When the bible states in John 3:16 that For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life, the word used for love in the Greek is agapao, like a - gop – a – oh, which basically translates as God had so much affection for the world that he was moved to do something about our sin problem as opposed to just having a feeling and sitting on the side lines.
So, what is my point?.
The point here is not to really talk about the salvation process so much but more so the motivation of what it truly means to love, especially so in a way that is meaningful, lasting and that will please God ultimately.
The saddest thing is when a person who is married whether it is a man or a woman makes a statement that they have fallen out of love or no longer are in love with their spouse.
Why do I say such a thing?
I say this because when and if that is the case in a relationship the reason will always point to the opposite of love and the thing that erodes it at the root, pride. You thought I would say hate right. Actually, hate is also born from pride as it is derived from an over focus on self to the point of detriment to self and others. In essence when a person concludes that they have fallen out of love or no longer love, they are actually saying that they are no longer willing to put forth the effort required to develop affection for their spouse. Once again, God so loved the world that he gave. Case in point is the affection of God moved him into action which thereby proved that affection for the world regardless of whether it was received or not, it did not stop him from taking action. However, the problem with so called “Falling out of love” is a minimizing of the fact that affection is like keeping a fire burning, it takes effort and resources that will be consumed in the process. In other words, once you stop putting forth the effort that fire will eventually die out. The same goes for agapao. This is the first thing that needs to be realized for anyone that falls into the so-called misconception of “falling out of love”, somewhere along the lines somebody stopped feeding the flames. First, realize that affection is self-generated. In order for a person to have affection for another they must contribute their own effort. However, when it is one sided it may not be reciprocated but as long as the flames are fed there will be affection felt from that party who is giving it. As long as that fire of affection is not overwhelming where it burns down the forest overtime even the coldest of hearts will feel its warmth and after time as long as it remains genuine the chances that the ice will melt away are great.
Continue readingIn the book of Exodus, we find the account of Moses being commissioned by God to lead his people from their bondage. One aspect of this account in Chapter 4 is when God asked Moses a very simple question, “What is that in your hand?” Of course, his response is similar to one we would give when we look upon our own lives,” A rod”.
What is the significance of this?
The significance lies in the fact that perception is everything in this life. Especially as we bring one year to a close and stand on the precipice of a New Year. To Moses the answer was obvious all he held in his hand was a simple rod, nothing more and nothing less. Laying aside the biblical aspect of things if all we see is mediocrity within ourselves then that is all we will ever amount to. There is a long list of variables we could interchange such as failure, difficulty, impossibility and so on. The point is the same, if that is all we are persuaded of, then so it shall be.
Change always begins with the resolution to strive to get a different result or at least put forth an honest effort to obtain such an outcome. However, this will never be so if all you are willing to see is what things have always been rather than what they could become. I know but…. and fill in the blank.
Let me ask you this, but what if you tried despite of the fact?
Continue readingRegardless of what you may think, you always have the power to change your situation.
It is not a matter of rocket science. While the “buts” may come and the “what ifs may prevail one simple fact will always remain.
So, what is that?
It is the fact that, nothing changes until your perspectiveof the situation changes.
You don’t think so.
Well what about Jessie Owens in his youth who fought some serious battles with bronchial congestion as well as pneumonia but still had to do the enduring manual labor of picking around 100 pounds or so of cotton every day?
Do you think Hitler’s ideas of an Arian race being superior to all would have been flushed down the toilet back in the1936 Berlin Games if Jessie would have thought that because of his poor health and hard labors that becoming an athlete was impossible?
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When a man ain't got a cent an' he's feelin' kind o' blue, An' the clouds hang dark and heavy an' won't let the sunshine through, It's a grand thing, O my brethren, for a feller just to lay His hand upon your shoulder in a friendly sort o' way!
It makes a man feel curious; it makes the tear drops start, An' you sort o' feel a flutter in the region o' your heart. You can't look up and meet his eyes; you don't know what to say, When his and is on your shoulder in a friendly sort o' way.
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