Scripture of the Day
Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV)
“Relation”Ship” Wreck”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
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Many of us are familiar with this passage, and many of us will agree that love is an action that builds relationships! But some of us have put it on auto pilot! It has been diluted to a simple “love ya” as you walk by or at the end of a voicemail. We may put “Lv Ya!” at the end of a text message, and I’m sure we could abbreviate it to be even smaller! Although it is great to have this availability when our relationship is long distance due to separation, we must put our hands back on the helm of our Relation”Ship” before we wreck our marriages, families, friends, etc. Can you think of the last time you said “I love you” and actually meant it? I mean, actually heard the words you were saying to someone else? I will be asking questions like this all week. Can your cell phone hug you? Can your iPad pat you on the back and say “Well done!” Will your T.V. kiss you on the cheek before you dose off to sleep? No! It takes a relationship to feel that kind of love, and it takes a relationship to give that kind of love!
A few years ago my youngest son dropped anchor and saved our Relation”Ship” Every morning before he goes to school he would say, “I love you dad!” and I would hit the auto reply button and respond with, “Lov Ya too” I didn’t realize he was looking at me as I responded, because I was busy doing something else! He said, “No dad . . . you need to say it back!” Of course I said, “I did . . . I said lov ya!” (I love how GOD can use our kids to get a message across!) As I looked at him, he repeated, “I love you dad!” as he was looking at me . . . and for the first time in a long time I heard the words come out of my mouth when I said, “I love you son!” Now we all make it a habit to say, “I love you” instead of a quick, “Love ya!” and move on! Now it has evolved into, “I love you!” with a hug attached to it!
Have you told GOD that you love HIM? Or has it been a quick “lov ya” at the end of a prayer! Many of us have been Relation”Ship” wrecked with GOD. Look to the hills from which cometh your help and say, “I love you FATHER!” . . . trust me . . . HE will reply! HE will embrace you with peace and say, “I love you first!” Our Relation”Ship” is so important to GOD that HE sent HIS only begotten Son to die for our sins!
6 comments:
I just wanted you to know that I have really enjoyed the SODs. Since my arrival in Africa, I have shared many of your daily messages with my co-workers and they have enjoyed them as well!
Thanks!
I am convicted.
Even in conviction our LORD Loves us! Climb aboard the "ship" with all those who love HIM and understand our need for a relation"ship" with HIM!
I hope you don’t mind, but every now and then I paste these to Facebook and use your name as author. This is another great one I’ll be posting!
I LOVE YOU! And don’t ever forget it or take it for granted little brother. I am continually inspired by your ministry.
Thanks for the relation"ship" wreck message. It's so very important that we show love, give love, and say I love you (with heartfelt feelings) on a daily basis especially to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
There are so many people who are experiencing a "ship" wreck situation. However, I know that if love was the center of their being, they wouldn't have so many "ship" wrecks. God says that we should love one another as we would love ourselves. But some of us don't love ourselves... Wow! If we did, the world would be a better place, huh?
Thanks yet again for another one of those great SODs...the SODs are all good but, it seems that lately many of the SODs have spoken directly into my heart, in a very personal way.
I tell my wife every morning that I love her, yet like you, I too must confess, there have have been many times when I have only said it just out of routine; like this morning for example. But even when spoken in routing--even when I say "I love you" out of routine, it's not been a bad thing, because there are those times when I have been upset with my wife--and yet, it doesn't stop me from telling her that I love her before leaving the house. So, in way, even the routine can become somewhat of an ice breaker for our tension--because even though I know in my heart that I am upset, still find that I can't force myself to leave the house w/o saying "I love you." I can't count the times that just speaking the words "I love you" has turned things around in our relationship; it just seems one can't go wrong when love enters the equation!
I remember once when I was teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th grade bible study classew; I had decided to focus was on the two greatest commandments, therefore, I then created an acrostic for L.O.V.E. --Life of Victory Eternally. Then I required every student to learn it. Why? Because I believed that LOVE truly is at the very foundation of Christianity; in fact, in would go even further, love is Christianity!
I knew as bible study teacher that I wouldn't be effective in my teaching and the students wouldn't learn if Love wasn't our "centerpiece," our foundation.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." -I Corinthians 13:4-8a (NIV) --doesn't that say it all!!
The fact is, we can only identify true love and know when we have found it, based on the Word of God.
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