The year was 1912.
In a bid to perform the greatest escape act the world had ever seen, Harry Houdini was lowered upside-down in giant steel and glass cabinet, filled with water to overflowing and locked from the outside - forced to hold his breath for more than three minutes as he desperately attempted to escape. He did in-fact escape and would successfully perform this daring feat for the duration of his career.
Houdini would later explain some of his illusions: how he would expand his chest, dislocate his shoulders, and swallow keys in order to make his escape acts look stunningly believable. And nearly a century later, while other performers like David Copperfield, Chris Angel, and Lance Burton have made notable careers as escape artists, Houdini's name is still synonymous with unbelievable acts of illusion.
Amazing how we marvel at an illusionist's acts of escape without even noticing that many of us are as equally talented, if not even more than the very best of the great escape artists.
You see, our acts of illusion are those that put up a facade over our motives, over our fears, over our hearts. Some of us dazzle spectators like family, friends, and co-workers with the illusion that our lives are just fine, the television will teach the kids what they need to learn about life, the long work hours are no problem, the marriage will heal itself, the drinking is no big deal, the artery clogging fast food will never catch up with me, the drug use is only for a season, the out of control overspending will be followed by another big financial breakthrough.
Others perform the great escape of reality, relinquishing responsibility of their lives to circumstances and consequences. "I can't love because I wasn't loved...I'm rough because I had it rough...I can't get ahead because others keep me down...I don't show my wife love because she doesn't show me respect...my dead end job drives me to drink...life ends at death so what does it really matter anyway...I'd make more of an effort with my kids if I had more time...I can't get a hold of this chaotic life because I don't have what it takes...what is the use in committing to a loving God that simply won't show himself.
For so many of us, the show we put on day after day rivals that of the very greatest performers and is often the result of the questions left on the table - the reasons that hold us back from making a real commitment to marriage, to family, to fellowship, to career, to stewardship, to forgiveness, to deliverance, to sacrifice, to fulfillment, to love, to praise, to obedience, to faith, to peace, to healing, to life itself. The bottom line is that in this grand illusion, we need not look any further than in the mirror to see the ones we are truly fooling. Fate, it seems, has its own sense of irony, as the great escape only leads us to a place of bondage, eternal prisoners of our own illusion.
But it doesn't have to end there. It's okay to drop the front, be honest with ourselves (and others) and admit that we live in an tough world, oftentimes balancing itself (as one writer puts it) on the razor's edge of uncertainty.
It's okay to stop the act and admit to our families that we aren't equipped to solve all the problems, that "I don't know" is sometimes the healthiest answer; It's okay to escape the excuses and agree that its time to let go of past hurts, residual pain and move into a position of greater spiritual maturity; It's okay to do a curtain call, end the magic show and fully commit to God even though doubts are still a real part of daily life. It's okay to finally let the guard down, take a deep breath and have faith that no matter the trials, no matter the challenges, no matter the circumstances - there is authentic contentment found in going in empty handed and abiding in the only one worthy of surrender.
I submit to you that it is time to show the world the real great escape - the escape from slave to free, from fallen to risen, from from dead to alive...
Nate
"For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You." - Psalm 86:5
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
The Response
I am firmly committed to the belief that the destiny of a man is embedded not in how together he seems to have it, how successful the world decides him to be, or even how super spiritual he may have grown over the years.
No, the destiny of a man lies squarely in one place and one place only...in his response.
It is in his response to the threatened marriage; in his response to the chemical dependency; in his response to the obsessive thoughts; in his response to the waning commitment; in his response to dad's baggage, in his response to the unstable employment, in his response to the magnetic addiction, in his response to the undiscipled children; in his response to the defense of the weak; in his response to all of life's setbacks, challenges and troubles, in his response to the adversary's unrelenting drive to steal, kill, and destroy, in his response to the call to stand and fight for heart, mind, spirit and soul...in his response to the unwaivering offer of God.
Our destiny is unequivocally defined by our response. What is yours?
No, the destiny of a man lies squarely in one place and one place only...in his response.
It is in his response to the threatened marriage; in his response to the chemical dependency; in his response to the obsessive thoughts; in his response to the waning commitment; in his response to dad's baggage, in his response to the unstable employment, in his response to the magnetic addiction, in his response to the undiscipled children; in his response to the defense of the weak; in his response to all of life's setbacks, challenges and troubles, in his response to the adversary's unrelenting drive to steal, kill, and destroy, in his response to the call to stand and fight for heart, mind, spirit and soul...in his response to the unwaivering offer of God.
Our destiny is unequivocally defined by our response. What is yours?
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Help Me To Believe
Do you ever have those moments in life when you are confronted with a pivotal question? A pivotal decision? A pivotal response?
I was recently taking a car ride with my 12-year-old nephew and we got on the subject of God. He asked me how God (if there was one) could allow all those people in Africa to go hungry. Wow, I thought, heavy question for a child, even for an adult. And it wasn't that my nephew was trying to stump me, he was rather saying in his own way, "Help me to believe."
'Help me to believe.' Isn't that what we each ask at some point in our lives?
Help me to believe that there is more out there than just superficial lusts and empty dreams. Help me to believe that life's hurts can be healed. Help me to believe that addiction isn't the end of the road. Help me to believe that all this pain and suffering isn't God's doing. Help me to believe that there is freedom in forgiveness. Help me to believe that no matter how desperate and bleak the circumstances, there is a way out. Help me to believe that even though I am overloaded with what look to be insurmountable responsibilities, I can overcome. Help me to believe that depression can be beat. Help me to believe that less can be more. Help me to believe that charity is still worth the sacrifice. Help me to believe that the cause for human dignity is still alive. Help me to believe that absolute truth is still worth the fight. Help me to believe that there is so much more to be gained from love than with hate. Help me to believe that there really is life after death. Help me to believe that illness will not irradiate out my hope. Help me to believe that I can and will have victory over my financial burdens. Help me to believe that security isn't found below my feet, but above. Help me to believe that courage is found in taking a stand for righteousness, no matter the cost. Help me to believe that life isn't simply a series of tragedies buffered by just enough of a sliver of hope to give me a pulse. Help me to believe that whatever the direction of my life (even if unbelievably way off course), God unconditionally awaits my repentance and reconciliation. Help me to believe...
What have others around you desired your help to believe? That this country will make it? That their business will prosper? That their family will have unity? That their faith will withstand the storm?
For my little nephew, the answer could have come from so many different angles. But with love, I explained that it is not God who has failed us, but us that have failed God. We have failed God with every act of impurity, false idolatry, hatred, discord, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, dissension, envy, and so on. If we truly desire the world to be a 'better' place, making that difference starts no further than with us. It begins with a choice, a change of mindset, a change of direction, toward God rather than away. Our own lives can radically change this world for good. Sometimes all we need is a little help to believe...
Nate
"I have told you this so that through me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble, but be courageous-I have overcome the world!" - Jesus (Jn 16:33)
I was recently taking a car ride with my 12-year-old nephew and we got on the subject of God. He asked me how God (if there was one) could allow all those people in Africa to go hungry. Wow, I thought, heavy question for a child, even for an adult. And it wasn't that my nephew was trying to stump me, he was rather saying in his own way, "Help me to believe."
'Help me to believe.' Isn't that what we each ask at some point in our lives?
Help me to believe that there is more out there than just superficial lusts and empty dreams. Help me to believe that life's hurts can be healed. Help me to believe that addiction isn't the end of the road. Help me to believe that all this pain and suffering isn't God's doing. Help me to believe that there is freedom in forgiveness. Help me to believe that no matter how desperate and bleak the circumstances, there is a way out. Help me to believe that even though I am overloaded with what look to be insurmountable responsibilities, I can overcome. Help me to believe that depression can be beat. Help me to believe that less can be more. Help me to believe that charity is still worth the sacrifice. Help me to believe that the cause for human dignity is still alive. Help me to believe that absolute truth is still worth the fight. Help me to believe that there is so much more to be gained from love than with hate. Help me to believe that there really is life after death. Help me to believe that illness will not irradiate out my hope. Help me to believe that I can and will have victory over my financial burdens. Help me to believe that security isn't found below my feet, but above. Help me to believe that courage is found in taking a stand for righteousness, no matter the cost. Help me to believe that life isn't simply a series of tragedies buffered by just enough of a sliver of hope to give me a pulse. Help me to believe that whatever the direction of my life (even if unbelievably way off course), God unconditionally awaits my repentance and reconciliation. Help me to believe...
What have others around you desired your help to believe? That this country will make it? That their business will prosper? That their family will have unity? That their faith will withstand the storm?
For my little nephew, the answer could have come from so many different angles. But with love, I explained that it is not God who has failed us, but us that have failed God. We have failed God with every act of impurity, false idolatry, hatred, discord, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, dissension, envy, and so on. If we truly desire the world to be a 'better' place, making that difference starts no further than with us. It begins with a choice, a change of mindset, a change of direction, toward God rather than away. Our own lives can radically change this world for good. Sometimes all we need is a little help to believe...
Nate
"I have told you this so that through me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble, but be courageous-I have overcome the world!" - Jesus (Jn 16:33)
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Life's True Love
There once was a young man who set his heart upon true love.
He searched and searched for this sweet vision from above.
Alas, after many years and to no avail,
He was weakened to arrive at a point of utter betrayal.
With head sunk so low, his autumn sky filled with sorrow,
With nothing for hope and an empty tomorrow.
Then along came Wisdom asking, "What troubles you son?"
"Dear stranger, I am heartbroken to find love's chosen one."
"Ah, my son, there is but one reason for your desperation,
what you seek is yourself - beyond that, you'll find no consolation."
"Then all is lost...there is no one but me."
"Precisely, my boy, for that is all you can see."
And the young man left perplexed, his heart forever to grieve,
for until he looks beyond himself for love defined, he will neither recognize it to give or to receive.
Nate
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
He searched and searched for this sweet vision from above.
Alas, after many years and to no avail,
He was weakened to arrive at a point of utter betrayal.
With head sunk so low, his autumn sky filled with sorrow,
With nothing for hope and an empty tomorrow.
Then along came Wisdom asking, "What troubles you son?"
"Dear stranger, I am heartbroken to find love's chosen one."
"Ah, my son, there is but one reason for your desperation,
what you seek is yourself - beyond that, you'll find no consolation."
"Then all is lost...there is no one but me."
"Precisely, my boy, for that is all you can see."
And the young man left perplexed, his heart forever to grieve,
for until he looks beyond himself for love defined, he will neither recognize it to give or to receive.
Nate
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Victory Reserved
If you've never had the joy of competing in a short or long distance triathlon, allow me to fill you in on the particulars.
First, the event consists of three separate sports (swim, bike, run). You train in all three sports as best you can for months and get to the event on race day very early, still a little tired because you couldn't sleep the night before. You check out the course and begin to wonder if the distance seems a little longer than those in your training. Just before you get in line to start the swim, you find without fail that something goes wrong (your goggles break or you forget the race belt). Then you're off. You swim and swim, then realize you are off course, so you correct yourself, zig-zagging across the lake. All the while you are getting kicked by other swimmers, trying to see where you are going with foggy goggles and gulping a fair amount of (less than tasty) water. But then, just as your arms begin to fatigue, the final buoy comes within sight and you head straight for it. You climb out of the water, remove the goggles, cap, and ear plugs, and try to keep from slipping onto your rump.
You reach your bike, helmet goes on, shirt goes on, shoes go on and you are in motion once again. From there it gets a little less chaotic. Cyclists go their own pace and until you get passed by another rider as though you are standing still, your pride is somewhat still intact. You ride and ride, and ride. There are several 'testosterone sprints' as cyclists pass each other back and forth, vying for front position. The ride can be a solemn part of the race, passing by cornfields or lakes, thinking about your day, the reward meal after the race or the friends also in the event that you haven't seen since the start. As you near the bike course exit, you visualize yourself taking off the bike shoes and helmet, putting on the running shoes and thinking, "almost home." You dismount, and in a slight frenzy, quickly walk the bike to your rack location (among hundreds of other bikes). Helmet and cycling shoes get tossed, running shoes and race belt go on, and away you run.
Pace is the name of the game at this juncture. Run just hard enough to push your limits but not so hard that you run out of steam before the end. Just when there are about 2 miles to go, pick up the pace. Just when there is a mile to go, pick up a little more. Just when you hear the cheering, clapping, and announcements, pick it up some more. And just when you see the finish line, give it everything you've got and finish strong.
And even though in this event if you didn't place first or one hundred and first, you are yet victorious. You were victorious long before you crossed the finish line, long before you reached the starting line, even long before this day began. You were victorious in your mind the moment you saw yourself reaching that goal. You were victorious in your words by reminding yourself on those difficult days, "You can do this." You were victorious in your actions when you made sacrifice after sacrifice to prepare yourself to overcome each and every obstacle.
The application is this: Victory is not just reserved for the finish line, but for every triumphant moment of life.
Where are you victorious? Where can you be victorious? The most substantial victory for me is to know that I am a disciple of Christ and consequently, an instrument of God. And not just a blunt instrument, but a fine surgical tool, designed to get in deep below the surface. Designed to help my sphere of influence to recognize that there is freedom in surrender, that there is redemption in repentance, that without God, life is devoid of any tangible meaning.
Each of us has some area of victory to behold (either ongoing or changing) in life, whether we chose it or it is chosen for us. At this moment, it could be to take a step away from giving in to fear, doubt, and disbelief; it could be to take every step possible to restore your marriage; it could be a step to act in obedience to your commitment to Christ (in baptism or love); it could be a step to offer a shoulder to lean on for a friend in need; it could be a step to take courage say 'No' - 'No' to the enemy, 'No' to lies, 'No' to giving up when it is seems there is no hope left to hold on to.
And will some victories fall short? Yes, they most certainly will. But even in defeat do we press on, to rise again. For if we find victories in the little things, the grand victory may just be a little closer than we think.
Nate
First, the event consists of three separate sports (swim, bike, run). You train in all three sports as best you can for months and get to the event on race day very early, still a little tired because you couldn't sleep the night before. You check out the course and begin to wonder if the distance seems a little longer than those in your training. Just before you get in line to start the swim, you find without fail that something goes wrong (your goggles break or you forget the race belt). Then you're off. You swim and swim, then realize you are off course, so you correct yourself, zig-zagging across the lake. All the while you are getting kicked by other swimmers, trying to see where you are going with foggy goggles and gulping a fair amount of (less than tasty) water. But then, just as your arms begin to fatigue, the final buoy comes within sight and you head straight for it. You climb out of the water, remove the goggles, cap, and ear plugs, and try to keep from slipping onto your rump.
You reach your bike, helmet goes on, shirt goes on, shoes go on and you are in motion once again. From there it gets a little less chaotic. Cyclists go their own pace and until you get passed by another rider as though you are standing still, your pride is somewhat still intact. You ride and ride, and ride. There are several 'testosterone sprints' as cyclists pass each other back and forth, vying for front position. The ride can be a solemn part of the race, passing by cornfields or lakes, thinking about your day, the reward meal after the race or the friends also in the event that you haven't seen since the start. As you near the bike course exit, you visualize yourself taking off the bike shoes and helmet, putting on the running shoes and thinking, "almost home." You dismount, and in a slight frenzy, quickly walk the bike to your rack location (among hundreds of other bikes). Helmet and cycling shoes get tossed, running shoes and race belt go on, and away you run.
Pace is the name of the game at this juncture. Run just hard enough to push your limits but not so hard that you run out of steam before the end. Just when there are about 2 miles to go, pick up the pace. Just when there is a mile to go, pick up a little more. Just when you hear the cheering, clapping, and announcements, pick it up some more. And just when you see the finish line, give it everything you've got and finish strong.
And even though in this event if you didn't place first or one hundred and first, you are yet victorious. You were victorious long before you crossed the finish line, long before you reached the starting line, even long before this day began. You were victorious in your mind the moment you saw yourself reaching that goal. You were victorious in your words by reminding yourself on those difficult days, "You can do this." You were victorious in your actions when you made sacrifice after sacrifice to prepare yourself to overcome each and every obstacle.
The application is this: Victory is not just reserved for the finish line, but for every triumphant moment of life.
Where are you victorious? Where can you be victorious? The most substantial victory for me is to know that I am a disciple of Christ and consequently, an instrument of God. And not just a blunt instrument, but a fine surgical tool, designed to get in deep below the surface. Designed to help my sphere of influence to recognize that there is freedom in surrender, that there is redemption in repentance, that without God, life is devoid of any tangible meaning.
Each of us has some area of victory to behold (either ongoing or changing) in life, whether we chose it or it is chosen for us. At this moment, it could be to take a step away from giving in to fear, doubt, and disbelief; it could be to take every step possible to restore your marriage; it could be a step to act in obedience to your commitment to Christ (in baptism or love); it could be a step to offer a shoulder to lean on for a friend in need; it could be a step to take courage say 'No' - 'No' to the enemy, 'No' to lies, 'No' to giving up when it is seems there is no hope left to hold on to.
And will some victories fall short? Yes, they most certainly will. But even in defeat do we press on, to rise again. For if we find victories in the little things, the grand victory may just be a little closer than we think.
Nate
Saturday, May 1, 2010
The Law of The Harvest
Driving through the Midwest in late summer, one can easily find endless rows of corn, wheat, and other crops preparing to be harvested. The harvest feeds so many and in so many different ways - and it is amazing that one little seed can be the catalyst for so great a crop. And if you've ever spent much time on the farm, you've come to know that there is preparation involved, that, if ignored, can result in disaster.
The preparation involves purposing the process with clarity, with direction. What are the steps necessary to get the desired results - a bountiful yield?
The preparation begins with the end in mind - what will this harvest look like?
The preparer evaluates resources: What are the available tools for sowing...the weather conditions...the previous year's harvest...the quality of the field?
The preparer is aware of what is sown. What can be known of the harvest without knowledge of the seed?
Likewise, unless we prepare our own lives to yield the great harvest, we may despair to find that the yield has left us unsatisfied and scratching our heads.
What is the quality of the field of your heart and your mind? The condition of your heart and mind determines the quality of the yield - your output. How have you prepared the field of your life? Have you been thinking of the outcome of your decisions from the very beginning or after the consequences have nailed you square in the jaw? Do you have a clear purpose to add clarity and direction to the process of your life's harvest? To what resources have you been seeking to prepare your harvest? Has it been the creator's wisdom or that of the creation? How is that working out?
When we apply the law of the harvest to our own lives, we are almost forced to ask ourselves what we have sown over all these years, even this week, this day, or this very hour and what then has been our harvest? Has it produced a good crop, one worthy to be laid at the feet of God or has it left us with chaff and without excuse?
You see, just as in the natural world, an absolute reality emerges around our own lives - simply put, we reap what we sow. There are no two ways around it. If we hope our lives to yield a great harvest, enough to feed not only our flesh that will one day return to the dust of the earth, but also (and more importantly) our own eternal souls and others' as well, we must start by examining the seed and soil of our own lives.
Is the farmer sowing good seed on good soil, where seed will produce a crop, thirty, sixty, even a hundred times what was sown? Or sowing on thorny soil where "the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke...making it unfruitful" (Mk 4:18-19)?
If we honestly ask ourselves just whom can be fed from the yield of our lives, some may be pleased to witness that the harvest is bountiful and should praise God, while others may realize that the harvest is lacking and need to take time to do some serious re-evaluation, make some head and gut level changes, and begin to sow with a righteous and teachable heart.
Either way, just as we are called not to be happy, but to be holy, we should make every effort to prepare now for a great harvest - while we still can...
Nate
The preparation involves purposing the process with clarity, with direction. What are the steps necessary to get the desired results - a bountiful yield?
The preparation begins with the end in mind - what will this harvest look like?
The preparer evaluates resources: What are the available tools for sowing...the weather conditions...the previous year's harvest...the quality of the field?
The preparer is aware of what is sown. What can be known of the harvest without knowledge of the seed?
Likewise, unless we prepare our own lives to yield the great harvest, we may despair to find that the yield has left us unsatisfied and scratching our heads.
What is the quality of the field of your heart and your mind? The condition of your heart and mind determines the quality of the yield - your output. How have you prepared the field of your life? Have you been thinking of the outcome of your decisions from the very beginning or after the consequences have nailed you square in the jaw? Do you have a clear purpose to add clarity and direction to the process of your life's harvest? To what resources have you been seeking to prepare your harvest? Has it been the creator's wisdom or that of the creation? How is that working out?
When we apply the law of the harvest to our own lives, we are almost forced to ask ourselves what we have sown over all these years, even this week, this day, or this very hour and what then has been our harvest? Has it produced a good crop, one worthy to be laid at the feet of God or has it left us with chaff and without excuse?
You see, just as in the natural world, an absolute reality emerges around our own lives - simply put, we reap what we sow. There are no two ways around it. If we hope our lives to yield a great harvest, enough to feed not only our flesh that will one day return to the dust of the earth, but also (and more importantly) our own eternal souls and others' as well, we must start by examining the seed and soil of our own lives.
Is the farmer sowing good seed on good soil, where seed will produce a crop, thirty, sixty, even a hundred times what was sown? Or sowing on thorny soil where "the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke...making it unfruitful" (Mk 4:18-19)?
If we honestly ask ourselves just whom can be fed from the yield of our lives, some may be pleased to witness that the harvest is bountiful and should praise God, while others may realize that the harvest is lacking and need to take time to do some serious re-evaluation, make some head and gut level changes, and begin to sow with a righteous and teachable heart.
Either way, just as we are called not to be happy, but to be holy, we should make every effort to prepare now for a great harvest - while we still can...
Nate
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Love Juice
We got on the subject of living in moderation the other night and got on the subject of things we could over-do.
Of course the obvious ones popped up first like work or the converse (not work). We also agreed that extreme things that are normally positive could be hindersome - for example reading your bible to the extreme could also be a 'bad' thing, because burying your face in 'the book' may prevent us from experiencing the life the book instructs us to live.
But there is that one thing that no matter how extreme it is, you can never have (or give) enough of it. That something is built into each and every one of us. And to have it in full measure is a thing unattained by all of us - a thing called love.
What does the word bring to mind? A sense of peace? Does it bring you to a place of sanctuary, of rest?
Just imagine if you approached every situation in love? Every challenge in love? Every person in love?
Okay so the first thing you think is "I'd look a little strange." But really, approach life with an honest sense of love. Now love does not mean I spend my life getting trampled on by others and smile all the while. Love can mean passionately standing up for those who cannot stand for themselves or even fighting for the sake of righteousness - the love of freedom (even as those soldiers reading this today have loved you and me and this country enough to lay down their lives to protect it). You see love is so much more than hugs, kisses and smiles.
It is an honor and a duty but even more than that, the entire law and prophets of Judeo-Christian philosophy hinges upon this one word. While many may not abide in or even subscribe to biblical teaching, take a moment to reflect on the following observation.
According to funtrivia.com there are 774,746 words in the bible. If you were to take all these words and put them into a blender, the juice you would get would be one big refreshing glass of love.
Jesus was once asked what is the greatest commandment and this was his answer:
'"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.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV).
Jesus was saying that you can sum all of faith, all of reason, all of life in one little word - love. So if you really want to know what the scriptures teach, it teaches to love, to love the way Jesus did, sacrificially. To love so much that you are willing to give up everything (even life) for it. To love others when they are unlovable and to love God even when life doesn't go as planned.
What area of love are you holding out on? Where are you protecting yourself to guardedly to love?
So I challenge you to delay not another moment - Start today, release the grip, and begin your walk of love - the future you will be thanking the former you for getting up and beginning to mobilize your heart and mind to the highest call of mankind.
Nate
Of course the obvious ones popped up first like work or the converse (not work). We also agreed that extreme things that are normally positive could be hindersome - for example reading your bible to the extreme could also be a 'bad' thing, because burying your face in 'the book' may prevent us from experiencing the life the book instructs us to live.
But there is that one thing that no matter how extreme it is, you can never have (or give) enough of it. That something is built into each and every one of us. And to have it in full measure is a thing unattained by all of us - a thing called love.
What does the word bring to mind? A sense of peace? Does it bring you to a place of sanctuary, of rest?
Just imagine if you approached every situation in love? Every challenge in love? Every person in love?
Okay so the first thing you think is "I'd look a little strange." But really, approach life with an honest sense of love. Now love does not mean I spend my life getting trampled on by others and smile all the while. Love can mean passionately standing up for those who cannot stand for themselves or even fighting for the sake of righteousness - the love of freedom (even as those soldiers reading this today have loved you and me and this country enough to lay down their lives to protect it). You see love is so much more than hugs, kisses and smiles.
It is an honor and a duty but even more than that, the entire law and prophets of Judeo-Christian philosophy hinges upon this one word. While many may not abide in or even subscribe to biblical teaching, take a moment to reflect on the following observation.
According to funtrivia.com there are 774,746 words in the bible. If you were to take all these words and put them into a blender, the juice you would get would be one big refreshing glass of love.
Jesus was once asked what is the greatest commandment and this was his answer:
'"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.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV).
Jesus was saying that you can sum all of faith, all of reason, all of life in one little word - love. So if you really want to know what the scriptures teach, it teaches to love, to love the way Jesus did, sacrificially. To love so much that you are willing to give up everything (even life) for it. To love others when they are unlovable and to love God even when life doesn't go as planned.
What area of love are you holding out on? Where are you protecting yourself to guardedly to love?
So I challenge you to delay not another moment - Start today, release the grip, and begin your walk of love - the future you will be thanking the former you for getting up and beginning to mobilize your heart and mind to the highest call of mankind.
Nate
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