Love Covers

I'm not all that bubbly and outgoing, how can I share God's love with others?

I'm just a kid, what can I do?

I'm too old.  I'm too shy.

I don't have time. I don't have enough money. I don't have any talent or any gifts.

Every season of the year and every season of our lives, brings new ways to help others.

Like in summer there are groups handing out free water to folks working or playing out doors.  In the fall, groups and individuals help folks winterize their homes and cars.  They hand out batteries for smoke alarms.  Wrap Christmas presents for free.

What can you do this winter?  What are different practical ways you or someone you know share love with others around you?

What are ways to put some action in our love?

In my January 23rd posting (What's Love Got To Do With It?), I began talking about the love that Jesus has for us and how we make it real to ourselves, and a little on the subject of grace. I had a lot burning in me at that time and meant to continue, but was unable to finish the second posting. As time went by, I would mention it to God, you know, how I needed to finish that article, but nothing came to me to write. Then the article about Reaping Courage was written and now this article will blend the two together, continuing on with the same thoughts.

So I'll start with what I've been working on for the last month, building a family tree. Oh, I've worked on it several times, in fact many years ago I did a lot of work on it and even found a few leads, but each time it had to wait while the rest of life went on. Looking back on it, all our lives are a journey of seeking peace and to know God even more, and this is really just family tree stuff! Taking who and what I am, which is a result of all the ones before me and the years I've added in, and then putting all that into God's hands to be shaped and formed into what He created me to be. And guess what, that releases His promises into my children's lives and into their children's lives.

There was a time that I wanted my children to be so free, that I told God that I would stay sick, I would stay in bondage, and so on, if only He would free them! Boy, was I wrong! God has shown me that if I want my children free, then I have to become free myself! Even in the secular world, they know that to free someone, you need to first free yourself. In an airplane, they tell you to put the oxygen mask on yourself first. Not even on a child first. What good are you if you're dead? First, give yourself the breath of life so that you can have strength to give someone else life.

We learn about God's love for us, but how many of us actually know how to live that out? How many of us are bombarded with the thoughts of failures and arguments of not being good enough? How can we really receive God's love for us into our hearts and not just into our heads?[@more@]

In January of this year, I had a dream of being in my office at work. I was standing behind my desk when just then, a man stepped into the doorway of the office. As I glanced up, I recognized Jesus. "Oh, no," I cried, "Is it you? Not yet, I'm not ready, I don't have all my work done!" Fear struck me, and I started repenting and objecting all the more, "There is too much here unfinished! It can't be you, yet! Is it you?" The feeling was overwhelming of all the work meant to be done, and the despair of not being ready–of never being ready.

As I started around the desk, still objecting to him being there, he quietly stepped back out the doorway and into the darkened room behind him. I was aware of him there in the darkness but immediately an overpowering panic hit me, the fear of being left alone. I hurried to the door, but it was like bars covered the doorway. The repenting quickly changed to, "please don't leave me, don't leave!" The second I cried out "don't leave me", he was there holding me in his arms saying that he didn't mean to scare me, and to not be afraid, and that he wasn't the one I thought he was. Then I woke up.

All that day, the reality of this dream stayed with me as I questioned Jesus, was this really you? I saw it was you and then you said it wasn't?

His answer? No, it wasn't the Jesus that I was making him to be. I had a wrong idea of what he looked like. One to be feared and one to have to appease. A hard master, looking for some way to slam you if you didn't measure up. Kind of how the man in the parable of the talents thought of his master. He didn't take the time to really know the master's heart. He hid the money entrusted to him, and said, oh, but I knew you were a harsh master and I was afraid! This man ended up imprisoned and tormented.

God is not like that at all, he wants you to really know his heart toward you. The Bible says that God is long-suffering and full of mercy and kindness. This is what it says in the Old Testament, and that he is a God who forgives and heals your diseases (dis-ease)! He is a God who says that he would that no one would perish! He is a God who says, "I put before you death or life – choose life!

How much more is ours now that Christ has died on the cross and paid the sacrifice and defeated the enemy and has risen and now with all authority given him, sits on the right hand of the Father!

Is not the New Testament a greater fulfillment of the Old, and if all those promises were under an incompleted covenant, aren't they even greater and more binding now under the completion of this covenant?

The Gospels are full of stories of the compassion and authority of Jesus, of his love for all the people, and a love for his friends. He said, "If you have seen me, then you have seen the Father!" What did he look like?

He went around doing good, encouraging people, healing the sick, casting out devils and freeing those oppressed by tormenting spirits! Not being a wimp, but courageously standing up against religious injustice and mistreatment that misrepresented God to the people.

He gave himself willingly to torture and death with the vision of our freedom in front of him. That was his compassion! Here was the heart of the Father being seen! "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son!"

Now today in the Christian community, we don't all wrestle with doing the laws of Moses' Covenant, or following Jewish laws, but we have replaced it with our own religious responsibilities and jobs and works of building the church, with the feelings of not ever doing enough, not ever reading enough in the Bible, not formally praying long enough or good enough. Or helping enough people, or cleaning enough, or being spiritual enough, and the list goes on and on. These are our laws…traditions and responsibilities.

Paul says in Galatians, starting with 2:16, "Now we know that a person is not justified (accepted or deemed "good enough") be the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we (former Jews under the law) have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because no one will be justified by ever observing the law…I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside (or frustrate) the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, then Christ died for nothing!"

"O you foolish people (Galatians)! Who has bewitched you? Before your eyes, Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn one thing from you — Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law? or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human efforts?"

"…It is with freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery (or bondage)…You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated (or separated) from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith, we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope…The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you."

The very thing that will make us righteous (accepting the grace of Christ) is the very thing that we keep avoiding! We set up the bars of our own bondage and separate ourselves from Jesus, and keep ourselves in torment, by seeing him as a God who wants us to make ourselves perfect and just right for him! That will never happen! He is literally standing in the shadows waiting for you to let it all go; waiting with forgiveness and acceptance. He is waiting for you to want him more than you want to be perfect or righteous.

So what are we suppose to be doing? Ephesians 5:8-10 says, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord."

That's all my job is…spending enough time, just loving and worshipping and finding out the heart of God! Finding out what pleases him! My works should be works of love coming from that time spent with him. What I see him do and what I hear him say! My job is to know him more, to be formed and shaped by him into his love. Perfect love gets rid of fear!

Someone once said to quit worrying about helping everyone in the world that you can't reach, and just love the one right in front of you that you can reach!

Father God, Thank you for your love and the sacrifice that Jesus gave for us. Help me to see with your eyes! Help me to learn and know more about your love and the love of Jesus, and how you really see and long for your children. Keep working this love in me and through me. Forgive me for wanting a good feeling from doing something right more than wanting to know you. Forgive me for wanting to fix what I've messed up, and get it right first, before coming to you. The only way to make anything right is found in you!

I stand before the cross where forgiveness flows — In your hands, I release my spirit, my will in yours, my desire to control.

Your mercy draws me to the cross, your grace covers me — Your Spirit gives me new life, the power to live free.