A few years ago there was a song, What’s love got to do with it. It seems that song indicated that love was nothing more than a second hand emotion. I thought it was cute then. Now, I think we set the stage for the cynicism, selfishness, and disconnectedness that plagues our society today. So…. I now ask the question, What’s Love NOT got to do with?
When I remember my parents and what they did for me, I can only ask, "What did love NOT have to do with it?" How does one put someone else’s interests ahead of his or her own and NOT love them? Now that I am a parent and I find myself GLADLY sacrificing for my children’s well-being and not even thinking about it, I ask, "What’s love NOT got to do with it?" And since my fracture, my wife’s self-less service to me and our family prompts me to ask, What’s Love NOT got to do with it? She gets little if anything for the extra running and effort she is putting forth, but she does it anyway. Why? CERTAINLY not because I deserve it – I most assuredly do NOT deserve it. Could it be that she does it because she loves me AND our family? What’s Love NOT got to do with it?
I think that a large part of the problem is that our definitions of love have become MUCH too shallow and self-engendered. We have defined love according to our personal perspectives. However, when I take a look at what I believe to be the Biblical definition of love, I get a whole different perspective of what love is (and is NOT).
I am going to do something that I am not at all comfortable doing…. I am going to end this week’s blog with a block of scripture. I hope you will come back and see what happens AFTER the block of scripture. Regardless, I am doing what I believe I must…. I pray that you will do the same….
The following scripture was extracted from www.rhymezone.com (URL: http://www.rhymezone.com/r/gwic.cgi?Word=_&Path=holy/newtestament/1corinthians/13//). The scripture is from 1st Corinthians 13: 4 – 13.
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
LOVE
Merriam-Webster.com says love is “(1) : strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties (2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers (3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests b : an assurance of love
As my first blog indicated, I fractured my ankle a few weeks ago. I am the bread-winner of my household. It is my job to ensure my family has food, protection, shelter, financial well-being, and connectedness. Since fracturing my ankle, I have found myself feeling pangs of guilt because I am unable to consistently provide for my family. There are those who would say “Why do you feel guilty? You did not do this on purpose, or did you?” No…. I ABSOLUTELY did NOT do this on purpose. I feel guilty because my love for my family informs me that I need to ensure their needs are met – PERIOD.
I think of my role in my family as being God’s representative for my family on earth. However, I am a human, and this fracture has reminded me just HOW human I am. I want my family to have everything they need to be successful in life – successful in achieving all that God wants them to be. This last three weeks have been eye-opening. I can only do what God enables me to do. The love that I strive to demonstrate to my family is the love that I believe God demonstrates to and through me. LOVE? You say, “You fractured your ankle, and you think that God loves you?” Yeah…. Even I struggle with that one at times. But I do believe that God does allow some TRULY unusual things to happen. At the same time, I FULLY believe that God loves us. He allows us to experience things – pain, death, loss – that hurt beyond measure. And yet, in the midst of allowing us to experience such challenges, He is right there with us. He feels, He even shares, our pain, but He does not always take us OUT of our pains.
I am in the midst of sharing in my daughter’s preparations for graduation from High School and to the next stage in her life. I see her struggling through pains and part of me wants to take the pains away. However, if I take the pains away, she will not learn from the experience. Not only will SHE not learn from these pains, but others around us would miss out on lessons and other opportunities as well. I have watched her go through some of the pains and have been proud to be her father. She has grown by leaps and bounds. It has almost scared me to see her grow SO fast.
Love is not always shielding those we care about from pains. Sometimes it is allowing them to find their way THROUGH pain so they find their way TO a stronger, more courageous, more loving self. I don’t know how long it will be for me to find my way through my current pains. Truthfully, I don’t know IF I will find my way through the pains to continue to live in this world. However, I trust that, wherever I find myself, I will find a stronger, more courageous, and more loving me.
As my first blog indicated, I fractured my ankle a few weeks ago. I am the bread-winner of my household. It is my job to ensure my family has food, protection, shelter, financial well-being, and connectedness. Since fracturing my ankle, I have found myself feeling pangs of guilt because I am unable to consistently provide for my family. There are those who would say “Why do you feel guilty? You did not do this on purpose, or did you?” No…. I ABSOLUTELY did NOT do this on purpose. I feel guilty because my love for my family informs me that I need to ensure their needs are met – PERIOD.
I think of my role in my family as being God’s representative for my family on earth. However, I am a human, and this fracture has reminded me just HOW human I am. I want my family to have everything they need to be successful in life – successful in achieving all that God wants them to be. This last three weeks have been eye-opening. I can only do what God enables me to do. The love that I strive to demonstrate to my family is the love that I believe God demonstrates to and through me. LOVE? You say, “You fractured your ankle, and you think that God loves you?” Yeah…. Even I struggle with that one at times. But I do believe that God does allow some TRULY unusual things to happen. At the same time, I FULLY believe that God loves us. He allows us to experience things – pain, death, loss – that hurt beyond measure. And yet, in the midst of allowing us to experience such challenges, He is right there with us. He feels, He even shares, our pain, but He does not always take us OUT of our pains.
I am in the midst of sharing in my daughter’s preparations for graduation from High School and to the next stage in her life. I see her struggling through pains and part of me wants to take the pains away. However, if I take the pains away, she will not learn from the experience. Not only will SHE not learn from these pains, but others around us would miss out on lessons and other opportunities as well. I have watched her go through some of the pains and have been proud to be her father. She has grown by leaps and bounds. It has almost scared me to see her grow SO fast.
Love is not always shielding those we care about from pains. Sometimes it is allowing them to find their way THROUGH pain so they find their way TO a stronger, more courageous, more loving self. I don’t know how long it will be for me to find my way through my current pains. Truthfully, I don’t know IF I will find my way through the pains to continue to live in this world. However, I trust that, wherever I find myself, I will find a stronger, more courageous, and more loving me.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Expanding the Beginning
I said I would begin at the beginning, and I offered my perspective on what I believe values are (“…guiding principles that enable us to demonstrate a level of integrity (a value in and of itself) so that those with whom we interact can have some idea of what they can expect of us”). I now offer other definitions of values and suggest that we build perceptions of values that help us determine what values may offer us in the 21st Century.
Values as defined by worldnetweb.princeton.,edu/perl/webwn as,“beliefs of a person or social group in which they have an emotional investment (either for or against something); "he has very conservatives values"”.
Values as defined by en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Values - “A personal and cultural value is a relative ethic value, an assumption upon which implementation can be extrapolated. A value system is a set of consistent values and measures. A principle value is a foundation upon which other values and measures of integrity are based. ...”
Over the last several months I have found it disturbing that we openly lie on television commercials. We indiscriminately mix sex, drugs, violence, and destructive behavior into media shows and advertisements and display it for all to see at anytime, at any place. We do all this, while not only continuing to confess ourselves to be people with Christian values, but some even do these things ‘in the name of God’, as if invoking His blessing. We do this despite the fact that the Christian’s “values guidebook”, the Bible, clearly tells us NOT to do them. In upcoming entries, we will take a look at some of those Biblical sayings and what God promises in relation to them. We will also take a look at some of those sayings and what God promises if we continue to disobey or rebel against Him. Some see the Bible as a purely ‘spiritual’ book. Some see it as a ‘story’ book, with little or no empirical value in today’s society. I see the Bible as a ‘spiritual’ book that provides empirical guidance, enabling its believers to experience the realities it professes when they faithfully comply with its teachings - positively or negatively.
Suffice it to say that, if my children, who go by my name, continually do those things that I tell them NOT to do, they run the risk of my revoking my support or ‘blessing’ for them and their lifestyles/behaviors. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, the Lord says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (The Holy Bible, KJV). This scripture sounds a lot like what I said from a practical parenting point of view. If we profess ourselves to be God’s children, but we continue to believe, think, and do those things that God has told us NOT to do, we run the risk that, sooner or later, God will withdraw His blessing from us. In fact, the Bible is replete with examples of this very fact. For some the question is, is this a fact? My experience tells me that it is indeed a fact. What do your experiences tell you?
Lord, help us to read your Word, so we can get to know you better; help us to study your Word so we can see who we are in Your eyes; and help us to LIVE your Word, so that others may see you in us and give YOU the glory, the honor, and the praise. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Values as defined by worldnetweb.princeton.,edu/perl/webwn as,“beliefs of a person or social group in which they have an emotional investment (either for or against something); "he has very conservatives values"”.
Values as defined by en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Values - “A personal and cultural value is a relative ethic value, an assumption upon which implementation can be extrapolated. A value system is a set of consistent values and measures. A principle value is a foundation upon which other values and measures of integrity are based. ...”
Over the last several months I have found it disturbing that we openly lie on television commercials. We indiscriminately mix sex, drugs, violence, and destructive behavior into media shows and advertisements and display it for all to see at anytime, at any place. We do all this, while not only continuing to confess ourselves to be people with Christian values, but some even do these things ‘in the name of God’, as if invoking His blessing. We do this despite the fact that the Christian’s “values guidebook”, the Bible, clearly tells us NOT to do them. In upcoming entries, we will take a look at some of those Biblical sayings and what God promises in relation to them. We will also take a look at some of those sayings and what God promises if we continue to disobey or rebel against Him. Some see the Bible as a purely ‘spiritual’ book. Some see it as a ‘story’ book, with little or no empirical value in today’s society. I see the Bible as a ‘spiritual’ book that provides empirical guidance, enabling its believers to experience the realities it professes when they faithfully comply with its teachings - positively or negatively.
Suffice it to say that, if my children, who go by my name, continually do those things that I tell them NOT to do, they run the risk of my revoking my support or ‘blessing’ for them and their lifestyles/behaviors. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, the Lord says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (The Holy Bible, KJV). This scripture sounds a lot like what I said from a practical parenting point of view. If we profess ourselves to be God’s children, but we continue to believe, think, and do those things that God has told us NOT to do, we run the risk that, sooner or later, God will withdraw His blessing from us. In fact, the Bible is replete with examples of this very fact. For some the question is, is this a fact? My experience tells me that it is indeed a fact. What do your experiences tell you?
Lord, help us to read your Word, so we can get to know you better; help us to study your Word so we can see who we are in Your eyes; and help us to LIVE your Word, so that others may see you in us and give YOU the glory, the honor, and the praise. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Begin at the Beginning
As I embark on this blogging journey, I find myself house-locked because of a fractured ankle. In an effort to serve my family, employer, and clients, I injured myself and have caused myself a bit of down time. However, Romans 8:28 says "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose". I decided to use this 'downtime' to begin a project I have put off for sometime because I was not sure where I should begin. So.... I am beginning at the beginning.
This initial blog will be short. I will introduce myself more over time, and I will discuss my approach to embracing and living out values. I begin now by suggesting that values should not be some nice sounding words that we post on our websites and walls and forget. They SHOULD be guiding principles that enable us to demonstrate a level of integrity (a value in and of itself) so that those with whom we interact can have some idea of what they can expect of us.
I hope you will come with me on this journey and, together, we will begin to impact the quality of behavior we each demonstrate. Who knows, maybe we will start a revolution that sweeps the world over and improves the quality not only of our behavior, but of our lives, our products, our services, our outlooks, and our outcomes.
This initial blog will be short. I will introduce myself more over time, and I will discuss my approach to embracing and living out values. I begin now by suggesting that values should not be some nice sounding words that we post on our websites and walls and forget. They SHOULD be guiding principles that enable us to demonstrate a level of integrity (a value in and of itself) so that those with whom we interact can have some idea of what they can expect of us.
I hope you will come with me on this journey and, together, we will begin to impact the quality of behavior we each demonstrate. Who knows, maybe we will start a revolution that sweeps the world over and improves the quality not only of our behavior, but of our lives, our products, our services, our outlooks, and our outcomes.
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