28 Day Love Challenge · Christian. · February · Love · Valentines

Day 8: Weaving Together Kindness

Next trait of Love.  Love is Kind
So what does it mean to be kind.  Let’s look at the dictionary.

ADJECTIVE:
kind·erkind·est

  1. Of a friendly, generous, or warm-hearted nature.
  2. Showing sympathy or understanding; charitable: a kind word.
  3. Humane; considerate: kind to animals.
  4. Forbearing; tolerant: Our neighbor was very kind about the window we broke.
  5. Generous; liberal: kind words of praise.
  6. Agreeable; beneficial: a dry climate kind to asthmatics.

 

I’ve thought long and hard about the word kind.  Be kind.  We sort of know it when we see it. But when you try to define it, you use words that are only part of what you mean.

But when you look at the life of Christ you see how the parts weave together into a life of kindness. 

 
Showing sympathy or understanding

Mark 5:35 While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?

36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

37 And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

38 And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.

39 And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.

40 And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.

42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

43 And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

Considerate

Matthew 1413 When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.

14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

15 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.

16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.

17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

18 He said, Bring them hither to me.

19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

Caring

Matthew 20:29 And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.

30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.

31 And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.

32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?

33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.

34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

 

Giving

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

 

 

28 Day Love Challenge · Christian. · February · Love · Valentines

Day 7: Anger, Caution: Use Only with Holy Spirit Supervision

Anger means a strong feeling of displeasure or hostility 

Ephesians 4:26 be angry and do not sin; let not the sun go down upon your wrath,

27 neither give place to the devil;

28 whoso is stealing let him no more steal, but rather let him labour, working the thing that is good with the hands, that he may have to impart to him having need.

29 Let no corrupt word out of your mouth go forth, but what is good unto the needful building up, that it may give grace to the hearers;

30 and make not sorrowful the Holy Spirit of God, in which ye were sealed to a day of redemption.

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice,

32 and become one to another kind, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, according as also God in Christ did forgive you.

 Be angry and do not sin.  The verse tells us to deal with the issue immediately and to not sin while dealing with it.
So let’s look at the perfect life to decide about anger.
First Jesus and the Pharisees:

Mark 3:3 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,

 Jesus felt strong displeasure at the attitude of these men.  They worried more about accusing Jesus than loving the man.  His displeasure at their attitude is described as anger.  He dealt with the anger immediately by explaining to them why they were wrong. He healed the man and reprimanded them.  He handled the situation immediately, but that does not mean people with ill intent won’t respond in a negative manner.
Another example:

Matthew 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Here anger had a little more hostility involved.  These people harmed other people.  They were cheating and forcing people to buy items in order to worship God.  They were disgracing God’s temple.  Jesus ran them out.

I think, and this is just me thinking, that some times we may have to resort to strong action.  When we are called on to to protect someone.

Anger is not wrong, but as a person, I am not capable of knowing when to act or how to act without the direction of the Holy Spirit.  We need to slow down the minute anger arrives and ask God to guide us with His Spirit.  I personally am more likely to be angry for selfish reasons and to act in unchristian ways.  I even can find myself proud of the harm I cause when I act in anger.  No, I am not capable of responding properly when anger is involved.  I have to have guidance.

Anger needs to come with a big label.

Caution Pray before Acting and Handle only with Holy Spirit supervision.

28 Day Love Challenge · Christian. · February · Love · Valentines

Day 6: Slow to Anger–Pearl or Explosion?

I read through the list of words associated with makrothymeō and the slow to anger hit a nerve.  I saw the words and knew I needed to explore this deeper.  

An intruder, so small you can only see it under a microscope,  invades the oyster and settles inside the shell.  The irritation causes a secretion.  The secretion builds layer after layer to form a beautiful pearl. The slow process of dealing with an irritation creates something beautiful and useful.

A different scenario.

Microscopic grain dust collects in the air.  The potential builds. Then an ignition source occurs and boom.  The dust explodes like a bomb.

People deal with anger in similar ways I think.

  1. The hot tempered ones who blow up over a situation.  They fire off with anger.  Words are said.  They pop off like a fire cracker.
  2. The slow boiling ones who collect all the wrongs until the moment when they explode as if a bomb detonated.
  3. They recognize the irritation, they take appropriate protective behaviors to reduce anger and the sources of pain.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you          Matthew 5:44

Ignoring the hurt is not the best method for “slow to anger”.  The pearl approach is the right approach.  Go to God.  Place the issue before the Lord.  Pray for the people who are causing you anger.  Focus on their well being.  You can not do that on your own.  Take the irritation to God where he can build a hard seal around it.  He will take the irritation and create something beautiful out of it.

Do not try this on your own.  When we collect the little irritations and do not deal with the hurt, an explosive environment builds just waiting for a source of ignition.

Journal

How do you handle anger?

List hurts that you have experienced. Take them to God. Pray sincerely for the person.  Ask God to take the pain.  Ask the Lord to resolve issues this person my have.  Ask Him to bless the person.  Seek His guidance in how to deal with the situation.  Ask him to create a pearl.

Tomorrow, when is anger the right response?

28 Day Love Challenge · Christian. · February · Love · Valentines

Day 5:Never Pray for Patience—–Wrong!

Funny what you remember.  Years and years, and yes years ago a Sunday school teacher said never pray for patience.  This I remembered.  She said when you pray for patience God teaches you by placing trails in your life.

Yet Jesus commanded us to love and part of that love according to Paul is a greek word makrothymeō.   Strong’s Blue Letter Bible http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3114&t=KJV   states this word can have the following meanings:

to be of a long spirit, not to lose heart; to persevere patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and troubles; to be patient in bearing the offenses and injuries of others; to be mild and slow in avenging; to be long-suffering, slow to anger, slow to punish

Jesus is patient with us; he endured misfortune and troubles for us.  Jesus told us to love others as He loved us.  We must learn to be people of patience.

I think of Peter when I think of Jesus showing patience.  I love Peter because he so often got it wrong but Jesus never gave up on him.

Look at the incident of Peter walking on the water.

29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

There is Peter walking on the water yet he gets afraid and starts sinking.  But Jesus doesn’t just let him sink or say fine swim for it.  No he stretched out his hand and caught him.
Again with Peter, look at how even though he claimed he would never betray Christ; on the night when Jesus is taken, Peter denies him three times.I think I would be inclined to give up on Peter. I would feel betrayed.  I would be angry.  I would feel justified and all righteous in my frustration with Peter.  I know I get that way with people who let me down in my life.  People who some how don’t live up to my standard of how a Christian should live.  But I am so grateful that Jesus doesn’t give up on me when I fall so short of who I am suppose to be in Him.
My Sunday school teacher was wrong.  We will face people letting us down, people hurting us, people acting in a manner they should not because that is just what people do.  Jesus commands us to love as He loved us.  We must ask Him to teach us how to be patient with people who fall short of our hopes for them.  Forgive the people who let us down.  If we love Jesus this is what He asks of us.

Journal

Write down a few examples of people who have let you down in the recent past:  people who have hurt you, betrayed you, or who have just disappointed you.  How did you react to these situations.  How do you think you should have reacted.

Activity

Watch for times when you can show patience.  When you feel yourself being disappointed or frustrated do not react.  Separate from the situation and place the situation on the altar before Jesus.  Ask Him how to show patience so that it provides a learning experience for the person involve.

 

Tomorrow lets deal with the slow to anger.

28 Day Love Challenge · Christian. · February · Love · Valentines

Day 4: Not Just Love But Agape

When we say love we think of romantic love or the surface love we feel for friends. The Greeks used the word Agape for a special level of love.  The highest standard of love.  1 Corinthians 13 lays out just what is expected when we say Agape.

Paul discribes this loves by stating what Agape does not do and what Agape does.

1) Patient

2) Kind

3) Does not envy

4) Does not boast

5) Not proud

6) Does not dishonor others

7) Not self seeking

8) Not easily angered

9) Keeps no record of wrongs

10) Does not delight in evil

11) Rejoices in truth

12) Always protects

13) Always trusts

14) Always hopes

15) Always perseveres

Journal

On a scale of 1-5 where 1 equals “this is a problem for me” and 5 means “I can honestly say this describes me”  give a rating to each of the characteristics of Agape Love.

We will go over each one in detail later, but for today just think about the words in general.

Example Patience: 2   I lose my patience.  I try not to, but I get so frustrated.

28 Day Love Challenge · February · Love · Uncategorized · Valentines

Day 3: Step One

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all mind.

Jesus says this is the most important commandment.

When God means everything to you, when you love him more than anything else in your life then He can use you to serve others.  We say we love God, but is He honestly first in our lives.  We tend to think about God’s love for us.  “God give me what I want.” or “God will understand” or “God would want me happy”.  We spend much less time asking what does God want.  Will I understand if God does not give me what I want?   Will I live a life that brings honor to God even if it means I cannot do the things I want to do?

We know we have moved in the correct direction when our thoughts seek God’s desire.  Do we long to make Him happy?  Think about it.

Heart:     Who is your first love?  Where are your priorities?  Do you find yourself pushing God aside for other people and things?

Mind:     Do you meditate on God’s word?  Are your thoughts centered on God or on the distractions of the world?

Soul:   Is your spirit one with the Holy Spirit?  When a decision arises do you seek direction from Christ?  Do you seek to be one with Christ through the Spirit–like the vine and branch? Are you walking through the day with Him as your guide.

Journal

Do you have the kind of relationship with Christ that can be described as with all you heart, soul and mind?  How would you describe your day to day relationship with God?

Agape Love requires you to be willing to follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance. You must love God more than the pleasures and comforts of this world.

Activity

Read Matthew 19:16-29 The story of the rich young ruler.  In this story, Jesus asks the young man to sell all he has, give the money to the poor and to follow Jesus.

As you moved through the day, think about what you have.  What would your answer be if Jesus said quit your job, sell your house, give away your retirement?  What do you love more that Jesus? What do you fear losing?

28 Day Love Challenge · February · Love · Valentines

Day 2–What To Do When You Are Asked to Do the Impossible

I can’t love the way Christ wants me to love.  I try and I can’t do it.

Do you know what it is like to want to love the way Jesus said, but to find yourself always ending up angry or hurt?  I think I equate making donations or paying for things as love.  Then people take advantage of me and anger grows, resentment takes root.  It’s not pleasant.

I pull away and close the purse.  I feel frustrated that some people seem to always have their hands out.  But even when I give them something it is out of duty and not out of love.

You see, I think about James 2:15 and 16 and I assume Jesus expects me to help them.  I mean  James tells us if we see our Christian brother or sister in trouble wearing torn up cloths and lacking food that we should help.  He asks what good does it do to say keep warm and full, but to do nothing to help. So I give in and help, but it is not our of love it is out of duty.

I look at the negative list in Paul’s definition of love in first Corinthians 13 and I recognize myself.  I know the right words and what I am suppose to say, but I am not sure I really mean them all the time.  My words sound loving and kind but the emotion inside, the one hidden beneath my façade, is much more complex.

Paul says if we give up everything we have including ourselves, but don’t do it with love then we have nothing. Which brings me back to realizing that while I desire to love others as Christ has asked me to love I cannot do so under my own strength.

Galatians 5:22 tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is Love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance

The fruit of the Spirit means God working through us.   God can love with Agape love; I cannot, but the Spirit when I become one with Christ can love others with Agape through me.

I know I am moving through verses today, but I think Jesus in John 15 told us how we could move from people who are incapable of love to people who produce the fruit of Agape.

Jesus said He was the vine and we are the branches.  We can only bear fruit by dwelling in Jesus and by his dwelling in us. We are to live united to him.  Jesus words must become part of us. But it is more than knowing scripture.  It is about staying connected to Jesus throughout our day.

 Journal

Write a prayer to Jesus asking him to draw you closer to him.  Ask him to show you how to live in Him and how to be aware of His living in you.  Ask him to teach you how to love with Agape love.  Admit you are not capable of this type of love on your own.  Ask Him to prune what is not productive.

Activity

Over the next 24 hours focus on discussing the day-to-day events in your life with Christ.  Discuss everything with him as you go through the day.  One day of treating him like a best friend spending the day with you.

28 Day Love Challenge · February · Love · Valentines

Day 1 –To Love or Not to Love

 

Jesus when asked what the most important commandment was said.

Matthew 22:37 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

And Jesus said if you love him than

John 15: 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.  15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

And John tells us in his first letter

1 John 4:Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

 

This 28 Day Challenge is for Christians, those who have accepted the sacrifice of Christ and have asked Him to be Lord of their lives.  We love God because He first loved us and what He asks from us is that we love others as he loved us.

Journal

  1. Are you a Christian?  Have you asked Christ for forgiveness of your sins and to be Lord of your life?  If not you can do so now.  It is not complicated, but you have to be sincere.  Christianity is about faith or trust.  You trust that Christ’s sacrifice removes your sin, you trust that Christ loves you and that He will guide you through the Holy Spirit.
  2. Write a statement of commitment that for the next 28 days you will be open to God filling you with His love for others.

Activity

Keep a small notebook with you during the next 28 days.  As you interact with people who you know are Christians, do you see examples of Christian love?  Make a quick note of what you see.

Also note moments when you could have shown Christ’s love but didn’t.

 

 

 

 

28 Day Love Challenge · February · Love · Valentines

The Twenty Eight Day Love Challenge

28-Day Challenge

 

Join me in a beginner’s fitness course in love.  Not the ooey gooey bubble gum love of a crush.  Not romantic fluttery type of love.  I am not even talking about the love of a mom who is totally responsible for the well being of a newborn baby.  Nope.

This challenge is for Christians who want to grow stronger in the one-way Jesus specifically asked us to grow if we loved Him. I plan to study what the bible has to say about agape love translated originally in Latin as caritas (preciousness, dearness, high price).

Just remember, according to 1 Cor 13 if you can speak with all the languages of men and angels, but do not have Caritas then you sound like a big brass gong.  Loud and jarring.  Or if you can teach and you understand the greatest mysteries and you know just about everything and you actually have enough faith to move a mountain but you do not have charitas you are nothing.

If you take everything you have and give it to feed the poor or you are willing to sacrifice your body to the flames but don’t have charitas then it means nothing.

Each day we will look at what the bible says about the love Christ expects from us. There will be questions for journaling or meditation.  And on most days there will be challenges (actions) to start getting us into the habit of acting on what we read.

I hope you will come along with me as I dig deeper into this type of love Jesus said we should practice if we love him.

 

28 Day Love Challenge · February · Love · Valentines

My Starting Play List for February: Theme Love

His Love Endures Forever                               Tommy Walker and the C.A. Worship Band

Until the Whole World Hears                             Casting Crowns

Father I Adore You                                          Matt Brouwer

You Are My King (Amazing Love)                     Newsboys

Take My Life (and Let It Be)                             Chris Tomlin

Here I Am Again                                              Matt Brouwer

Perfect People                                                 Natalie Grant

My Own Little World                                         Matthew West

Love You So Much                                           Hillsong

You Are Being Loved                                        Steven Curtis Chapman

Children of God                                                Steven Curtis Chapman

What This World Needs                                    Casting Crowns

Matthew’s Song                                                 Chasing Canaan

Jesus, Friend of Sinners                                   Casting Crowns

So Far to Find You                                           Casting Crowns

You Gave Me Love                                           B.J. Thomas

The Business of Love                                       Charlie Daniels

How Deep the Father’s Love for Us                     Nichole Nordeman

Love Song for a King                                         Caleb Rowden

As the Deer                                                      Adore

Here Is Love                                                     Matt Redman

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go                        Chris Rice