Commandment Number 13, Part One: Impossible Love

When my oldest daughter was a little girl, she one day presented me with a gift:



We had discussed (in home school Bible lessons) the importance of The Ten Commandments (listed in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5). We went on to study that according to Jesus, all the commandments really come down to just two:

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
~ Matthew 22:36-40 (NKJV; also Mark 12:28-34)

If we love God with all we are, and if we love others as we want to be loved, we have little worry of violating The Original Ten. Jesus simplifies all of the Old Testament with these two commands.

10 —> 2

Easy? Oh no. But it is simpler. Jesus continually issues challenges that go to our core with the very simplest of truths, such as:
lust = adultery
hatred = murder

About the time we might think we're getting a handle on those two greatest commandments, we may come to realize that Jesus simplified even further, with The New Commandment:

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."
~ John 13:34 (NKJV)

We can no longer get away with the lower standard of loving others as we want to be loved. We are now challenged to love others as well as God loves them.

2 —> 1

Simpler yet. More difficult yet.

Impossible for humans. Made possible by the God living within us, when we love God so well that His love naturally flows from us to one another.

More to follow ...

We love You so much, Lord. We love You not nearly enough. Please show us more of You?

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.

Question of the Week: Worldly Fear or Godly Fear?

by Anne Lang Bundy

Image source: science.howstuffworks

What is the difference between worldly fear and godly fear?
~ Russell Holloway, Blog Host
from the post Love is greater than fear

The short answer might be that worldly fear is motivated by self-protective pride and lust (a wide variety of self-indulgences), while godly fear is motivated by godly love. The Bible says that even Jesus experienced godly fear:

... in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
~ Hebrews 5:7-8 (NKJV)

If my love for another is self-centered, I recognize their potential to hurt me and am likely to limit myself to "safe" expressions of love which cater to the other person and still protect myself.

When my love is other-centered, I see the potential of my weaknesses to do injury to the one I love and have genuine fear of doing so. I am willing, if necessary, to both experience and cause pain if I am assured that doing so gives my loved one what is truly needed. The other-centered love—agape love—which accompanies godly fear values the relationship built up by reciprocal love and seeks to receive it. But agape love is stronger than my desire to experience temporal comfort or pleasure.

Godly fear only begins with the self-protective recognition that my heavenly Father's necessary discipline involves the training and correction which can be painful, and therefore attempts behavior to avoid discipline. (What athlete expects to excel without disciplined training that involves pain and correction?)

Godly fear holds a love for God that understands the injury to Him my sin has caused. Godly fear calls to mind the sufferings of Jesus on my behalf and has a heart which desires to cause Him no more pain.

For all that is in the world—
the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life
—is not of the Father but is of the world.
~ 1 John 2:16 (NKJV)

The worldly fear which does not come from God also involves love—disproportionate love for self above love for God and others. Pride wishes self to be built up rather than use the power of God to edify others and exalt God. Lust for personal and temporal gratification does not possess the sound mind which sees the broader perspective of what provides lasting and unified peace among self, God, and others.

You may recall the verse about God offering not worldly fear, but rather power, love and a sound mind. The next verse explains what's also included:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God.
~ 2 Timothy 1:7-8 (NKJV)

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This post originally appeared at Bullets & Butterflies. To see ongoing dialogue in comments posted there click here.

What questions do you have about Christianity or the Bible? You're invited to leave them in the comments below (anonymous questions welcome), or email buildingHisbody [plus] @ gmail.com.

© 2011 Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Classic Love, Contemporary Version

On a day when we celebrate love, I offer here a fresh look at a portion of history's classic soliloquy on love, 1 Corinthians 13, in the contemporary language of The Message paraphrase of the Bible.

♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥

No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies ...

We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.
Beloved Lord, please give us a fresh vision for how to make Your great love known to those in our lives. Please empower us to love one another as You have loved us, and to love You extravagantly.

P.S. ~ I love and pray for my readers. (Which means I love you!)

Comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments, or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥

Pity or Compassion?

To the best of my memory, I've never asked anyone for permission to repost a blog article. But this stands out as one of the best posts I've read. Ever. Today I share a worthy repeat from Connecting to Impact.

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PITY OR COMPASSION?
by Jason Stasyszen

There’s a show on History (you know, used to be the History Channel) called American Pickers. Now, I honestly don’t watch it all the time, but it is very entertaining.

I mean, just listen to the premise: two guys drive around in a van combing through barns, garages, and warehouses looking for treasures in a sea of hoarded items.

Okay, it doesn’t sound that amazing, but what makes it so great are the two guys who are so passionate and excited about what they’re looking for. They never know what they’ll find or even what they’re looking for entirely, but they love the thrill of finding that special treasure and bargaining with the owner to part with it.

I’ve decided I want to be more like this–but about people. I think there’s too much pity in the world and not enough compassion. We pity people for their hard childhood, their presently hard circumstances, their poor decisions… That’s not even mentioning that we often pity ourselves for much the same reasons.

These guys are passionate about seeing things not as they are currently or even what they were used for 50-100 years ago. It’s all about how these items can be cleaned up, repurposed, and made useful again. Their risks don’t always pay off, but it never dampens their enthusiasm.

Pity can’t do that. Pity won’t do that–because pity won’t even try.

God didn’t send us Jesus because He pitied us, but because He was passionate about us. Jesus didn’t heal, forgive, restore, and deliver out of pity, but because He had compassion and it always moved Him to change their lives. The more they hung around Him, the more their lives changed.

Likewise, Jesus isn’t building a Church that will pity the poor, blinded, broken, and desperate. We need to be passionate about how God sees them and us, never settling for a lesser vision.

→ Pity says “Don’t expect too much. We know it’s been really hard.”

→ Compassion says, “Get up! Take up your mat and walk.”

→ Pity says “I’ll just try to make you comfortable down there.”

→ Compassion says “There’s no reason you can’t come up here!”

Don’t get me wrong, I can’t change anyone and I won’t try. God has to do that, but He has a way of using those with hearts after Him. We get to be conduits of grace.

I’m tired of pitying a broken world full of hurting people. I want God’s compassion alive inside me to go out and find the treasures on the street corners, the grocery stores, the office buildings–and I want to allow God to touch my eyes so that I can see them the way God does.

I hope somebody’s with me today! What do you think? Care to add others to the list of pity says/compassion says?

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Jason received some great responses over at his blog. My favorite comment was this, from Sandra Heska King:

"Pity is wallowing in the shallows with someone. Compassion is pulling them with you into the deep."

To see more comments, and to share your thoughts with Jason, click here

© 2010 by Connecting to Impact all rights reserved. Used by permission of Jason Stasyszen, pictured here with wife Andrea. Thanks again, Jason!

Question of the Week: Relationship Priorities?

“Should you go to the person who needs you more or the person you love?”
~ Renatta Szukhent, Michigan

We are to love everyone. Everyone has needs we can meet. And the Bible's directions on how we respond to others is usually put in the context of relationship. So let’s look at priorities with one another based on relationship.

The greatest commandment gives God primary priority. Only when we first love Him with all heart, soul, mind, and strength are we able to truly love others or effectively minister to them.

The second commandment says love neighbor as self. Like the airline directive to don your own oxygen mask before assisting others, nurturing our own souls in God’s Word, Spirit and love enables us to love others equally.

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
~ Philippians 2:4 (NKJV)

Here are priorities set by the Bible:

First: Spouse (with whom we’re one flesh, part of “self”) –
So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
(Ephesians 5:28-29 NKJV;
also see Matthew 19:4-6 & 1 Corinthians 6:18)

Second: Immediate Household (parents and children) –
But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
(1 Timothy 5:8 NKJV;
also see Ephesians 6:1-3 & 2 Corinthians 12:14)

Third: Household of Faith (Christians; called “brother” or “brethren”) –
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
(Galatians 6:10 NKJV;
also see Ephesians 4:1-6 & Romans 12:4-5)

Last: All Unbelievers (as the Lord brings them into our lives) –
And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all ...
(1 Thessalonians 3:12 NKJV;
also see 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 & Luke 10:29-37)

[LATE ADDENDUM TO POST: – There is actually one more category of people the Bible places after this: the person who claims to be a Christian but lives in flagrant and continuing immorality, committing serious sin without repentance, bringing disgrace to the name of Christ.
See Matthew 18:15-17 and 1 Corinthians 5:9-13.]

The unbeliever might seem to have greater need for love and ministry than the believer, but the Bible gives preference to other Christians, with whom we are to be united.

We might seem judgmental to categorize others as "Christian" or "unbeliever," but the Bible makes that distinction, and also between "judgment" which condemns and "discernment" which protects.

No one is able to meet all the needs of others, no matter how close their relationship. The Lord alone is able to meet all human need. Maintaining a close relationship with the Lord enables us to discern how He desires to meet their needs through us.

And incidently, even God needs us—He needs the praise, worship, and fellowship which flow naturally out of our love for Him.

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When she posed the above question, Renatta also asked about the difference between religion and spirituality. Next week's Q&A will tackle this.

© 2010 Anne Lang Bundy
Image source: 21stcenturystrategiesinc.com

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This post originally appeared at Bullets & Butterflies. To see additional comments click here.

Bodies and Souls of People

"We either love people or we control them.
There's little room for anything else.
And it's far easier to control them than to love them."
~ John Eldredge

Bodies and Souls of People

"Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?" ...
"You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; because You were slain, and You redeemed us to God by Your blood, out of every tribe and language and people and nation ..."
~ Revelation 5:2,9 (EMTV)

And the merchants of the earth will weep and will mourn ... for no one buys their cargo any more: cargo of gold and of silver ... and of bodies and souls of people.
~ Revelation 18:11-13 (ALT)

Though Jesus is divine Son of God, other reasons are given for Him Who is both Lion of Judah and Lamb of God to be worthy of opening the scroll which declares God's will.

You were slain ...
The Greek word sphazō means slaughter, as in sacrifice. The human Jesus did not use His sinless perfection to claim exemption from sin's death penalty, but in sacrifice for all the humans subjected to death, whom He loves.

The Son of God asked for no privilege above other people—how can we?

... and You redeemed us to God by Your blood ...
"Redemption" speaks of purchase. The world is filled with people who fulfill themselves by using the strength, sex, or ideas from bodies and souls of others like commodities. Jesus created bodies and souls of people for the highest of all purposes—a dwelling place for God Himself—and bought them with His blood to be used for nothing less.

Might we see bodies and souls of people as either temples of God, or having the potential for that noble purpose?

... out of every tribe and language and people and nation ...
In what group of people do you feel out of place? Is there a part of town you avoid because you're the "wrong" color? Do you fail to understand what certain people are talking about? No such place exists with Jesus. His love is unconditional and recognizes no such distinctions.

There is no room for exclusion among the people of Jesus.

One last thought, on that opening quote. Though He has purchased us for Himself, Jesus loves us rather than controls us, allowing us to freely return His love—or not.

Thank You, Jesus. Thank You. You alone are worthy of our highest praise, our bowed down worship, and all the expanse of love we can offer.

I appreciate hearing from you. Questions are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments or e-mail me—my address is
buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com.
Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Image source: arts.vic.gov.au

Hard Answers

“Warriors of light hold inside them both the light and the dark,
weaving them together, embracing all as is.”
~ Maura Casey

Hard Answers

[Jesus said to them,] "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."
~ Luke 14:26-27 (NKJV)

Even those who have wives should be as though they had none ... I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife... this I say ... not that I may put a leash on you, but ... that you may serve the Lord without distraction.
~ 1 Corinthians 7:29-35 (NKJV)

Jesus’ words from Luke 14 are often interpreted as Jesus meaning that our love for God should be so great that our love for others is like hatred in comparison.

I happen to think Jesus really did mean that love for God would bring us to hate the people closest to us, and even ourselves.

I love my husband and pray to outlive him, to spare him going through losing me. I love my children and am driven to see them through to adulthood. I have close ties to my beloved siblings and hope to live long on the earth with them to finish what we’ve all started.

Things in the world are mighty difficult these days, and they’re going to get significantly worse as the Great Tribulation and the Time of Jacob’s Trouble approach. My desire to live is strong, so that I might deliver to the world desperately needed words of hope and faith. I’ve sometimes asked the Lord if I could be the last one to go before the Rapture for exactly that reason.

Weird prayers are birthed of irrational love. Deepest love is not rational, and makes me desire the opposite of that for which I’ve earnestly prayed.

The same love for God which compels my great love for people can make me hate them. My yearning to live like Jesus can make me hate the relationships which bring me to sin. Desire to please people in a healthy way is despised for its interference with ability to please the Lord.

My last post spoke of moments when longing for the Lord overwhelms me. In such moments I hate the people who keep me from Him by their existence. That is, I wish the people who are my reason for living ceased to be so that my purpose might be fulfilled and I could be done with this world.

I love myself enough to live this life to its fullest. I love God enough to hate the very best people of my life—even as my love for them does not diminish.

Lord, help me to love you perfectly, with all that I am, and to love others perfectly, with Your light.

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.
Image source not available
#discipleship

Question of the Week: How to Treat Homosexuals?

"Do not be angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be."
~ Thomas A. Kempis

Q: How should the church treat homosexuals? (from Anonymous)

First, God does not hate anyone. God is love, and no matter who you are, He loves you.

"The church" is people—people who have given themselves to Jesus Christ and received forgiveness of their sins through His blood, which pays the death penalty for all sin.

The authority for Christian belief and conduct is the Bible. [Next week's Q&A will explain belief in the Bible in greater detail.] For anyone who trusts it as God's Word, the Bible provides both the Creator's rules for how to live and answers for every question life poses.

The Bible says God created humanity, and created sex as the good and healthy means to not only reproduce human life, but also to bond together a man and woman in the vital relationship of marriage.

Homosexuality, or sexual acts between members of the same sex, cannot be marriage because God instituted marriage and defines it otherwise. God calls homosexuality an "abomination" (Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:27) because it perverts His original intent for sex.

But before you take that thought too far, consider that there are other, non-sexual acts which are so offensive to God that they are also called an abomination. Look at this passage from Proverbs 6:16-19 (NKJV):

These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren [or, in a community].

The Bible therefore challenges us to understand exactly what might be defined as "abominable" sin. It also explains in Galatians 6:1-2 (TNIV) how to treat people who exhibit sin:

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Here is how I apply all that to today's question:

• The Bible's Number One commandment, in all circumstances, is Love.

• Christians must be mindful that every one of us has been guilty of sin which is an abomination.

• Any individual's primary problem is not one particular sin, whether it's homosexuality or pride or stirring up discord. Every person's first need is understanding that they need Jesus to save them from all sin.

• Concerning people who come to church, we should distinguish between: 1) people who come to church to visit, who are asked to respect us, but who don't understand our Bible's "house rules"; 2) newer believers, who need time to learn the house rules; and 3) those who have been around long enough to know the Bible and be expected to live by it.

• When people who have established themselves as part of the church display open immorality, Christians of sufficient maturity are obliged to address it, and to do so with the empathy which views sin as a burden. In cooperation with God's Spirit, we should sensitively work to help people see sin as a burden to themselves—reminding them of the cost for Jesus to carry its full weight to the cross—and help them find greater freedom from sin’s burden, with rebuke if necessary.

• Did I mention that the Number One rule for treatment of all people, whether outside or inside the church, is Love?

I'd like to close with an apology.

To homosexuals, and to every person who has been hurt by the misguided Christians who remember that sin is abominable but sometimes forget that love is far greater ...

On behalf of my fellow Christians, I admit we are wrong when we get our priorities out of order, or when we attempt to address sin of anyone else before we adequately address our own sin. I confess that we struggle against our own abominable sins, including sexual sins. I ask you to forgive us and be patient with us as we grow to be like Jesus our Lord and learn to live like He asks us. God loves you more than you can possibly imagine. I also love you, very much, as do a great many Christians who remember the importance of love. Please give us the opportunity to better learn how to show you that love.

© 2010 Anne Lang Bundy
Image source: tedsoqui.blogspot.com

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This post originally appeared at Bullets & Butterflies. To see additional comments, click here.

Day Three: Commandment

"The Twelve Days of Christ" series looks at Psalm 119's twelve Hebrew words for God’s Word, and a connection to the church for each one.

"I have wondered at times what
the Ten Commandments would have looked like
if Moses had run them through the US Congress."
~ Ronald Reagan

Day Three: Commandment
mitsvah: fem noun, "command[ment]"
From tsavah: verb, "to order, direct, appoint, command, charge"

And I will delight myself in Your commandments,
Which I love.
~ Psalms 119:47 (NKJV)

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
~ John 13:34-35 (NIV)

Thoughts on God's commandments.

The Ten Commandments were instructions before the Holy Spirit came. Now that the commandments are written in our hearts, they are promises. "You shall not ..." describes what we are in Christ, instead of telling us what to do.

God gave His commandments not to reveal right and wrong—because conscience already makes such distinctions—but to make it easier for us to see ourselves as sinners in need of a Savior.

"Love is the answer, no matter the question." ~ Unknown

Jesus said that in the commandments to love God and love neighbor, all other commandments are fulfilled (Matthew 22:37-40). He also said that what we do to the least person around us, good or bad, we've done to Him (Matthew 25:40,45). We're told we can't love God unless we love our brother (1 John 4:20). So all of life really comes down to simply loving others.

"Duty makes us do things well,
but love makes us do them beautifully."
- Zig Ziglar

The command to love removes the duty of all other commandments, because love does not comprehend duty.

"I would thank you from the bottom of my heart,
but for you my heart has no bottom."
~Unknown

Wish I'd said that. It makes a nice paraphrase of this verse:

To all perfection I see a limit;
but your commands are boundless.
~ Psalms 119:96 (NIV)

Now go love on people. That's an order. (But not from me :D)

#loveoneanother
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 flairinthecity.blogspot.com

The Gift of Listening

"Surely this is the greatest gift we can give to another—
to really listen."
~ Unknown

The Gift of Listening
#powerofwords

I love the LORD,
because He has heard My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
~ Psalms 116:1-2 (NKJV)

"Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him."
~ John 9:31 (NKJV)

"Oh, that My people would listen to Me ..."
~ Psalms 81:13 (NKJV)

I've searched the Bible more than once, various ways, to find expressions of love for the Lord. In today's passage from Psalm 116, the psalmist speaks to a third party of his love for the Lord. Psalm 18 begins with David's declaration of intent in the words, "I will love You." And in John 21, Peter answers each of Jesus three queries about love with the words, "You know that I love You."

Considering that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord, doesn't it seem that it would be declared more often?

I come from a family effusive in expressions of love. We don't hang up the phone without an "I love you" and about every second Facebook status includes the same. As I get to know people through the internet, my affection becomes genuine. I don't pass along a single "I love you" or "much love" or "sending my love" that I don't mean. So for me, telling the Lord "I love You" on a regular basis is requisite.

But if the proof of love is in willingness to be quiet and listen, I fall short far more often than I'd ever want to admit. I'm horrible in conversation about interrupting with a question, comment, or—worst of all—my own anecdote or perspective. Being quiet in time of prayer too often leads to becoming distracted rather than hearing from the Lord. Even when I hear Him, if I fail to act immediately I am apt to not act at all.

Yet here is the reason the psalmist gives for loving the Lord: "because He has heard my voice ... because He has inclined His ear to me." The Bible, answered prayer, and peace of heart offer abundant testimony to the fact that in His love for us, the Lord is a good Listener.

Is there any friendship that would endure if we failed to listen?

Can we say we love the Lord and fail to listen, or fail to heed?

Lord, I confess that I've only begun to learn to listen. I ask for all Your people, and especially those reading these words, that You'd make each of us better listeners—truly hearing the words spoken and unspoken of those we love. Please enable our love for You to be expressed in listening quietly for Your voice.

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 larsoninstitute.com

Thanksliving

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues,
but the parent of all the others."
~ Cicero

Thanksliving

The eyes of all look expectantly to You,
And You give them their food in due season.
You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
~ Psalms 145:15-16 (NKJV)

I agree that giving thanks should be a way of life, not a one-day observation. I also believe that a one-day observation is a good opportunity to make Thanksgiving what my pastor calls "Thanksliving."

In his post "The Ten Dollar Challenge," Billy Coffey made the suggestion to bless others by giving without the expectation of a return. He says it doesn't have to be with ten dollars. It could be more—it could be less.

People can be blessed with even spare change. Have you heard of people who anonymously put money in parking meters? I have my own small change blessing I pass along.

My grocery store requires a 25 cent deposit to remove a cart from the corral. When I'm finished, I always leave my quarter behind, along with a small prayer that the Lord will send the blessing to whomever most needs it, or perhaps to someone who will return the blessing to the Lord with a word of thanks. It's also my way of thanking the Lord for the gift of an ample grocery budget.

If the heart is willing, opportunities for Thanksliving abound.

Father in Heaven, Your goodness to us goes far beyond bed and board. You provide to us life and love, light and laughter. You give us of Yourself in Your Son, Your Scripture, Your Spirit. We thank You. We love You!

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 activerain.com

Go Against the Flow

"Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see."
~ John W. Whitehead

Go Against the Flow
#loveoneanother

My sixteen-year-old daughter Michaelle recently joined Facebook. It's been a wonderful glimpse into her world—and an assurance that maybe we haven't totally messed up as parents. I share here a status update and two follow up comments that she wrote on Thursday. (Comments of others aren't included.)

"If you 'be who you are' and 'say what you feel,' then the people who matter WILL mind, and the people who "don't matter" will most likely punch you in the face." ~ me, in contradiction of Dr. Seuss

... If I told someone that they were ugly and fat—and I really thought it true—would you think they "didn't matter" if they became offended? Everything in the world tends towards disorder, and we must go against the flow to make it the way God would want it. It's good to be yourself ... [unless] you will be tearing people down instead of building them up. To act who we are all the time would make this world chaos. We need to be what God would have us be, and not what we want.

... I wasn't saying to bottle everything up, and I wasn't saying to not be the way God made you. I'm talking about human nature, not personality. Originally I was making an observation on the quote by Dr. Seuss—"Be who you are, and say what you feel, because the people who matter don't mind, and the people who mind don't matter." People WILL mind if you treat them that way, no matter if they're Christians or not! :)

A fool vents all his feelings,
But a wise man holds them back.
(Proverbs 29:11 NKJV)

Thank You, Father, that You give me a glimpse of Who You are through my children.

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 Michaelle Bundy

Let Go and Let God

"Learn to forgive your enemies,
it will drive them up the wall."
~ Unknown

Let Go and Let God
#discipleship

And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, but they said, "We will not come up! Is it a small thing ... that you should keep acting like a prince over us? ... " Then Moses was very angry, and said to the LORD, "Do not respect their offering. I have not ... hurt one of them." ... And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households.
~ Numbers 16:12-15,32 (NKJV)
　
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
~ Romans 12:19-20 (NIV)

Among some three dozen posts offered on the subject of "trust" for yesterday's blog carnival (hosted by Bridget Chumbley), a number mentioned our trust in others being disappointed.

Has someone violated your trust with unrighteous behavior, and you find it difficult to recover?

Have you suffered physical injury or emotional trauma?
Been stolen from or cheated?
Been lied to?
Has an employer or business caused financial loss or overwhelming stress?
Have your rights been violated?
Has government oppressed you?
Have you been betrayed by a friend?
Scorned by a person you've loved?

Moses was slandered and faced open sedition. Much was at stake. He took no action against men who might have caused much harm, but turned the entire matter over to the Lord. The earth literally split open to take the men away.

Release to the Lord whatever harm has been done you. Allow Him to guide your words and actions. Do good to, bless, pray for those who harm you, to put entirely in His hands any necessary retribution.

There are many ways enemies might be destroyed. Perhaps we'll even see the day when we might say, as Abraham Lincoln did, "Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?"

Lord, thank You for proving Yourself perfect, the only One Who will not disappoint our trust. Thank You for holding our lives and everything in them in Your hands. Please enable our hearts to trust You for restoring to us anything lost through disappointed trust in anyone else.

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 coolantarctica.com

Unexpected Love

Do not forget to entertain strangers,
for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.
~ Hebrews 13:2 (NKJV)

Unexpected Love
#loveoneanother

This is a wee bit longer than the typical Saturday snippet, but I thought you'd enjoy it. Since it might be relevant, I'll preface this true story by mentioning that I wear my hair up, am usually neatly dressed in a skirt, and present a fairly conservative appearance.

~ ~ ~

While sitting alone in the library during my daughter's orchestra practice, I'm proofing my manuscript by reading it aloud from a paper copy. I picked a spot away from other people in a large commons area, and am using a super-soft voice.

An attractive girl with a short blond pony tail approaches me. She's an older teen with a nice appearance and soft look—no attitude showing here. She says, "Excuse me, I need to tell you something."

Curious for sure (and certain I wasn't loud enough to disturb anyone), I put my pen down to give her my attention. She says, "I'm madly in love with you." Her glance darts to someone outside my line of vision.

I'm always up for a good, harmless practical joke. What's more, I subscribe to the philosophy that we're the arms and mouth of Jesus to share His love, and that the more you share the more it's multiplied. So I stand up and say, "Awww. I love you too, Sweetheart." I go up to hug her. She neither laughs nor pulls away, but gives me back a nice, genuine hug.

I follow her eyes to some not-quite-so-clean-cut-looking teens. They're dying—laughing. The XXL one is lying on the carpet and he's rocking back and forth—ROTFL (rolling on the floor laughing).

We're the only ones in the area so I call to them, "I guess you picked the wrong person for a joke. Weren't expecting that, were you?"

The girl has already started toward them. She stops to turn and smile warmly, then says, "No, you were exactly the right one."

Her name is Maryanna. I expect I won't forget her.

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 forthright.net

The Lord Bless You

The Lord Bless You
#powerofwords

"The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace."
~ Numbers 6:23-26 (NKJV)

Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
~ Psalms 103:1-2 (NKJV)

The Aaronic Benediction from Numbers 6 is used to this day by rabbis and Christian pastors alike to bless their congregations. But the Jews also begin their prayers in blessing, with the words "Blessed are You O Lord our God." (Baruch ata Adonai Elohei-nu)

Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God using all within you, and the second greatest to love your neighbor as you love yourself.

It seems many people think the words "I love you" either awkward or overused. So I've made it a habit to bless the Lord and bless people, as an expression of love. I'm as creative as possible, and speak a blessing in the form of a prayer. One of my favorites (I forget where I heard it) is "God bless you real good."

In the movie Flywheel, a pastor blesses a car salesman with the prayer, "And Lord, I ask that you treat Jay just like he treated me today." Jay knows he just swindled the pastor, and is filled with fear of God answering the prayer. He begins reflecting on his deceitful ways, and ends up turning his life over to the Lord. And thus the pastor's words lead to blessing, just as he originally intended. Funny how blessing might work out.

Would you be willing to speak blessing to someone today?

And by the way, God bless you real good.

Blessed are You, Lord! You've poured out forgiveness, healing, and satisfaction. Thank You. Thank You for sending people to read these words, however they happen to be seeing them. I pray for all these people that You'll bless them in a new way today, and that You'll do it in such a manner that they know it was You.

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.

FEELINGS Part III

"I have found that most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."
~ Abraham Lincoln

Over the years I’ve been involved in more ministries than I can count. To indulge those who ask me to share more about myself, here's a brief ministry resumé:

I’ve assisted teachers and I’ve taught Bible. Preached for ladies’ worship at the jail and led singing for worship all over. Done silly drama and sacred drama. I’ve spoken before groups large and small. Served as church leader and church go-fer. I’ve cooked and cleaned, served food to the homeless and Bill Gothard alike. I’ve done crisis counseling, and spent hours wherever people simply need a listening ear.

I’ve prayed alone through the night, led prayer before City Hall and a banquet hall, and prayed when heading up a prayer chain or one-on-one any place.

Lately, I do a whole lot of writing—here and around the blogsphere in chunks, on Facebook and Twitter in nibbles, in manuscripts with word counts to make publishing types cringe.

But in the last year, I’ve hit upon a ministry I take everywhere, all the time. I call it smile ministry.

If I can make eye contact with a person, they’ll receive a smile, and maybe a bright "Hi!" If I can hold eye contact for any length of time, I’ll do my best to elicit a return smile. No one is off limits. I smile at familiar people and strangers, small children, elderly people, harried people, unhurried people, hoodlum types, giggly teen girls, and even men who might return a leer (the rare one who does is quickly discouraged).

It’s amazing how many people don’t make eye contact. We walk through the world accustomed to taking little note of one another. Some people appear socially destitute enough for me to suspect that being overlooked is their norm. I persist with these souls, perhaps offering conversation, until I get them to really see me and understand that I see them. It may be the only validation from another human being they receive for who knows how long.

The smile is genuine—regardless of my mood—for the worth of each human being compels me to set aside any contrary feelings and offer Christ’s light.

"You are the light of the world... let your light shine before men,
that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

I admit to bad moods. I also have little tolerance for them, and grow weary of them quickly enough to shut them down when they sneak up on me.

Usually. But if I get downright depressed I withdraw, lest I inflict my misery on others.

Withdrawal wasn't an option when I abnormally found myself in that condition on a recent Sunday morning. My habit upon entering church is to locate and warmly hug as many people as care to be hugged, then go sing my heart out in praise. On that Sunday morning, I snuck into my pew, then consoled myself with the knowledge that God is still in heaven and worthy of my praise. No problem.

Until I faced a song that wasn’t about praise, but about me: "It is Well With My Soul."

I don't care to sing words I don’t feel. Keeping silent through the first verse convicted me deeply. What could EVER be so bad that it obscures God’s abundant blessings to the point one cannot say, "It is Well With My Soul"?

The only answer I could muster was to sing the chorus, from the heart:
It is well with my soul.
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

And when I finished, the words matched my feelings.

Your 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.

Friday Freelance: FACES

Since our family switched to hi-speed internet, I've begun regularly using Facebook. A couple or three times a day I check in to see the faces of people I know and love.

I like the ability to stay in close touch with people I dearly love but otherwise see and hear from infrequently. I like re-connecting to friends from the past and watching their lives from the sidelines. I love all the random praises cast out to God in a public forum.

But there's something disquieting in the pseudo dialogue that may satisfy a need for fellowship without ever connecting. More disturbing is the idea that Facebook—along with e-mail, internet chats, Twitter, the blogsphere, texting, and cell phones—provides the primary social connection for so many people to the exclusion of the real faces in our lives. These days, I begin to respond to a person who speaks, then realize their conversation is with a bluetooth.

I want to connect with as many real faces as possible. Each person who happens across my path—even strangers who face me as we pass through a doorway—is a human being I can connect with. I'll make eye contact and smile. My hidden agenda is to elicit a return smile.

I often slip in a friendly "Hi!" (and even a hostile face may soften). Many faces will remain next to mine long enough for light conversation. Some faces respond with a smile after a single cheerful remark. Some faces take a little more banter before offering a smile. Some faces need an work over of gentle empathy and subtle suggestion that today holds something good in it. Some faces carry the light of the Lord, and we easily share a praise. If at all possible, I'm determined to obtain a smile from every face.

Some faces carry a weight too heavy to offer any hint of a smile. Gentle empathy invites more serious conversation. Whether friend or stranger, I occasionally feel led by God's Spirit to ask, "Is there anything I can pray about for you?" The burdens are never light for the one who carries them. I am often stunned by what even a stranger is desperate to share. "My brother committed suicide." "My finances are a problem." "I'm very confused by life right now." "My father just died." When possible, I pray on the spot. A select few strangers are still on my prayer list from years ago, though I'll never know this side of heaven what's become of them.

I carry no illusions that I am God, prepared to solve the problems of the world. I am not exhorting personalities less outgoing than this uber-extrovert to do likewise.

I do suggest that we who are in Christ have a light to shine in a very dark world. God gives opportunities, and His Spirit enables us. If our eyes are open and hearts are willing, His light will reach others.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Love Your Neighbor

"You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people ... You shall not hate your brother in your heart.... You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD."
~ Leviticus 19:16-18 (NKJV)

So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher.... To love [God] with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."
~ Mark 12:32-34 (NKJV)

"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."
~ Matthew 7:12 (NKJV)

The God who gave the New Covenant is the same God of the Old Covenant. Hundreds of laws, rituals, ordinances, precepts, statutes and judgments of the Old Covenant had the same purpose as New Covenant grace: show how to love God foremost and fully, and how to love your neighbor. In these two commandments is summed up all the law and prophets.

How do you love your neighbor as yourself? We are so dense that Jesus makes it simpler yet. Do to others what you'd want done to yourself under the same circumstances. Forgive as you've been forgiven by Your Father in heaven. Show to those who offend you a fraction of the grace God has shown for your infinitely greater offenses against Him.

Whatever we might offer as a sacrifice, whatever we'd do to show ourselves children of God—in faith, hope, or love—we can do nothing greater than simply love.

Dear God, You've shown us perfect love. Please humble us so we might be filled with Your Spirit and able to love You as much as is humanly possible, and love the people around us who You love as You love us.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

The Least of These

On the elderly you laid your yoke very heavily...
You have said, 'No one sees me';
Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you;
And you have said in your heart,
'I am, and there is no one else besides me.'
Therefore evil shall come upon you ...
And trouble shall fall upon you;
You will not be able to put it off.
Isaiah 47:6,10-11 (NKJV)

He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly, To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8 (NKJV)

"Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' " ~ Matthew 25:44-45 (NKJV)

In the movie The Boys Next Door, a speech about the need to assist the mentally handicapped includes a remark to the effect of, "Civilizations are judged by how they treat their weakest members."

I am grateful for nursing homes which provide care to the elderly on a level their loved ones cannot. Nonetheless, nursing homes should always be a supplement to and not substitute for the nurture of family.

I once heard a man decline to visit his grandmother with the words, "I don't do nursing homes." What is the benefit of avoiding the place where one may someday live?

Wherever our aged may live, they yet have much to offer us. If nothing else, they provide the opportunity to minister to Jesus through "the least of these."

Father, thank You for long life as You grant it. Thank You for the opportunity to learn from those who have gone before us. Please comfort those who have lost or will soon lose a beloved relative of years. Please show us how to demonstrate our love for those You leave us.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy

Repay According to the Favor Shown

In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death... And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying, "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years."
Isaiah 38:4-5 (NKJV)

But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up... Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart. ~ 2 Chronicles 32:25-26 (NKJV)

"When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive." ~ Ezekiel 18:26-27 (NKJV)

King Saul, Absalom, and Judas Iscariot are examples of those who returned favor with betrayal and came to a bitter end. King David, King Hezekiah, and Peter are examples of transgressors who repented and received forgiveness, then went on to repay according to the favor shown.

The Lord is more interested in where we are than where we have been. When we have tasted eternal life—the greatest favor available through the blood of Jesus Christ, the holy Son of God Almighty—we cannot simply declare the favor as accepted and walk away to live for Self.

To repay according to the favor shown is not a work to show we are "good," but the response of a grateful heart. And while we cannot give God as much as He has given, we can take the time to pray when leisures beckon, we can forgive offenses far less than ours against God, and we can love the neighbor who is the image of our God, even when he or she is less than lovable.

Oh Lord our God, You have given us all things necessary to life and love, joy and peace. Please open our eyes to the many opportunities to show favor as You have shown us favor, to forgive as we’ve received forgiveness, and to love as You have loved us.

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy