. And if we find no such affirmation, we don't then have cause for division, but discover that we are already divided. Our choice is not whether or not to distance ourselves from one another, but if we will recognize existing distance between separate foundations.
"Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words and does them, I will show you to whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep and laid a foundation on the rock."
~ Luke 6:47-48 (EMTV)
A time comes to silence our words, that perchance the Word of God will reach into places we cannot.
For the Word of God is alive and effective, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit … a Discerner of the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
~ Hebrews 4:12
+ + +
… if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
~ Romans 10:9 (NIV)
If compelled to choose three most important elements of Truth—Truth for which I'm willing to suffer, Truth over which I'm willing to be divided:
• I affirm the absolute authority of God's Word as preserved in Scripture;
• I confess Jesus the Christ as God and living Lord;
• I have salvation through no more and no less than faith (belief, trust) in Christ's death and resurrection.
For me, few truths rise to this level in my aspiration to stand for Truth, to build up Christ's body of believers, and to unite us in proving the case for His love.
"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."
~ Luke 11:23 (NKJV)
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
The Case for Love: Relationship Crash
Among countless analogies in the vast myriad of relationship books that I've read, a few stay with me. One of them—(and if you recognize the source, please refresh my memory)—likens relationships to a bank account. In this comparison, all the goodness and love shown to another person is like a deposit toward the relationship, while negative words and actions are a withdrawal. As I recall, the goal is to keep the account well in the black, never permitting the account balance to fall into a dangerous condition of being overdrawn.
Perhaps my years in banking and banking school give me a dim view of this concept. While I certainly appreciate the fact that positive needs to outweigh negative (in both banking and relationships), I also know that a checking account is technically called a DDA, or "demand deposit account." Unlike an investment certificate or bond with a maturity date, a bank account holds deposits for safekeeping, but must relinquish them immediately upon "demand."
If anything forebodes certain injury to a relationship, it is making a demand for that to which one feels entitled.
" 'So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.' "
~ Matthew 25:27 (NKJV)
Perhaps relationship is better likened to an investment in business or stocks than a demand deposit account. Investment expects a return, but has no guarantee of it. Rather than arbitrarily deposit money, one must thoughtfully consider where money is placed, maintain diversity of investment, and watch closely for when a change in strategy is indicated. Money simply deposited in an account gives its owner an expectation to receive back only what's given, and perhaps some nominal interest. But with investment, the expectation is to receive a much greater return than the capital; the dream is to reap a windfall.
With investment, however, one also runs the risk of losing everything. Bankruptcy has a way of taking away even more than the capital. The stock market crash of 1929 precipitated The Great Depression. Relationship crash also tends to bring on great depression.
We spend years and decades and entire lifetimes pouring love and prayers, positive words and deeds, our very selves into close relationships. And we have every expectation of a good return—every dream of eternal harmony. Whether that relationship is marriage or parent-child, family or friendship, we each have special people in our lives who have received our thoughtful investment of time and energy, diversity in loving words and actions, and close watch through life's changes.
When we invest in relationships this way, we usually do reap a healthy return.
But sometimes, bankruptcy strikes. The relationship crashes, and we see everything lost. We may be able to pinpoint where we've been negligent, assuming our initial investment would cover it. Or we may perform a careful examination and remain stunned that our steady attention failed to overcome unavoidable mistakes by imperfect people. The signs of relationship crash may have been steadily growing, or a single disaster can wreak havoc.
However relationship crash comes, depression follows because of the perception that all is lost.
"Gather together the remaining broken pieces, in order that nothing might be lost."
~ John 6:12
As I've said before, Jesus is a capitalist. He speaks often of money, and clearly demonstrates that God will obtain a return on His many investments in us, one way or another. He allows nothing to be wasted, not even the broken pieces.
The broken pieces of our lives are sometimes related to losses of health and wealth. But relationship crash shatters us as nothing else, bringing on the notion that our investment has been a failure—maybe even the notion that we have been a failure.
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal."
~ Matthew 6:19-20 (NKJV)
Relationships of this world and this time may prove temporal, despite our best efforts to take them into eternity with us.
But.
We are not investing in the temporal and the seen. We are investing in the eternal and the unseen, laying up treasure in Heaven. We remain unaware, for now, of what return will be paid on our investment—for us, for our children, for every seen and unseen witness to our testimony.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
~ Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)
The case for love will not be lost—cannot be lost. The case for love is God's case, proven by us through His power.
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
~ Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Perhaps my years in banking and banking school give me a dim view of this concept. While I certainly appreciate the fact that positive needs to outweigh negative (in both banking and relationships), I also know that a checking account is technically called a DDA, or "demand deposit account." Unlike an investment certificate or bond with a maturity date, a bank account holds deposits for safekeeping, but must relinquish them immediately upon "demand."
If anything forebodes certain injury to a relationship, it is making a demand for that to which one feels entitled.
" 'So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.' "
~ Matthew 25:27 (NKJV)
Perhaps relationship is better likened to an investment in business or stocks than a demand deposit account. Investment expects a return, but has no guarantee of it. Rather than arbitrarily deposit money, one must thoughtfully consider where money is placed, maintain diversity of investment, and watch closely for when a change in strategy is indicated. Money simply deposited in an account gives its owner an expectation to receive back only what's given, and perhaps some nominal interest. But with investment, the expectation is to receive a much greater return than the capital; the dream is to reap a windfall.
With investment, however, one also runs the risk of losing everything. Bankruptcy has a way of taking away even more than the capital. The stock market crash of 1929 precipitated The Great Depression. Relationship crash also tends to bring on great depression.
We spend years and decades and entire lifetimes pouring love and prayers, positive words and deeds, our very selves into close relationships. And we have every expectation of a good return—every dream of eternal harmony. Whether that relationship is marriage or parent-child, family or friendship, we each have special people in our lives who have received our thoughtful investment of time and energy, diversity in loving words and actions, and close watch through life's changes.
When we invest in relationships this way, we usually do reap a healthy return.
But sometimes, bankruptcy strikes. The relationship crashes, and we see everything lost. We may be able to pinpoint where we've been negligent, assuming our initial investment would cover it. Or we may perform a careful examination and remain stunned that our steady attention failed to overcome unavoidable mistakes by imperfect people. The signs of relationship crash may have been steadily growing, or a single disaster can wreak havoc.
However relationship crash comes, depression follows because of the perception that all is lost.
"Gather together the remaining broken pieces, in order that nothing might be lost."
~ John 6:12
As I've said before, Jesus is a capitalist. He speaks often of money, and clearly demonstrates that God will obtain a return on His many investments in us, one way or another. He allows nothing to be wasted, not even the broken pieces.
The broken pieces of our lives are sometimes related to losses of health and wealth. But relationship crash shatters us as nothing else, bringing on the notion that our investment has been a failure—maybe even the notion that we have been a failure.
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal."
~ Matthew 6:19-20 (NKJV)
Relationships of this world and this time may prove temporal, despite our best efforts to take them into eternity with us.
But.
We are not investing in the temporal and the seen. We are investing in the eternal and the unseen, laying up treasure in Heaven. We remain unaware, for now, of what return will be paid on our investment—for us, for our children, for every seen and unseen witness to our testimony.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
~ Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)
The case for love will not be lost—cannot be lost. The case for love is God's case, proven by us through His power.
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
~ Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The Case for Love: "Love is the Answer"
"Love is the Answer"—or so it's said. Does whatever Question, posed first, have relevance? Or is there truth in the hippie mantra? And is the Christian who says likewise being either naïve or overly simplistic?
Perhaps "whatever Question" is less important than how one defines love.
"Love" is a commonplace word in our world. "Love" is seen as humanity's true nature. "Love" conveys warm feelings toward those who do good to us, and those for whom we have natural affection (such as our children). We use "love" in connection with anything or anyone important to us—or simply pleasing to us—from food to someone we find attractive. "Love" is also a synonym for sex, even the most casual or torrid sex, for our world makes little distinction between sex as a marriage bond and sex as a call of nature.
But there is another love, decidedly uncommon, set apart from all natural instinct: God’s holy love.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NCV)
This love is anything but our true nature. Our nature dictates self-gratification and self-preservation. From the moment of birth until the last struggle against death, our nature is not love but avoidance of injury, pain and discomfort to body and soul. The "love" defined by this world is willing to love only if it furthers the goal of self-preservation and self-gratification. Suicide—the willingness to destroy one's own life—is the result of pain avoidance overcoming even the instinct for self-preservation.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
~ John 3:16 (NKJV)
The nature of holy God is to love regardless of Self-preservation or Self-gratification. God's Son Jesus did not commit suicide but rather laid down (John 15:13) His life. Rather than avoid suffering, Jesus embraced horrific pain and death in order to overcome both the self-destruction inherent to sin and humanity's instinct for sin.
"To be holy is to look like God. His beauty—His ultimate beauty—is the beauty of love and goodness."
~ from my last post, "Why Holiness is Beautiful"
Did the last post seem to argue for love and holiness being synonymous? Did it cross the line of biblical integrity?
Yes, love and holiness are distinct. Even so, I maintain that holiness cannot exist apart from the holy and wholly unnatural love of God. God is holy because He is wholly set apart from what humanity is by nature. To be a Christian is to be set apart to God as holy and to love with His wholly unnatural love. To the question of what holiness is, "Love is the answer" if it is the love of God.
"In the last analysis, it is our conception of death which decides our answers to all the questions that life puts to us."
~ Dag Hammarskjold
Whatever the question, the answer is never "love" as the world defines it.
To every question, and especially to the ultimate questions posed by death, God is the Answer, and "God is love" (1 John 4:8).
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Perhaps "whatever Question" is less important than how one defines love.
"Love" is a commonplace word in our world. "Love" is seen as humanity's true nature. "Love" conveys warm feelings toward those who do good to us, and those for whom we have natural affection (such as our children). We use "love" in connection with anything or anyone important to us—or simply pleasing to us—from food to someone we find attractive. "Love" is also a synonym for sex, even the most casual or torrid sex, for our world makes little distinction between sex as a marriage bond and sex as a call of nature.
But there is another love, decidedly uncommon, set apart from all natural instinct: God’s holy love.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NCV)
This love is anything but our true nature. Our nature dictates self-gratification and self-preservation. From the moment of birth until the last struggle against death, our nature is not love but avoidance of injury, pain and discomfort to body and soul. The "love" defined by this world is willing to love only if it furthers the goal of self-preservation and self-gratification. Suicide—the willingness to destroy one's own life—is the result of pain avoidance overcoming even the instinct for self-preservation.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
~ John 3:16 (NKJV)
The nature of holy God is to love regardless of Self-preservation or Self-gratification. God's Son Jesus did not commit suicide but rather laid down (John 15:13) His life. Rather than avoid suffering, Jesus embraced horrific pain and death in order to overcome both the self-destruction inherent to sin and humanity's instinct for sin.
"To be holy is to look like God. His beauty—His ultimate beauty—is the beauty of love and goodness."
~ from my last post, "Why Holiness is Beautiful"
Did the last post seem to argue for love and holiness being synonymous? Did it cross the line of biblical integrity?
Yes, love and holiness are distinct. Even so, I maintain that holiness cannot exist apart from the holy and wholly unnatural love of God. God is holy because He is wholly set apart from what humanity is by nature. To be a Christian is to be set apart to God as holy and to love with His wholly unnatural love. To the question of what holiness is, "Love is the answer" if it is the love of God.
"In the last analysis, it is our conception of death which decides our answers to all the questions that life puts to us."
~ Dag Hammarskjold
Whatever the question, the answer is never "love" as the world defines it.
To every question, and especially to the ultimate questions posed by death, God is the Answer, and "God is love" (1 John 4:8).
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Why Holiness is Beautiful
Who would want to be as ugly as "holier than thou" people?
If God's holy and I'm not, why does the Bible say "be holy"?
Why be holy if it means being boring?
Holy simply means "set apart." But of all the ideas presented by the Bible, perhaps nothing is less understood than holiness. Holiness seems to be the domain of clergy, missionaries, and spiritual giants—or religious snobs. The word "holy" is more likely to evoke images of candle lit cathedrals, flowing robes, and vessels of gold than of beaches and boardrooms, shopping malls and construction zones.
Regardless of how we define "holy," both Old Testament (eight times) and New Testament (four times) contain an imperative from God to all of His people:
"And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine."
~ Leviticus 20:26 (NKJV)
God does not ask the impossible. He simply makes a logical distinction already evident throughout our culture.
You can easily discern which people in Wal-Mart are set apart as employees by their blue vests. Police officers are set apart by their uniform, badge and gun. And there's something about their manner that sets apart college instructors from the students, even when age and clothing aren't all that different.
Of all advice I've heard about success in the business world, one I consider very practical is this: wear attire which approximates the appearance of the boss, neither more dressy nor more casual.
And so God asks the same thing of people who are His—"look like Me." Too many Christians make the mistake of thinking that means we should all look alike.
"For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
~ 1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV)
God is love (1 John 4:8,16). Jesus said we would be known as His disciples—recognized as set apart to Him—by our love for one another (John 13:34-35).
… we should be holy and without blame before Him in love …
~ Ephesians 1:4 (NKJV)
May I therefore suggest that the most vital component of being set apart to God as His is to grow increasingly more loving with the selfless love of Jesus?
Asking "What would Jesus do?" might be a starting place for what it means to love as God loves. It is also not wise to put God in a box, lest He directs something completely unpredictable. Although Jesus twice fed a hungry crowd, His Word also says that people who won't work shouldn't eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Jesus often healed people, but sometimes withheld healing (Matthew 13:58, 15:23-24). The gentle and lowly Jesus (Matthew 11:29) occasionally used strong names (Matthew 12:34, Luke 10:3, John 8:44) and a whip of cords (John 2:15).
All ways, at all times, Jesus remained love. To look like Jesus is to look like selfless love, whether in business attire or T-shirt and jeans. To look like Jesus is to look like selfless love, at home, office, vacation, hospital, church, store. To look like Jesus is to look like selfless love, in the time to remain silent and the time to speak boldly.
To be holy is to be set apart to God, increasingly used by Him to fulfill His purposes rather than our own purposes, continually growing in reliance upon His divine strength rather than our human resolve.
"It's easy to be a holy man on top of a mountain."
~ Mountaintop monk, The Razor's Edge
One way to be holy on top of a mountain is to withdraw from people and situations that provoke us to unholiness. Holiness also occurs on spiritual mountaintops, when we experience profound blessing and easily pass it along.
God's people are also called to be holy when we're running late, the express lane line is long with full carts, and that blue vest associate is in no hurry. We are called to be holy when cut off, in traffic or in conversation. We are called to be holy with the people and situations that would cause the most reasonable people to lose their temper.
God's people are called to be holy in the deepest of dark valleys, where we lose hope of seeing the mountaintops we can hardly remember, because God assures us that He walks with us and is in us.
He has sent us a mighty Savior …
So we can serve God without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before Him
All the days of our life.
Luke 1:69,74-75 (NLT, NKJV)
Holiness is neither ugly nor boring. To be holy is to look like God. His beauty—His ultimate beauty—is the beauty of love and goodness.
: : :
Note: In follow up to this post, please see
The Case for Love: "Love is the Answer"
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
If God's holy and I'm not, why does the Bible say "be holy"?
Why be holy if it means being boring?
Holy simply means "set apart." But of all the ideas presented by the Bible, perhaps nothing is less understood than holiness. Holiness seems to be the domain of clergy, missionaries, and spiritual giants—or religious snobs. The word "holy" is more likely to evoke images of candle lit cathedrals, flowing robes, and vessels of gold than of beaches and boardrooms, shopping malls and construction zones.
Regardless of how we define "holy," both Old Testament (eight times) and New Testament (four times) contain an imperative from God to all of His people:
"And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine."
~ Leviticus 20:26 (NKJV)
God does not ask the impossible. He simply makes a logical distinction already evident throughout our culture.
You can easily discern which people in Wal-Mart are set apart as employees by their blue vests. Police officers are set apart by their uniform, badge and gun. And there's something about their manner that sets apart college instructors from the students, even when age and clothing aren't all that different.
Of all advice I've heard about success in the business world, one I consider very practical is this: wear attire which approximates the appearance of the boss, neither more dressy nor more casual.
And so God asks the same thing of people who are His—"look like Me." Too many Christians make the mistake of thinking that means we should all look alike.
"For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
~ 1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV)
God is love (1 John 4:8,16). Jesus said we would be known as His disciples—recognized as set apart to Him—by our love for one another (John 13:34-35).
… we should be holy and without blame before Him in love …
~ Ephesians 1:4 (NKJV)
May I therefore suggest that the most vital component of being set apart to God as His is to grow increasingly more loving with the selfless love of Jesus?
Asking "What would Jesus do?" might be a starting place for what it means to love as God loves. It is also not wise to put God in a box, lest He directs something completely unpredictable. Although Jesus twice fed a hungry crowd, His Word also says that people who won't work shouldn't eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Jesus often healed people, but sometimes withheld healing (Matthew 13:58, 15:23-24). The gentle and lowly Jesus (Matthew 11:29) occasionally used strong names (Matthew 12:34, Luke 10:3, John 8:44) and a whip of cords (John 2:15).
All ways, at all times, Jesus remained love. To look like Jesus is to look like selfless love, whether in business attire or T-shirt and jeans. To look like Jesus is to look like selfless love, at home, office, vacation, hospital, church, store. To look like Jesus is to look like selfless love, in the time to remain silent and the time to speak boldly.
To be holy is to be set apart to God, increasingly used by Him to fulfill His purposes rather than our own purposes, continually growing in reliance upon His divine strength rather than our human resolve.
"It's easy to be a holy man on top of a mountain."
~ Mountaintop monk, The Razor's Edge
One way to be holy on top of a mountain is to withdraw from people and situations that provoke us to unholiness. Holiness also occurs on spiritual mountaintops, when we experience profound blessing and easily pass it along.
God's people are also called to be holy when we're running late, the express lane line is long with full carts, and that blue vest associate is in no hurry. We are called to be holy when cut off, in traffic or in conversation. We are called to be holy with the people and situations that would cause the most reasonable people to lose their temper.
God's people are called to be holy in the deepest of dark valleys, where we lose hope of seeing the mountaintops we can hardly remember, because God assures us that He walks with us and is in us.
He has sent us a mighty Savior …
So we can serve God without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before Him
All the days of our life.
Luke 1:69,74-75 (NLT, NKJV)
Holiness is neither ugly nor boring. To be holy is to look like God. His beauty—His ultimate beauty—is the beauty of love and goodness.
: : :
Note: In follow up to this post, please see
The Case for Love: "Love is the Answer"
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – use @gmail.com *after* buildingHisbody
Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Commandment Number 13, Conclusion:
Radical Joy
Our church drama team did a full length presentation (90 minutes?) earlier this year—"Baggage Claim"—set at a quirky bed & breakfast. I played giddy Clarisse, the hostess whose unearthy and radical joy causes her to dance her way across the lobby whenever she moves. Clarisse seems hilariously absurd until the final scene, when the allegory turns deadly serious and Clarisse is the angelic messenger of judgment.
I'm not accustomed to dancing for an extended period of time. During Act I, Scene Two, I had only a few lines, and spent most of the scene dancing in the background. The scene itself was perhaps 15–20 minutes, plenty of time to work up a respectable heart rate. But rehearsals could extend that time to a couple of hours, long enough to grow downright tired.
I'd never before considered seeing a day when I might rather sit down than dance. But the radical joy of the Lord births a truly unearthy strength.
Can you imagine what would happen if, during a live stage production, an actor or actress decided they'd had enough and dropped out? While such a character would rest, there'd be no joy in the performance. Every other disrupted actor would fumble to cover for the missing member. Critical lines could not be delivered effectively by the wrong person, and the story would be seriously impaired. The poor audience would be hopelessly confused, and leave the auditorium disappointed.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus …
~ Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)
Last week, someone close to me and dearly loved attempted suicide. Our unrelenting enemy the devil constantly bombards us with lies, Christians and non-Christians alike. If a person gives him an ear, he ruthlessly attempts to steal, kill and destroy whatever he can.
I understand how a person can become distracted enough from Jesus, or neglect spiritual armor, and begin to believe those lies.
This problem is never going to change.
There's no other way out of the pain.
It's okay to bow out a little early.
Yet there really is a time to dance, and a time to mourn; a time of war, and a time of peace. The script of our lives is not one we can skip out on. Yes, others would fumble and move on, but not without impairment. Our story incomplete, we'd never experience fullness of joy. And that great cloud of witnesses would be most disappointed.
… looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
~ Hebrews 12:2 (emphasis mine)
Among the enemy's most damaging and prevalent lies are these:
You're not loved enough.
Your love doesn't make any difference.
Love matters. Love is deadly serious.
While faith and hope will find their fulfillment and cease, love never ends.
As mentioned in Part Three ("Just One Thing"), we are commanded to love as Jesus loves us. Our Lord Jesus introduces His command while speaking of the Father's glory. Then among His final words before dying, He gives us another reason:
"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
~ John 15:11-12 (NKJV)
If we are to find full joy—radical joy—we must love as Jesus loves us.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
I'm not accustomed to dancing for an extended period of time. During Act I, Scene Two, I had only a few lines, and spent most of the scene dancing in the background. The scene itself was perhaps 15–20 minutes, plenty of time to work up a respectable heart rate. But rehearsals could extend that time to a couple of hours, long enough to grow downright tired.
I'd never before considered seeing a day when I might rather sit down than dance. But the radical joy of the Lord births a truly unearthy strength.
Can you imagine what would happen if, during a live stage production, an actor or actress decided they'd had enough and dropped out? While such a character would rest, there'd be no joy in the performance. Every other disrupted actor would fumble to cover for the missing member. Critical lines could not be delivered effectively by the wrong person, and the story would be seriously impaired. The poor audience would be hopelessly confused, and leave the auditorium disappointed.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus …
~ Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)
Last week, someone close to me and dearly loved attempted suicide. Our unrelenting enemy the devil constantly bombards us with lies, Christians and non-Christians alike. If a person gives him an ear, he ruthlessly attempts to steal, kill and destroy whatever he can.
I understand how a person can become distracted enough from Jesus, or neglect spiritual armor, and begin to believe those lies.
This problem is never going to change.
There's no other way out of the pain.
It's okay to bow out a little early.
Yet there really is a time to dance, and a time to mourn; a time of war, and a time of peace. The script of our lives is not one we can skip out on. Yes, others would fumble and move on, but not without impairment. Our story incomplete, we'd never experience fullness of joy. And that great cloud of witnesses would be most disappointed.
… looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
~ Hebrews 12:2 (emphasis mine)
Among the enemy's most damaging and prevalent lies are these:
You're not loved enough.
Your love doesn't make any difference.
Love matters. Love is deadly serious.
While faith and hope will find their fulfillment and cease, love never ends.
As mentioned in Part Three ("Just One Thing"), we are commanded to love as Jesus loves us. Our Lord Jesus introduces His command while speaking of the Father's glory. Then among His final words before dying, He gives us another reason:
"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
~ John 15:11-12 (NKJV)
If we are to find full joy—radical joy—we must love as Jesus loves us.
Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Being Built Up
And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman ... So when the Samaritans had come to Him ... many more believed because of His own word.
~ John 4:39-41 (NKJV)
With highly educated Jews, Jesus experienced conflict and rejection. He receives a warmer reception among Jewish common people (Mark 12:37). And when He comes to the Samaritans, who generally had even less knowledge of spiritual and religious matters than Jews, they accepted Jesus and His Gospel at once.
We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up ...
~ 1 Corinthians 8:1 (NKJV)
When one of my family members went through a "trying on Christianity" phase, he quoted the above verse and told me that he didn't read the Bible, because people who know the Bible are filled with pride. (He's now a committed Wiccan.)
Since any one of us might be inclined to take pride in our knowledge—and plenty of education (like plenty of money) can be a stumbling block to faith—can an argument be made for maintaining a certain level of ignorance?
By no means! The Bible encourages us to obtain knowledge. Here's how that verse from Corinthians continues:
We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
~ 1 Corinthians 8:1 (NKJV)
We might know our Bible and our theology and everything related inside out. But if our motive is to build ourselves up, either in our own eyes or the eyes of someone else (including God), we achieve the opposite spiritually.
On the other hand, if our motive in obtaining knowledge is to know God and become more Christlike—if we are motivated by love—the result for ourselves and others is edification, which means "being built up."
An interesting irony in experiencing the power of love.
Comments are welcome and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ John 4:39-41 (NKJV)
With highly educated Jews, Jesus experienced conflict and rejection. He receives a warmer reception among Jewish common people (Mark 12:37). And when He comes to the Samaritans, who generally had even less knowledge of spiritual and religious matters than Jews, they accepted Jesus and His Gospel at once.
We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up ...
~ 1 Corinthians 8:1 (NKJV)
When one of my family members went through a "trying on Christianity" phase, he quoted the above verse and told me that he didn't read the Bible, because people who know the Bible are filled with pride. (He's now a committed Wiccan.)
Since any one of us might be inclined to take pride in our knowledge—and plenty of education (like plenty of money) can be a stumbling block to faith—can an argument be made for maintaining a certain level of ignorance?
By no means! The Bible encourages us to obtain knowledge. Here's how that verse from Corinthians continues:
We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
~ 1 Corinthians 8:1 (NKJV)
We might know our Bible and our theology and everything related inside out. But if our motive is to build ourselves up, either in our own eyes or the eyes of someone else (including God), we achieve the opposite spiritually.
On the other hand, if our motive in obtaining knowledge is to know God and become more Christlike—if we are motivated by love—the result for ourselves and others is edification, which means "being built up."
An interesting irony in experiencing the power of love.
Comments are welcome and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Of Bathtubs and Toilets and Such
Our cozy house has two bathrooms and two teen daughters who each get a bathroom to clean. I'd honestly rather clean a bathroom than cook dinner, so it's not uncommon for me to do the former rather than the latter.
Instead of writing and posting this last night, I was on hands and knees to scrub rust stains out of a bathtub and then detail-clean every single spot near the toilets used by boys—arguably the two dirtiest jobs of the house.
More important than a clean house is teaching the principle that no task should be below me. I've often told the kids I'll never ask them to do anything I'm not willing to do myself. Or, put another way, there shouldn't be any task that either they or I look at and say of it, "I'm too good to do that—let someone lesser than me do it."
Because no one is lesser.
That's the line I use when someone around here whines about a dirty job. "Who's the person not as good as you that you think should do it?"
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NKJV)
When it comes to messy, bathtubs and toilets ain't got nothin on love.
I wish parenting never got any more difficult than teaching kids to detail-clean a bathroom. It's a thousand times—a million times!—more difficult to teach "love is not provoked" when you live around people who provoke you with all their little idiosyncracies (especially when I allow myself to be provoked).
The messiest cleaning job pales next to "bless those who curse you."
So I remind myself constantly that my life is God's experiment in love. He gives me the recipe for love, empowers me to love, and then allows all the conflicts which challenge love and cause me to fail and rise again. He not only gives me the privilege of proving Him true, but He makes it difficult enough to prove that love really does work.
He makes this experiment love messy enough to prove that He and His Word are anything but purely academic.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
~ Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)
Comments are welcome and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Instead of writing and posting this last night, I was on hands and knees to scrub rust stains out of a bathtub and then detail-clean every single spot near the toilets used by boys—arguably the two dirtiest jobs of the house.
More important than a clean house is teaching the principle that no task should be below me. I've often told the kids I'll never ask them to do anything I'm not willing to do myself. Or, put another way, there shouldn't be any task that either they or I look at and say of it, "I'm too good to do that—let someone lesser than me do it."
Because no one is lesser.
That's the line I use when someone around here whines about a dirty job. "Who's the person not as good as you that you think should do it?"
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NKJV)
When it comes to messy, bathtubs and toilets ain't got nothin on love.
I wish parenting never got any more difficult than teaching kids to detail-clean a bathroom. It's a thousand times—a million times!—more difficult to teach "love is not provoked" when you live around people who provoke you with all their little idiosyncracies (especially when I allow myself to be provoked).
The messiest cleaning job pales next to "bless those who curse you."
So I remind myself constantly that my life is God's experiment in love. He gives me the recipe for love, empowers me to love, and then allows all the conflicts which challenge love and cause me to fail and rise again. He not only gives me the privilege of proving Him true, but He makes it difficult enough to prove that love really does work.
He makes this experiment love messy enough to prove that He and His Word are anything but purely academic.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
~ Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)
Comments are welcome and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Reunion
Johnny said it had been seven years since we last saw each other. I remembered only that the years had been painfully long. His absence left a void in my heart that never quite went away, prompting countless prayers for a reunion. Grief over my brother's estrangement even prompted a post from me on his birthday two years ago.
Then we enjoyed a three-hour breakfast together week before last. I was incredibly happy to hold my little brother, kiss his cheek, and tell him I love him.
We both enjoy dancing (a wedding occurrence for me and a weekly occurrence for him), so I eagerly accepted his invitation to join him at his favorite haunt. We did a somewhat complicated line dance that took me a few rounds to catch, but I quickly fell into the Two Step, the East Coast Swing, and a dance I think he called the Ragdoll that was very fast and made me laugh.
And I was even happier.
Then we enjoyed a three-hour breakfast together week before last. I was incredibly happy to hold my little brother, kiss his cheek, and tell him I love him.
We both enjoy dancing (a wedding occurrence for me and a weekly occurrence for him), so I eagerly accepted his invitation to join him at his favorite haunt. We did a somewhat complicated line dance that took me a few rounds to catch, but I quickly fell into the Two Step, the East Coast Swing, and a dance I think he called the Ragdoll that was very fast and made me laugh.
And I was even happier.
[Sorry for the poor quality of my phone photo—the only one I got.]
What fellowship ... has darkness with light? (2 Corinthians 6:14)
The darkness in my brother showed itself at dawn and emerged full force at noon. His old hurts which have given way to anger and anger which has long simmered into bitter malice were easily covered with a few hours charm, especially because my love wanted to believe they might have died.
I suppose if we knock on Heaven's door long enough, a loving Father may finally say "yes" to our prayers, if for no other reason than to show us that what we think we desperately want really won't be for the best.
Though Johnny and I will remain estranged, and my happiness proved fleeting, I thank God for a brief reunion in answer to my prayers.
I thank the Lord for countless brothers and sisters in Christ who are filled with Light.
I thank God for Light which the darkness does not overcome.
Comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are welcome.
Reply via comments at BuildingHisBody.com,
or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
To Make It or Break It
For more random posts
from people who love the Lord,
click the image.
from people who love the Lord,
click the image.
For a random Thursday post, bedroom decor seems as good a subject as any. I’ve encountered blog posts which featured photos of beds shrouded in romantic light and buried in pillows of decorator linens, worthy of a Better Homes and Gardens cover.
This is not one of those posts.
The bedroom in my cozy home has a decor which can best be called eclectic. Faux-finish of navy blue frames the double window’s northern light, and navy blue carpet acts as magnet for every piece of lint in the house. The antique curio cabinet was my great-grandmother’s, and the antique rotary phone on one side of the bed is flanked by a cordless on the other. The doors and frames are all a light honey, while the furniture is gradient shades of dark mahogany.
The bed is, of course, the reason for a bedroom. Our four-poster used to have a lovely quilt, but it didn’t fare well with kids and was replaced by a hunter green blanket of wool. The foot of the bed has a Mexican blanket to remind me of Colorado sunshine back home, and the head of the bed is buried in pillows of warm colors to counter the chills of Michigan winter and summer AC. Across the room is the antique chair everyone fights to relax in and at the foot of the bed is a bench. All three are draped with children each night for bedtime prayers. If I occasionally sleep in after a late night of writing, I’ll wake up to cuddly kids in my bed as well—even better than sunrise birdsong for an alarm.
Clean laundry gets cleared from the bench when I tire of digging for it. The ceiling fan is dusted when it gets fuzzy enough. A vacuum is run when the lint starts to look like snow.
But making the bed is for every day.
A friend convinced me years ago that the bed makes or breaks the bedroom atmosphere. Everything else can be neat as a pin, yet spoiled by an unmade bed. On the other hand, the average mess is quite tolerable when the blankets and pillows are in place.
I so want the same to be true of me. The pretty professional portrait on my sidebar makes me look nice and decent. I think I’m fairly proficient stringing words together. When I publish a post, I want the ideas to look neat as a pin.
All the while, I try to be transparent enough for my audience to know that I have kids and a marriage and a life that’s not perfect. I lose my temper and yell sometimes and speak words unworthy of a voice. I think things that ought not be thought.
Even so, just one thing makes or breaks the atmosphere of my life—love.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
~ 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NKJV)
Everything else in my life could look neat as a pin, yet be spoiled by absence of love.
On the other hand, my average mess is quite tolerable when love is in its place.
Make it so, dear Lord. Please, make it so.
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com Comments or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Make the Love Between Us Flow
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
~ John 15:12 (NKJV)
Reconciliation was and is the work of God. In every way, the Lord Jesus worked to bring reconciliation between God and mankind, among people. The difficulties in our life which God allows draw us to His throne in prayer, and compel us to work together for resolution and unity.
True unity is of another, unseen world. We learn it from the things of this world which are seen. We see birth and death that we might understand a bigger circle which unifies.
We see colors, that we might better understand the God Who is all colors of light—Who visited the earth as Son of Man and allowed us to glimpse purest love.
The Coloring Song
Red is the color of the blood that flowed
down the face of Someone Who loved us so,
He's the perfect Man, He's the Lord's Own Son,
He's the Lamb of God, He's the only One,
that can give us life, that can make us grow,
that can make the Love between us flow
Blue is the color of a heart so cold
that will not bend when the story's told,
of the Love of God for a sinful race,
of the Blood that flowed down Jesus' face
that can give us life, that can make us grow,
that can keep our hearts from growing cold
Gold is the color of the morning sun
that shines so freely on everyone,
it's the sun above that keeps us warm,
it's the Son of Love that calms the storm
that can give us life, that can make us grow,
that can turn our mornings into gold
Brown is the color of the autumn leaves,
when the winter comes to the barren trees,
there is birth, there is death, there is a plan
and there's just one God and there's just one Man
that can give us life, that can make us grow,
that can make our sins as white as snow
That can give us life, that can make us grow,
that can turn our mornings into gold,
That can give us life, that can make us grow,
that can keep our hearts from growing cold,
That can give us life, that can make us grow,
that can make the Love between us flow
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com Comments or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
"The Coloring Song" by Petra, from the album Never Say Die
©1981 Star Song Records
~ John 15:12 (NKJV)
Reconciliation was and is the work of God. In every way, the Lord Jesus worked to bring reconciliation between God and mankind, among people. The difficulties in our life which God allows draw us to His throne in prayer, and compel us to work together for resolution and unity.
True unity is of another, unseen world. We learn it from the things of this world which are seen. We see birth and death that we might understand a bigger circle which unifies.
We see colors, that we might better understand the God Who is all colors of light—Who visited the earth as Son of Man and allowed us to glimpse purest love.
The Coloring Song
Red is the color of the blood that flowed
down the face of Someone Who loved us so,
He's the perfect Man, He's the Lord's Own Son,
He's the Lamb of God, He's the only One,
that can give us life, that can make us grow,
that can make the Love between us flow
Blue is the color of a heart so cold
that will not bend when the story's told,
of the Love of God for a sinful race,
of the Blood that flowed down Jesus' face
that can give us life, that can make us grow,
that can keep our hearts from growing cold
Gold is the color of the morning sun
that shines so freely on everyone,
it's the sun above that keeps us warm,
it's the Son of Love that calms the storm
that can give us life, that can make us grow,
that can turn our mornings into gold
Brown is the color of the autumn leaves,
when the winter comes to the barren trees,
there is birth, there is death, there is a plan
and there's just one God and there's just one Man
that can give us life, that can make us grow,
that can make our sins as white as snow
That can give us life, that can make us grow,
that can turn our mornings into gold,
That can give us life, that can make us grow,
that can keep our hearts from growing cold,
That can give us life, that can make us grow,
that can make the Love between us flow
Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com Comments or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
"The Coloring Song" by Petra, from the album Never Say Die
©1981 Star Song Records
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Real Love
Please accept one last interruption to the look at God's Word in "The Twelve Days of Christ" series, for this entry in the Blog Carnival hosted by my friend Bridget Chumbley. For more on today's "One Word" theme, click here on "Love." The piece below is a rerun I trust you won't mind seeing again.
"Not where I breathe, but where I love, I live."
~Robert Southey
REAL LOVE
real love fully accepts a person "as is"
real love sees beyond appearances to the heart of a person
real love sees evil and remembers that all humanity’s got the disease
real love sees the evil in another and looks past it to the good
real love sees the evil that causes hurt and challenges it to get out
real love sees the good in a person and challenges it to come forth
real love sees every person as made in the image of God
real love knows every person is as special as God makes ME feel
real love knows EVERYONE suffers from inferiority complex and needs validation
real love speaks truthfully, without overdoing it
real love sees the pain another carries and draws close to help carry it
real love discovers the right way to meet another’s need
real love recognizes a heart feeling emptiness and offers what will fill it
real love gratefully accepts imperfect gifts given with sincerity
real love remembers to say "thank you"
real love stands ready to says "yes"
real love says "no" when it’s truly best
real love isn’t irritated by the irritating
real love finds the right outlet to dissolve anger instead of burying it or lashing out
real love says "I’m hurt" without causing hurt
real love means that when I know I’ve caused hurt, I hurt too
real love knows it’s EVER needing to say "I’m sorry"
real love knows saying "I’m sorry" means most when it comes with "I was wrong"
real love forgives completely
real love knows what and how to forget
real love knows what and how to remember
real love wants to share what’s most treasured
real love knows that real love means real sacrifice
real love will sacrifice even what’s most dear
real love is willing to go to the grave
real love goes past the grave into eternity
real love loves without dependence on being loved back
real love loves even those who seem unlovable
real love is usually simple but rarely easy ...
... and PERFECT love does not fear
History’s greatest "I love you" was written in blood on a hill called Calvary. The same amount of love it took to send Jesus to Calvary is the same amount of love God wants YOU to have from Him EVERY day...
We don’t have to deserve God’s love ... only be willing to receive it.
We love Him because He first loved us...
And this commandment we have from Him:
that he who loves God
must love his brother also.
~ 1 John 4:19-21 (NKJV)
#loveoneanother
Copyright 2004, 2009 Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Permission given to reprint for free-distribution only, with credit to author, Anne Lang Bundy.
Photo credit unavailable, with apology to unknown artist.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Gifts That Don't Fit Under the Tree
Yesterday's post was a delightful and unexpected interruption to the series "Twelve Days of Christ," on Psalm 119 and the church. Today's "Friday Freelance" is one more interruption before I continue the series tomorrow.
The words below are not my own. It is a piece presented by our Church last Sunday night as part of our Christmas program.
Gifts That Don’t Fit Under the Tree
At Christmas …
… you know what to give Mom
… Dad
… the kids
But what do you give …
… The mother struggling with poor self-esteem?
… The father fighting to make ends meet?
… The teen alone in the crowd?
The best gifts…
… The most unique gifts
… The gifts that mean the most
… Don’t fit under the tree
This Christmas
Consider giving…
the gift of
Focus
To someone you’ve neglected
spend some time
the gift of
Empathy
To those suffering alone
listen – really listen and find a way to lend a hand
the gift of
Forgiveness
To those burdened by shame
start the process of reconciliation
the gift of
Mercy
To one's who's not earned it
show kindness and compassion
the gift of
Charity
To the unseen in our community
share some of the grace you’ve received
This year make your Christmas about giving
Gifts that don’t fit under the tree
The words below are not my own. It is a piece presented by our Church last Sunday night as part of our Christmas program.
Gifts That Don’t Fit Under the TreeAt Christmas …
… you know what to give Mom
… Dad
… the kids
But what do you give …
… The mother struggling with poor self-esteem?
… The father fighting to make ends meet?
… The teen alone in the crowd?
The best gifts…
… The most unique gifts
… The gifts that mean the most
… Don’t fit under the tree
This Christmas
Consider giving…
the gift of
Focus
To someone you’ve neglected
spend some time
the gift of
Empathy
To those suffering alone
listen – really listen and find a way to lend a hand
the gift of
Encouragement
To the one taken for granted
invest your heart
Encouragement
To the one taken for granted
invest your heart
the gift of
Forgiveness
To those burdened by shame
start the process of reconciliation
the gift of
Comfort
To the brokenhearted
take up part of the load
Comfort
To the brokenhearted
take up part of the load
the gift of
Mercy
To one's who's not earned it
show kindness and compassion
the gift of
Humility
To the person that's wronged you
Sacrifice your pride
Humility
To the person that's wronged you
Sacrifice your pride
the gift of
Charity
To the unseen in our community
share some of the grace you’ve received
the gift of
Eternal Life
To the lost in your life
show what God has done for you
Eternal Life
To the lost in your life
show what God has done for you
This year make your Christmas about giving
Gifts that don’t fit under the tree
Written by Scott Young and Dale Emery,
Copyright 2009, used with permission.
Inspired by the video "Christmas Gifts" from WorshipHouseMedia.com
#loveoneanother
Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com.
Photo 1 from freepages.family.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Photo 2 from samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Great Multitude
"To love is to receive a glimpse of Heaven."
~ Karen Sunde
~ Karen Sunde
Great Multitude
#loveoneanother
I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth;
Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.
~ Psalms 109:30 (NKJV)
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands ...
~ Revelation 7:9 (NKJV)
I travel in many circles:
my family, husband's family, church family;
my ministry, his work, our kids' friends;
Facebook, Twitter, blogsphere;
present neighbors, and friends we never quite let go.
Then there's those many people I just know. Mary and Judy and everyone at the grocery stores. People I recognize only as parents of kids my kids know. Clerks and attendants and receptionists all over. (I'm continually embarrassed by how many names I forget.)
A good many of us know each other as children of the King. When our paths cross, I want to sit down with every single one of you, soak up your company, and express my genuine affection for you. I hate hasty hellos and quickly posted comments and 140 character tweets that say far less than I want to.
Today, I give thanks for your place in my life, whatever it may be.
Today, I give thanks that the day is coming when I'll remember every name, get to hug every neck, and have eternity to bask in your presence.
Ironically, I'm writing about people least likely to see this today, because hardly any of the "great multitude" for whom it is intended will read my blog on a holiday.
I nonetheless say to every one: I love you.
Father in Heaven, thank You for blessing me with so many wonderful people in my life. Please let me be Your blessing to each and every one of them. Please show me how to best love so many in this temporal and imperfect place.
Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Photo from community.beliefnet.com
Friday, November 20, 2009
Friday Freelance: Give and Take
"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone
who can do him absolutely no good."
~ Ann Landers
Friday Freelance: Give and Take
I'd embarrass my children if I told you how old they'll be before I quit blowing bubbles on their bellies—as if I even knew. It's harder with the older ones. You have to catch them when they're sleeping.
They'll always be my babies. Not that they're babied. I subscribe to the Amish philosophy which says that from birth to six expect children to take more than they give, from six to twelve expect them to give about the same they take, and after twelve expect them to give more than they take.
This is surely why the Creator made babies so cute. It's not so bad when an infant cries, upchucks (or worse) on you, or keeps you awake with sickness. They're cuddly and helpless and evoke sympathy. We had one who was colicky and drove us to our limits. But knowing she was in pain compelled me to draw upon an inner reserve of strength from God I didn't know existed.
They took more than they gave at that age—but they did give. They responded with smiles and affection and love.
For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?
Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
~ Matthew 5:46 (NKJV)
Unconditional love is willing to give without receiving, in ways big and small. It will care for the elderly invalid who curses without recognition. It will feed the homeless even if they do not say 'thank you.' It will yield an opening to the car trying to turn into heavy traffic.
It will die for us while we are still sinners in rebellion against God.
But extension of unconditional love does not constitute relationship. Relationship means there will be give and take of validation, and respect, and grace extended.
Jesus gave us numerous instructions which make for harmony with our world, ourselves, and our fellow man. Then He summed up everything in two simple commands: love God with all that you are, and love your neighbor as you love yourself.
He extended unconditional love to us when we gave Him nothing in return. He then invites us to share relationship with Him by returning that love.
After all He has done for us, it seems too little. In His eyes, it is all.
"They do not love that do not show their love."
~ William Shakespeare
Tomorrow's post: This message in a song
Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Debt of Love
"The debt of love never diminishes when we pay it."
~ Henry Jacobson
~ Henry Jacobson
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law... Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
~ Romans 13:8,10 (NIV)
"But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles."
~ Matthew 5:39-41 (NIV)
But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers! Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?
~ 1 Corinthians 6:6-7 (NKJV)
God's Word is a fascinating study in contrasts.
The Christian life is a balance between Christian liberty which allows us freedom to live free of law, surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ, and a life best blessed when lived as taught by Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, manifest in principles of the Bible.
Submission to authority is one principle. So is the concept of being willing to suffer for the sake of righteousness. Yet we are not to compel suffering of others, because God expects us to defend the weak from their oppressors—oppressors who are often those in authority.
How do we reconcile all the Bible's contrasts without conflict? What trumps rock-paper-scissors in a three-way contest which comes up tied?
The law of love trumps all.
God has poured out upon us such abundant love that we are forever in love's debt. The commandment "love thy neighbor" doesn't have exemption. We are to love the weak and defend them when it's inconvenient and without payoff, even at the cost of personal sacrifice. We are to love the authority, and not only give in to unreasonable demands (if they do not violate morals), but even "go the second mile." We are to prefer being wronged for the sake of love and unity, rather than raise conflict among Christians.
Christ set the ultimate example of suffering for the sake of righteousness to give us liberty. Among His last prayers was for unity among His followers. He said we'd be known as His by our love.
Liberty and unity and love will never be reconciled with living for Self.
Consider yet another contrast: Salvation was purchased at the highest possible cost and is given as a free gift—but carries an eternal debt of love.
Lord Jesus, Your grace commands our love. We cannot love You too much or follow Your example of love too extremely. Please lead us in Your footsteps.
Contrasting points-of-view, questions and feedback are invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Spiritual Gifts
SERVANT HANDS
"What you are is God's gift to you.
What you make of yourself is your gift to God."
~ Vern McLellan
Who do you think you are to question God? Does the clay have the right to ask the potter why he shaped it the way he did?
~ Romans 9:20 (CEV)
~ Romans 9:20 (CEV)
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant ... There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.
~ 1 Corinthians 12:1,4-6 (NKJV)
~ 1 Corinthians 12:1,4-6 (NKJV)
Among the gifts (manifestations) of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Bible are prophecy, service / ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership / administration, mercy, the word of wisdom or knowledge, faith, healings, working of miracles, discerning of spirits, different kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues.
God also gives human skills and attributes to complement spiritual gifts. A recent discussion on What I Learned Today examined which of these we might choose for ourselves, given the opportunity. While we can ask for specific spiritual gifts, attributes, and skills, the Lord is the One to choose what we are given. We choose not what we receive, but how and why we use it.
If motivated by pride, we can waste our gifts by using them to build up ourselves. If motivated by love for Christ and love for others—the more excellent way—we will use what we've been given to glorify God and build up people, especially those within His Body of believers.
That's what Building His Body is about. I pray I am faithful to that calling with all I am and all I've been given.
Father in Heaven, You are generous beyond all reason with us. Your grace lends to our use Your life and strength of Spirit, and these are more than enough. With all else You put in our hands, however fleetingly, we can never repay the debt of love we owe You. We ask for Your empowerment so we can nonetheless try.
Feedback appreciated! Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Friday, August 28, 2009
FEELINGS Part I
"Feelings aren’t right or wrong, they’re just feelings."
When I heard these words many years ago they did not ring true. But I had neither the knowledge nor experience to rebut them.
Though their speaker intended to impart truth, he was mistaken. The Bible says we can sin not only in word and action, but in thought and feeling. The first and last of the Ten Commandments address unseen thoughts and feelings:
I AM YHWH your God, you shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s spouse or possessions.
Jesus often affirmed that we can sin with our feelings. Among other teachings, He said that to lust is to commit adultery in the heart.
Ironically, less visible thoughts and feelings are more difficult to control than evident words and actions. Victory is found not only in pushing aside the wrong thoughts and feelings, but by replacing them with what is right. Doing so not only leaves less room for what is wrong, but what is right is more likely to become truth in repetition, so that feelings may even change.
A classic scenario is a child being instructed to say "I’m sorry" if they don’t feel that way. I insist on it—not because I don’t believe in honesty, but because they honestly need to feel sorry.
And I'll help them feel sorry on some level, whether by their pure or their selfish motives.
If my children have hurt one another, I want them to say "I’m sorry" in love. I hope that seeing someone in pain evokes their compassion, and that expression of compassion and remorse is their natural reaction, even if it takes a little prompting.
But if their love falls short, I appeal to their sense of rightness and duty. We know what it is to feel guilty because we’ve done wrong, and while the desire to be righteous is not the highest motive, it is not a bad motive. It may be the most common motive for doing right.
If neither compassion nor conscience will inspire remorse, then I call upon my children’s lowest motive: selfishness. It will be necessary for them to express remorse with at least a veil of sincerity, or they will be punished. If they have wrongly caused harm, they need to have regret.
My job as a parent is to teach that, even if forced to draw upon fear and self-interest.
I have no desire to inflict discipline's discomfort or fear on my precious ones. But much is at stake. I am teaching not only right behavior, but the right feelings which lead to right behavior. Lacking even selfishly motivated right behavior, civilization disintegrates into anarchy.
Our heavenly Father does the same with us. If we will not heed Him, our fear of His righteous discipline is justified. Better yet that we simply do our duty because we wish to do what is right.
But He appeals to us—even commands us—to be moved by love. Righteousness requires little effort when love motivates our feelings. Fear and discipline are unnecessary.
When perfect love drives us, neither punishment nor duty are taken into account by even God.
Feedback appreciated! Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
When I heard these words many years ago they did not ring true. But I had neither the knowledge nor experience to rebut them.
Though their speaker intended to impart truth, he was mistaken. The Bible says we can sin not only in word and action, but in thought and feeling. The first and last of the Ten Commandments address unseen thoughts and feelings:
I AM YHWH your God, you shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s spouse or possessions.
Jesus often affirmed that we can sin with our feelings. Among other teachings, He said that to lust is to commit adultery in the heart.
Ironically, less visible thoughts and feelings are more difficult to control than evident words and actions. Victory is found not only in pushing aside the wrong thoughts and feelings, but by replacing them with what is right. Doing so not only leaves less room for what is wrong, but what is right is more likely to become truth in repetition, so that feelings may even change.
A classic scenario is a child being instructed to say "I’m sorry" if they don’t feel that way. I insist on it—not because I don’t believe in honesty, but because they honestly need to feel sorry.
And I'll help them feel sorry on some level, whether by their pure or their selfish motives.
If my children have hurt one another, I want them to say "I’m sorry" in love. I hope that seeing someone in pain evokes their compassion, and that expression of compassion and remorse is their natural reaction, even if it takes a little prompting.
But if their love falls short, I appeal to their sense of rightness and duty. We know what it is to feel guilty because we’ve done wrong, and while the desire to be righteous is not the highest motive, it is not a bad motive. It may be the most common motive for doing right.
If neither compassion nor conscience will inspire remorse, then I call upon my children’s lowest motive: selfishness. It will be necessary for them to express remorse with at least a veil of sincerity, or they will be punished. If they have wrongly caused harm, they need to have regret.
My job as a parent is to teach that, even if forced to draw upon fear and self-interest.
I have no desire to inflict discipline's discomfort or fear on my precious ones. But much is at stake. I am teaching not only right behavior, but the right feelings which lead to right behavior. Lacking even selfishly motivated right behavior, civilization disintegrates into anarchy.
Our heavenly Father does the same with us. If we will not heed Him, our fear of His righteous discipline is justified. Better yet that we simply do our duty because we wish to do what is right.
But He appeals to us—even commands us—to be moved by love. Righteousness requires little effort when love motivates our feelings. Fear and discipline are unnecessary.
When perfect love drives us, neither punishment nor duty are taken into account by even God.
There is no fear in love.
Indeed, perfect love banishes fear,
because fear is about punishment and agony.
The person in fear does not have complete love.
1 John 4:18 (author)
Indeed, perfect love banishes fear,
because fear is about punishment and agony.
The person in fear does not have complete love.
1 John 4:18 (author)
Feedback appreciated! Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Most Powerful Force
"A faithful prayer in the hands of love
is the most powerful force on earth."
~ Doug Spurling
is the most powerful force on earth."
~ Doug Spurling
"Nearly all men can stand adversity,
but if you want to test a man's character give him power."
~ Abraham Lincoln
but if you want to test a man's character give him power."
~ Abraham Lincoln
So if the most powerful force on earth were entrusted to you, what would your character prove in your use of it?
If you are Christ's, you indeed hold that power.
Father, fill us with love and faith, then bow us low.
Feedback appreciated! Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Beloved, Part II
[Jesus] said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You."
~ John 21:17 (NKJV)
A Psalm of David The Servant of the LORD,
Who Spoke to the LORD The Words of This Song ...
I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
~ Psalms 18:1 (NKJV)
Thoughts on what it means to say "I love you," with thanks to Shark Bait, who today hosts a guest blog rerun of mine by the same title. (Be sure to visit Shark Bait, my precious friend of a FISH—Faithful In Serving Him.)
l l l l l
Can we say the words, "I love you" too often? Should they be like fine china, brought out only for special occasions when they will be most appreciated? Or is it possible to make them meaningful each time because they are never a substitute for showing love? Actions speak louder than words, but words backed by actions speak loudest.
Jesus restored Peter by compelling of him the words "I love you" as many times as Peter had denied him.
My husband and I celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary today. As I search for meaning in this seemingly random number, it occurs to me that 18 is the number at which a person is considered an adult, when the world looks for credible maturity. I think my marriage grown-up. I hear my "I love you" as mature. But do I truly display maturity as a wife to him and to those around me? Or do I merely think I've learned much when in fact I'm just beginning to learn?
I've been reflecting the last few days on the words of Michael Hyatt on marriage, from his not-to-be-missed message "What Keeps You Going When You Want to Quit?" of July 31st. It occurs to me that while some people approach marriage with the attitude of "divorce is not an option," more difficult than not quitting on marriage legally is not quitting on a marriage emotionally—not reaching the point where it is an effort to say "I love you."
The most passionate and most prolific author of praise, King David, began the psalm written at his life's end with the words, "I will love You." He evidently did not see death as the end of love, but believed it a place from which to commit to eternal love.
I love You, O Lord, my Strength and my Song. I have loved You more and more each day that I've been privileged to know You. I neither tire of saying the words nor of looking for ways to live them. There is never a day You've not shown Your love for me. Show me how to live those words so that they are meaningful every time I say them to You, every time I say them to my husband, and every time I say them to the many people I love.
Feedback appreciated! Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
~ John 21:17 (NKJV)
A Psalm of David The Servant of the LORD,
Who Spoke to the LORD The Words of This Song ...
I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
~ Psalms 18:1 (NKJV)
Thoughts on what it means to say "I love you," with thanks to Shark Bait, who today hosts a guest blog rerun of mine by the same title. (Be sure to visit Shark Bait, my precious friend of a FISH—Faithful In Serving Him.)
l l l l l
Can we say the words, "I love you" too often? Should they be like fine china, brought out only for special occasions when they will be most appreciated? Or is it possible to make them meaningful each time because they are never a substitute for showing love? Actions speak louder than words, but words backed by actions speak loudest.
Jesus restored Peter by compelling of him the words "I love you" as many times as Peter had denied him.
My husband and I celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary today. As I search for meaning in this seemingly random number, it occurs to me that 18 is the number at which a person is considered an adult, when the world looks for credible maturity. I think my marriage grown-up. I hear my "I love you" as mature. But do I truly display maturity as a wife to him and to those around me? Or do I merely think I've learned much when in fact I'm just beginning to learn?
I've been reflecting the last few days on the words of Michael Hyatt on marriage, from his not-to-be-missed message "What Keeps You Going When You Want to Quit?" of July 31st. It occurs to me that while some people approach marriage with the attitude of "divorce is not an option," more difficult than not quitting on marriage legally is not quitting on a marriage emotionally—not reaching the point where it is an effort to say "I love you."
The most passionate and most prolific author of praise, King David, began the psalm written at his life's end with the words, "I will love You." He evidently did not see death as the end of love, but believed it a place from which to commit to eternal love.
I love You, O Lord, my Strength and my Song. I have loved You more and more each day that I've been privileged to know You. I neither tire of saying the words nor of looking for ways to live them. There is never a day You've not shown Your love for me. Show me how to live those words so that they are meaningful every time I say them to You, every time I say them to my husband, and every time I say them to the many people I love.
Feedback appreciated! Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Beloved
To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
~ Romans 1:7 (NKJV)
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God.
~ 1 John 3:1-2 (NKJV)
Even though he wrote the love chapter (1 Corinthians 13), I don't tend to think of Paul as a particularly affectionate sort. He wasn't even married, and an aging bachelor doesn't bring to my mind a picture of warm fuzzies.
But write the love chapter Paul did. And other than God Himself, no one else in Scripture uses the expression "beloved" more than Paul. How often does anyone use that particular term of endearment? It is reserved for only someone especially close to the heart. It was used of the Father for His Son Jesus.
Is there anyone in your life who calls you or is called by you "beloved"? Paul and John both use it in addressing you. More importantly, "beloved" describes God's affection for you, His beloved child. He does not use it of everyone, but only those He has adopted as His Own, who
call Him "Abba"—"Father."
~ Romans 1:7 (NKJV)
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God.
~ 1 John 3:1-2 (NKJV)
Even though he wrote the love chapter (1 Corinthians 13), I don't tend to think of Paul as a particularly affectionate sort. He wasn't even married, and an aging bachelor doesn't bring to my mind a picture of warm fuzzies.
But write the love chapter Paul did. And other than God Himself, no one else in Scripture uses the expression "beloved" more than Paul. How often does anyone use that particular term of endearment? It is reserved for only someone especially close to the heart. It was used of the Father for His Son Jesus.
Is there anyone in your life who calls you or is called by you "beloved"? Paul and John both use it in addressing you. More importantly, "beloved" describes God's affection for you, His beloved child. He does not use it of everyone, but only those He has adopted as His Own, who
call Him "Abba"—"Father."
Abba, Father, what manner of love, indeed, does for us all You have done? You give us life, liberty, and love above all love. If You did nothing else for us, we would be blessed only because we are Your beloved.
Feedback appreciated! Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
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