While the word "love" typically calls to mind I Corinthians 13, and the book of Ephesians is not usually thought to have love as a central theme, Ephesians has a whole lot to say about the subject. In fact, I would venture to say that Ephesians rivals I John in it's depth of revelation about love. While Ephesians is among the smaller books in the New Testament, it mentions the word "love" 16 times in just 6 short chapters.
I'd like to focus on three of those references here. In the familiar and heart-lifting passage in chapter 3:17-19, Paul prays for his readers to be "rooted and established in love." What meaning would you garner from this if an apostle of Jesus told you he was praying for you to be rooted and established in love? It would tell me I had some work to do. It would tell me I have a lot to learn about what love is and how to make it the foundation and core of my life. It would speak to me of a hope of being unshakably grounded in love in spite of living in a unstable and often hateful world.
Later in chapter 5, verses 1 and 2, Paul tells us to imitate the love of God as we live out our lives--a high calling, for sure! I'll never reach this level of completely unselfish love, but I'm so glad God gave us the Bible and then his Son to live out a love that stirs our hearts and challenges our very souls! At least I have a picture of what I'm aiming for so that I can try each day to come closer to the kind of sacrificial love that Christ demonstrated throughout his life and most magnificently in his death. It reminds me of a favorite definition I once heard of love: "Love is seeking the highest good of others at your own expense."
Finally, in the last verse of the last chapter, we're admonished to "love Christ with an undying love." He surely deserves nothing less! In our weakness, our love may ebb and flo in its manifestations, but we need to be very careful that we not lose our "first love." (Revelations 2:4) Holding Christ pre-eminant on our hearts is worthy of every effort! There is an old hymn that states the plea, "never let me outlive my love for thee." The surest way to accomplish this is to be sure our love is growing day by day. How to grow in love? I John 4:19 says that "We love because he first loved us." That fact leads us right back to Ephesians 3:17-19 that tells us to know this unknowable love. The more we focus on the love of God, the more we understand it, embrace it and imitate it, the more the love in our hearts will grow for the author and embodiment of love and for everyone around us.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
God Behind the Scenes
I am hard on Bibles. I have to replace them every 2 or 3 years. But it is always hard for me to retire the dog-earred, notated, broken-spined, underlined, highlighted one. So, for awhile, I only carry the new one with me, but use them both when I study at home. A familiar Bible is like a security blanket to me.
A friend had shared with me a poem learned in childhood and recited before family meals. I thought it was so sweet that I copied it down to remember it, but things get lost, misplaced, deleted, inadvertantly discarded and I couldn't find it when I looked for it recently.
I wanted the poem because I was trying to explain to some children how God is behind every detail of creation--even the things we take credit for granted. He is both the Creator and the sustainer of the universe.
Hebrews 1:2,3
"...but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, and through whom he also made the universe. The Son is the radience of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word."
I wanted to explain to some little ones that even the things we invent or manufacture depend on God behind the scenes supplying the raw materials and holding this vast universe in perfect balance to keep us alive (sustained) and able to experience our own fulfilling creativity.
So, I was leafing through my new Bible and found that I had not lost the little poem. I had copied it onto a blank back page. Here it is:
Back of the loaf the snowy flour,
back of the flour, the mill;
Back of the mill is the wheat and shower,
the sun and the Father's will.
Amen
A friend had shared with me a poem learned in childhood and recited before family meals. I thought it was so sweet that I copied it down to remember it, but things get lost, misplaced, deleted, inadvertantly discarded and I couldn't find it when I looked for it recently.
I wanted the poem because I was trying to explain to some children how God is behind every detail of creation--even the things we take credit for granted. He is both the Creator and the sustainer of the universe.
Hebrews 1:2,3
"...but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, and through whom he also made the universe. The Son is the radience of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word."
I wanted to explain to some little ones that even the things we invent or manufacture depend on God behind the scenes supplying the raw materials and holding this vast universe in perfect balance to keep us alive (sustained) and able to experience our own fulfilling creativity.
So, I was leafing through my new Bible and found that I had not lost the little poem. I had copied it onto a blank back page. Here it is:
Back of the loaf the snowy flour,
back of the flour, the mill;
Back of the mill is the wheat and shower,
the sun and the Father's will.
Amen
Monday, October 29, 2012
Loving Uniquely
Lots of moms and dads of multiple offspring are asked the question: "Which of us is your favorite?" The stock answer is "I love you all the same."
I think this is rarely a completely true answer. Just as each child is unique, so is the way we love them and the reasons we love them. Hopefully, our expressions of love show no favoritism, but it is wonderful to hold exuberantly within our hearts a love that is specific to each child.
This is the kind of love God offers to each of us. I John 3:1 tells us, "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we shuld be called children of God, and that is what we are!" And God doesn't just adapt to our uniqueness, he designed it! Every talent we possess, every manifestation of our DNA he authored!
And because love is central to the nature of God and the will of God for our us, he gives us lots of opportunities to love the differences in the people he has placed in our lives. He has given us so much instruction about love. He clearly wants love to hold a major focus in our lives. He dissects it for in I Corinthians 13:4-7. Jesus said that to love is the greatest command. (Mark 12:28-31) And Paul admonishes us in Romans 13:8, "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves has fulfilled the law." I owe it to you to love you!
When I think of my friends, I'm delighted with the specific things that make them each dear to my heart. And as I contemplate each wonderful individual trait that inspires and teaches and amuses me, I find that each friend is irreplaceable--irreplaceable, an important quality to stay aware of and to cherish!
I think this is rarely a completely true answer. Just as each child is unique, so is the way we love them and the reasons we love them. Hopefully, our expressions of love show no favoritism, but it is wonderful to hold exuberantly within our hearts a love that is specific to each child.
This is the kind of love God offers to each of us. I John 3:1 tells us, "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we shuld be called children of God, and that is what we are!" And God doesn't just adapt to our uniqueness, he designed it! Every talent we possess, every manifestation of our DNA he authored!
And because love is central to the nature of God and the will of God for our us, he gives us lots of opportunities to love the differences in the people he has placed in our lives. He has given us so much instruction about love. He clearly wants love to hold a major focus in our lives. He dissects it for in I Corinthians 13:4-7. Jesus said that to love is the greatest command. (Mark 12:28-31) And Paul admonishes us in Romans 13:8, "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves has fulfilled the law." I owe it to you to love you!
When I think of my friends, I'm delighted with the specific things that make them each dear to my heart. And as I contemplate each wonderful individual trait that inspires and teaches and amuses me, I find that each friend is irreplaceable--irreplaceable, an important quality to stay aware of and to cherish!
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
The Word
Scattered letters--
Consonents and vowels
Beautiful words
Eons of effort
To communicate heart and soul
Scores of languages
Vehicles of ideas--wild ideas!
Expressions of passion
Of love and hate
Whispering, screaming
Restating, reframing
"Let my put it another way...."
Risking redundancy
Just to be clear
to make the message accessible
Revelation of identity
The essense of being
Capturing illusive dreams
Giving them substance and hope
For hearts dead or quickened--
The impact of TRUTH
Blinding in its brightness
Exposing untainted purity
To errant humanity
When the Word became Flesh.
Consonents and vowels
Beautiful words
Eons of effort
To communicate heart and soul
Scores of languages
Vehicles of ideas--wild ideas!
Expressions of passion
Of love and hate
Whispering, screaming
Restating, reframing
"Let my put it another way...."
Risking redundancy
Just to be clear
to make the message accessible
Revelation of identity
The essense of being
Capturing illusive dreams
Giving them substance and hope
For hearts dead or quickened--
The impact of TRUTH
Blinding in its brightness
Exposing untainted purity
To errant humanity
When the Word became Flesh.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
New Love
Researchers have done studies on the way that brain chemistry is affected by the rush of emotions proceding from fresh, new love. It has been shown that pathways in the brain light up in ways that cause euphoria, a loss of appetite, a happy obsession, an uncharacteristic desire to try to weave your beloved into unrelated conversations, and the list goes on.... What a delightful effect God placed within us to find such joy in this quality he prizes so highly: love.
I John 3:1
See what love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are!
This is the love that should be our obsession. This is the love that should have us walking on air and indifferent to food and unable to stop talking about it! This is the love that should be the exhilarating source of our joy and hope.
By nature we slip into ennui. It takes constant work to keep love alive in our hearts. Taking blessings for granted is common to man--even the blessing of a love as great as God's love for us. We are on his mind 24/7. He responds instantly everytime we speak his name. He has proven there is no price he wouldn't pay to spend time with us--eternally. His love is passionate, sacrificial, expressed in a love letter (the Bible), and in the beauty of his creation and his plan to give purpose to our lives. He promises to walk beside us through every life circumstance and to weep with us when our hearts break and rejoice with us in our happiness. Where else can you get that kind of love? We must focus on His love in ways that tap into those happy brain chemicals!
I John 3:1
See what love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are!
This is the love that should be our obsession. This is the love that should have us walking on air and indifferent to food and unable to stop talking about it! This is the love that should be the exhilarating source of our joy and hope.
By nature we slip into ennui. It takes constant work to keep love alive in our hearts. Taking blessings for granted is common to man--even the blessing of a love as great as God's love for us. We are on his mind 24/7. He responds instantly everytime we speak his name. He has proven there is no price he wouldn't pay to spend time with us--eternally. His love is passionate, sacrificial, expressed in a love letter (the Bible), and in the beauty of his creation and his plan to give purpose to our lives. He promises to walk beside us through every life circumstance and to weep with us when our hearts break and rejoice with us in our happiness. Where else can you get that kind of love? We must focus on His love in ways that tap into those happy brain chemicals!
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