Show It

 

Show It

1 John 3: ¹³ So do not be surprised, my friends, if the people of the world hate you. ¹⁴ We know that we have left death and come over into life; we know it because we love others. Those who do not love are still under the power of death. ¹⁵ Those who hate others are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life in them. ¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Christ gave his life for us. We too, then, ought to give our lives for others! ¹⁷ If we are rich and see others in need, yet close our hearts against them, how can we claim that we love God? ¹⁸ My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.

 

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“You are a brainiac!” was the insult hurled at me. The words could be a compliment, but they were said as the reason I was about to get beat up. “What did I do?” was my only defense. This question only made the thug madder. His reply “3:15!” meaning I was going to get beat up after school.

 

• I hated bullies.
• I hated those who laughed with the bullies and seemingly sided with them.
• I hoped something terrible would happen to the bullies!

 

John attempted to address hatred. But he did it in a different way. He explained that believers would be hated by the world so they should not be surprised. He then gives some great advice. Instead of returning evil for evil, show love.

 

My Observations:

• JESUS was hated by the world, even though HE created them.
• JESUS allowed HIMSELF to be murdered so HE could be raised from the dead and become the forgiver of all sins.
• HIS act of love should make me want to show love to those who are kind and those who hate me.

 

It is not easy showing love to those who insult, slander or persecute. I mean, the world seems to get more and more coldhearted to those in need as if he or she were the problem. And if the person in need speaks about CHRIST, then more hate labels are placed on the believer. BUT GOD has a remedy for persecution.

 

HE knew that showing the love of CHRIST would cause some people to mislabel HIS followers. HE said “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This statement says that just because you and I show love, we will be persecuted by the world, but GOD will bless those who show love. I am glad GOD sees.

 

Challenge

• Why does the writer say “do not be surprised?”
• Have you ever done something innocent and received anger, frustration and repercussion?
• Will you continue to show GOD’s love, expecting the world to respond in a hateful way, so you will not be surprised, and so your actions will speak louder than your words today?

In the Light

In the Light

1 John 2: ⁹ If we say that we are in the light, yet hate others, we are in the darkness to this very hour. ¹⁰ If we love others, we live in the light, and so there is nothing in us that will cause someone else to sin. ¹¹ But if we hate others, we are in the darkness; we walk in it and do not know where we are going, because the darkness has made us blind.

 

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Walking down the dorm hallway, a guy stuck his head out and yelled out a racial slur directed solely at me. This caused me to react, however I was scrawny. I needed help. I found a my 300 pound friend to “help” me with this situation. We pounded on the room door until they opened it.

 

• I had rage in my heart.
• I had retaliation in my heart.
• I wanted to fight to show people, you can’t do this to me or anyone else!

 

John does a masterful job at addressing hatred. He has been with JESUS and watched HIM love every race, age and gender. He saw love at its purest. He gives a reminder to self-examine in order to determine if there is hatred in wounded hearts.

 

My Observations:

• GOD loves people that I don’t like.
• GOD wants me to desire that all humans, even people I don’t like, go to heaven.
• GOD sees any hatred I may harbor in my heart, even if someone has cause me pain through his or her hatred.

 

Hatred brings on more hatred. I mean, when someone has performed an act of overt or passive hatred, I store it in my mind and plan my retaliation. This has never, ever worked! GOD wants me to “chose” a different way.

 

JESUS created humans. They wanted an earthly king who sounded and acted like them. When they found someone who was generous, kind and broke, they could not believe HE was the Messiah that would save the entire world, so they killed HIM out of hatred. HE was raised from the dead out of love. I am glad JESUS is my example and reminder that hatred is a choice. I choose love.

 

Challenge

• What mindset is the writer trying to address?
• Have you ever been hurt by a person and wanted to get back at their entire race, age or gender?
• Will you examine your motives and see if there is even the smallest kernel of masked hatred so you can ask GOD to remove it and fill your heart with HIS love today?

 

Prayer

Dear LORD, our world is filled with hatred for one another today. Please help this reader self-examine any hatred he or she may harbor towards even one person so love can enter the heart and YOUR forgiveness can enter. amen

A Little Too Easy

Luke 6: ³² “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

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Irritated and disgusted were the words that described this particular week. Even on Saturday, I brooded over the divisiveness the group I worked with fostered. When I stepped in church, I felt relief. I mean everyone looked and acted like me so I felt comfortable. It was easy.

• Sometimes I want to separate GOD from certain parts of my life.
• Sometimes I desire to have an easy time serving GOD.
• Sometimes I wish that doing things for GOD would be trouble free and easy.

JESUS challenges HIS followers thinking by asking the right questions. HE asks them about their choices to love and serve people who look and act like them. HE says it is easy to serve people who already love you and have plenty of money to repay you. Unfortunately that would constrain who I serve. GOD has an answer.

• GOD wants me to have a larger reward by loving my enemies.
• GOD wants me to be extremely blessed by loaning to those who cannot pay me back.
• GOD wants me to serve those who are ungrateful and wicked because I am the same.

The HEAVENLY FATHER is merciful to me and HE expects me to be the same towards others, especially those who are difficult to serve. Patience, love and kindness gets added each time I show mercy to those who are constantly angry at me, or show their hatred towards me.

GOD blesses me to see people in a different light. Instead of adversarial stances, HE grants me the ability to pray for those who may never pray for me. I look forward to the rewards HE promises me.

• Are you upset with someone or some group of people?
• Do you place blame on them for what they have done?
• Can you stop seeking blame and seek restoration just as GOD has restored you with HIS mercy?

Pageant Prayer

Matthew 24: ⁹ “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ¹⁰ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹² Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

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When the person in the beauty pageant spoke, they uttered the words “And I hope we have world peace.” I laughed at the person and turned to something more interesting. That statement made the cartoons I watched even funnier as they too mocked the pageant statement of “world peace” as if the pageant participant were aloof and out of touch.

• My cynical view of the world has prevented me from thinking it can be saved.
• My pessimistic view of the world has stopped me from going out into it to reach people.
• My skeptical view of the world has sometimes made me judge the world, condemning it to hell.

Laughing at “world peace” means I have bought in to the thought that the world cannot be saved. When I step back out of the picture false prophets step in and preach wealth gospels and health gospels. BUT GOD wants me to do something different.

• GOD wants me to stand firm in belief in HIS might to save the world.
• GOD wants me to keep my love “hot” for the world, believing it is worth saving.
• GOD wants me to preach the gospel of JESUS’s love to the whole world as a testimony to all nations.

Giving up leads me to a cynical, pessimistic, skeptical life where every word spoken from “their” mouth or mine is negative. GOD wants me to speak life through HIS power alone. HE doesn’t want me to point people to false gods rather point them to the ONE true GOD in JESUS. My prayer is for world peace.

• Have you given up?
• Have you lost your fire to love others?
• Will you drop your cynical, pessimistic, skeptical view of the world and preach JESUS’s salvation?

Perfection at its Best

Matthew 5: ⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

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“Strong dislike” was the feeling I had towards this guy. I mean he had come along an upended my world simply by being inserted as my boss. He went out of his way to harm me and seemed even more maleficent when I showed any type of resilience.

• There have been times that I didn’t like a person.
• There have been people in my life that I could do without.
• There have been times when I brooded so much over a person that I lost sleep.

Replaying the “criminal” act over and over made me furious. I could not help but conclude that the only answer was to have this person dropped off a mountain while locked in an exploding train met with jagged rocks and a shark pit. Since I couldn’t afford to buy a train, I just sat and fumed.

• GOD said to me “Love your enemies.”
• GOD said to me “Pray for those who persecute you.”
• GOD said to me “Be perfect just as I, your HEAVENLY FATHER, AM perfect.”

Perfection in this example was “Love.” He wanted me to take bitterness and poison out of my heart and replace it with love for those who went out of their way to harm me. It took time to drive out the bitter thinking. I actually found myself praying for this person more and more. Soon I was able to sleep well.

Their onerous acts became child’s play to me. GOD removed the bitterness by showing me how HE handles HIS enemies, namely me. HE forgave me for my sins and allowed me to flourish instead. HE is a great example!

• Are you bitter about someone?
• Do you have a long standing grudge with someone?
• Do you have hatred in your heart over “that” person or “those” people?
• Will you drop your hatred and replace your poison with GOD’s love?