Can't believe its 2 months since my last post - I had intended to do this every month - but maybe its apt that I am writing this just before Valentines Day ;)
But as its been 2 months, for my own sake at least, let me recap ...
... I want to learn what the bible has to say about how we are to be with each other in church - our code of conduct if you like. (Blog Post 1)
... Before I can get to grips with God's instructions to us its important to remember who I am to be, before I think about how I am to be - a forgiven and accepted precious child of God (Blog Post 2)
...and now I thought I would start getting to grips with God's advice, maybe a list of instructions as the basis for a vision statement or something clever like that. For four months now I have been chewing on Matthew chapter 5 so I honestly thought that is what I would write about next (the sermon on the mount does read a bit like an instruction manual and it appeals to my liking for order and logic). But apparently there is still more for me to learn before that.
In the last week God has smacked me with His big idea, His most obvious big idea, so obvious in fact that I missed it - d'oh!
'Love!'
If I was looking for a one word answer for 'how are we to be with each other' then it must be 'love'. Love must surely be the starting point, the end point and the undergirding of every point in between, because God Himself is Love (1 John 4:8)
Last week I was preparing for a difficult meeting. I was writing down objectives and strategies for said meeting, preparing various papers and praying madly that God would sort it. The morning of the meeting I sat down with a cup of tea (rare occurrence) and picked up my daily devotions book (ought to be a less rare occurrence) and this is what I read:
'Practise Love
Want of Love will block the way. You must love all. Those who fret you and those who do not.
Practise Love. It is a great lesson, and you will have a great Teacher. You must love, how otherwise can you dwell in Me, where nothing unloving can come? Practise this and I will bless you exceedingly, above all you can not only ask but imagine.' God Calling; A Devotional Diary
I immediately looked up 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 And God said this:
Kate, even if you are the very best possible kids worker, missionary to your local school, church leader, discipler of others, but you do not love all people (those who fret you as well as those who don't) then you are nothing and will gain nothing. Love is patient, kind, not boastful, not self-seeking, keeps no record of wrongs, and always perseveres. Love is the greatest and only commandment!
Hard core and true. Love! Must love! Everyone! Always! Or you are nothing! Woah!
But bless the Lord for that lovely word 'practise'. I have recently seen Anna & Hugh through learning to ride their bikes. There were times when I honestly thought Anna would never get it. More off than on, more stopping than starting, more crashing than riding. But she persevered and now it is almost second nature, almost automatic, almost unconscious.
God knows I won't get it right much at first, but if I keep at it then I will get good and it will become automatic, because He is a perfectly patient and loving Father and Teacher. Love will become who I am. And I do want that to be who I am!
Now before any of you kind people wade in and try to reassure me that I am not hopeless - because I know how kind you all are - let me just be clear: I am not saying that I, or any of us, are especially unloving. I am just saying that we have not yet reached the goal of being as perfect at loving as our heavenly Father is. All of us have people we find difficult to love. And in later posts we will no doubt come onto what our responsibilities are towards those who fret us and where the boundaries lie - I am not an advocate of Christian doormats ;) But that said, God does not let us off the hook: love your neighbour and your enemy alike (Matt 22:39 & 5:44) Tough stuff!
Jesus said: 'If you love each other then everyone will know you are my disciples' (John 13:35). Makes sense right; if God is love then it will be obvious to everyone that we are His followers if we practise love.
And not just loving our friends but those people in church that fret us! Not easy by any stretch but it would be worth it right? How awesome would it be if Emmanuel church was known by everyone as the church where people really do love each other? Surely people would flock to join our ranks! Rush to meet this God who can make people so different.
And my meeting? Well, God really did bless me exceedingly, above all I could ask and imagine. Turns out this stuff works ;)
