(Titleless)

There may be times in your life where you’ve realized you’ve done so many wrong things. So many things that are sin against people. So many things that you forget every instance of such sin. But you’re sure it has been committed.

 

I’m there now. Reading back on a conversation I had months ago with a friend on an instant messenger showed me I had a major pride issue. I was right about such-such thing, everyone was inherently wrong over it.  I kept bringing the conversation back to myself—in a positive light or negative.  You might have said something about yourself, a flaw in your character, a struggle you might’ve had, but I was oblivious to it and continued on with my own matters.

 

If that describes a conversation I had with you, whoever is reading this, then I apologize. It was one of those sins that sneaked under the radar of “bigger” sins in my life. I even remember this trend going as far back as when I was 13 or 14.

 

But this isn’t a “smaller” sin. In fact, God speaks very strongly against it in His word. “An high look and a proud heart…is sin,” “The Lord shall destroy the house of the proud.”

Perhaps the reason God hates it so much is because it was the first sin that snagged the hearts of his creation. Satan exalted himself above God and consequently caused himself to be exiled from Heaven. (Was it no wonder that Satan tried to lure Jesus Christ into the trap of pride?)

 

Pride cloaks itself in various forms. I’ve noticed my pride before, but sometimes I haven’t. Like how often I truly bring the attention back to myself. How often I try to make myself look good, or try to keep eyes on me(even if it means degrading myself).

 

I will try to open my eyes to my pride. If I have driven you to a distance away from me because of it, I ask for your forgiveness, and to give me another shot. If you felt you couldn’t talk to me about things that truly mattered because of this, then forgive me also. I will try to only listen to what you say, and speak when you want me to(about the matter).

 

 

If you feel hurt over anything I’ve done(proudly or elsewise) please confront me. I don’t want our relationship to be weathered because of blindness.

 

 

-Kevin

A Love that Proves

The world generally has to see things to believe it. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Discretion is needed to sift out falsehoods. Therefore there is a desire for proving facts of the proposed phenomenon.

The fact that we are sinners deserving of hell is unbelievable. Who is to say there is actually a hell.

The fact that there is a God who loves us sinners despite ourselves is unbelievable.

The fact that God loves us enough to send His son to Calvary to die for us is unbelievable.

The fact that Jesus rose from the dead is unbelievable.

The fact that Jesus wants to save us—and will when we call on him, depending on His works, not ours—is unbelievable.

And because it is all unbelievable, the world desires proofs. One can argue nature is proof of God and proof of His power; one can argue a number of similar proofs, but those can be brushed aside, re-categorized.

However, our actions and reactions are great proofs. But they prove both sides: God loves and there is no God.

Everyone notices others. You go into the library and see a man sitting. How he acts, talks and looks describe him. He may jump up and help someone who just dropped their stack of books. You take note of him to be a polite man.

But the person who is being helped takes note of something else: love and genuineness. Just last week he bullied the polite man’s younger brother. And the day before he keyed the man’s car for whatever reason. Despite that, the man helped with his books, the man showed love. Like many times before, that man handed him a tract, insisting he read over it. Instead of shoving it back, it was accepted because there was proof of a love inside the man that was abnormal—supernatural.

Matthew 5:16 says to let our lights shine. Why? So the world can see our good works and in turn glorify God.

You can proclaim God’s love with your lips, but if the listening party does not see it shown in your life, they will shrug it off.

However, loving others will be evidence of difference. If you, life God, love despite shortcomings, they may understand more of God’s love. If they didn’t see your love, though, would they be attracted to the supposed love of God? Doubtfully.

Your loving others is proof to God’s love. Your hating others disproves His love.

Perhaps that is why Jesus says loving God and others are the greatest commandments.

 

But let me finish this nugget with another thought. The world isn’t the only group that needs proof of things. Christians need it, too.

You say you care. You say God is love. But they won’t accept it if you don’t show it. If you neglect them, or shove your own agenda on them, they will soon disbelieve your claim of care for them.

If you live a life where the love of God doesn’t shine through your being, they will soon question if God really is love. After all, if he was, wouldn’t he demonstrate such love?

God demonstrates his love by the death of his son. God is shown to be love when we let the light of his love shine forth. If we are negative, hateful, prideful, self-consumed the light of God’s love will have a hard enough time shining through the murky window of our lives.

Open your eyes, soften your hearts. There are people hurting. There are people wishing you cared. There are people lying to your face, but longing for you to see through that lie and care for them. There are people with breaking hearts. There are people uncertain of the future, uncertain of God, uncertain of life. There are people who NEED you, but you had a bad day, you stubbed your toe, you got a bad grade, your car broke down, you’re having issues with submission to authorities and you are thus having a crummy time.

The light of God’s love cannot shine through your life’s window murky with self-consumption, pride, anxiety.

Take off the blinders. Wash off your life’s window. People need you to listen. People need you to care. If they can’t find care from you, do you think they will find the care they desire from God if His people aren’t caring?

 

Are we not the body of Christ? If so, ‘Why aren’t his arms reaching, why aren’t His hands healing, why aren't His words teaching, why aren't His feet going, why is His love not showing them there is a way?” (—Casting Crowns, ‘If We Are the Body’)

Don’t put a dark veil over God’s love. Rip it up, and add mirrors to reflect more of the light! Let God’s love shine like the sun through you. Let God’s love empower your love. Love others! Don’t keep your eyes closed to the hurt of our brothers and sisters in Christ any longer.

 

Let them know that is God is love through your love. Clean up your life’s window so the light of God’s love can shine brighter than the sun. (Can I say it enough?)

 

They. Need. To. Know. You. Care. Show them. Love them. Let them know God is love.

Which gameplan are you following?

There are 2-3 gameplans in life. One is God's, one is yours and the third is Satan's. Satan's gameplan is for you to focus on something other than God. Your (flesh's) gameplan is self-gratification. God's gameplan is obedience to Him.

Life is filled with battles. It can be victorious battles, or defeated battles. The times you lose are the times you rely on gameplans invented by Satan or yourself. The times you are victorious are the times you rely on gameplans invented by God.


For human relations, God's gameplan is love.(Rom 13:8-10) Flesh's is self-feel-good(explanation due in a few sentences). Satan's is hatred ultimately, though he may resort to Flesh's gameplan if the human is so dogmatic against his that he ignores the subtle gameplan of Flesh's.

Now, an explanation of self-feel-good. Humans(or at least this human) thrives on love and acceptance. We want others to love us, and we want a number(small or great) of people(friends) we can rely on for comfort and happiness. When we focus on human relations as avenue for such "self-feel-good," we become consumed with making ourselves feel good. We seek out people who will do just that; we, perhaps, wonder whether we make good impressions so we can keep those people in our lives; we do things to advertise our "worthiness" to be loved and accepted(whether those actions are "innocent" or not).

Wanting friends is not bad. Being consumed by them where your every action is determined by, or reflected upon your relations with your friends is. (John 12:42-43; Gal. 1:10; Matt 6:5-6)

Another area of life that there is a gameplan for is in your thought life.
God's game plan is laid out in Philippians 4:8(Pure, just, lovely, honest, of good report, virtuous, praiseworthy). Satan's game plan is the opposite of those things(Impure, unjust, appalling, false, of bad reputation, of no virtue, lacking worth of praise). Flesh's game plan is prideful thoughts.

When we follow Flesh's game plan of prideful thoughts, we become just that--proud. And pride is an abomination to God. Pride comes in various forms, but the root is an undue focus on self(That's both constant depression and self-exaltation). Flesh wants the focus on itself, and if there be shortcomings of sin, the "good" will be highlighted, and/or others will be brought down to a level below us.

Satan's plan is easy to see--it's everything opposite of God's gameplan. So thoughts of hatred, impurity, dishonesty, or thoughts that would cause our character to falter are within his game plans. It's easy to follow this, because Satan can use situations in life to prod us into thinking his way.

God's game plan is laid out, as said previously, in Philippians 4:8 ("Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. ")

I think we can derive something from that last phrase as well. Instead of praiseworthy things(which may or may not be the true meaning), our thoughts should be that of praise. We should consume our minds with thoughts of praise to God.



Don't live life trying to figure out how to live right. It has, for the most part, already been plainly revealed. In life, how we live ought to be in obedience to God. In human relations, how we live ought to be in love. In our thought life, how we live/think ought to be in truth, honest, justice, purity, loveliness, good reputation, virtue, and ought to be in praise to God.


-Kevin