“Intense love does not measure, it just gives.” Mother Teresa

“The first step toward love is a common sharing of a sense of mutual worth and value.” (Howard Thurman. Jesus and the Disinherited: p. 98. Beacon Press. Kindle Edition.)

It is hard to love unconditionally. If it was not hard, G-d wouldn’t have needed to command us to love the Lord with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. Love is one of the things that we can control – or so we think. If love is an action, then we can parse out our love little bits at a time – to whom we want.

Sergei Fudel (1901 – 1977) puts it this way: “Sin…is “remembering oneself” and forgetting others. Therefore all sins are, in a greater or lesser degree, a renunciation of love, a greater or lesser pride and conceit. Instead of giving ourselves to others, caring for them and being concerned for them, I remain absorbed in myself. When I am at prayer, does it not happen that I really address myself? I assert myself, my own selfness, my ego, instead of the non-ego, instead of God and other people, instead of love. …love is all that leads us to God. Love defeats pride, destroys selfishness and lust, both bodily and spiritually.” “For All The Saints”, volume III

The love of G-d is to drive us to love our neighbor – unconditionally. But that opens us up to lots of things in cluding to have our love rejected and or abused. Matthew 24:12 says “because wickedness is multiplied, most men’s love will grow cold”. So we learn to parse out our love by the teaspoon, so that we protect ourselves from being taken advantage of. And in many cases, I must be careful that my love and gestures of love for others is not done with a cold heart, thinking that since I often feel taken advantage of, that a teaspoon of love is better than nothing. Well, a teaspoon of sugar may make the medicine go down easier, but a teaspoon of love, while it may make me feel better, it does nothing for those choked by fear, disaster, drug addiction, and the like.

Think about it. “Love is patient, love is kind, love does not judge or insist on being right.” Paul is talking about Agape love – love of and for G-d – not brotherly and sisterly love. But, when we realize that G-d loves us unconditionally, well, instead of teaspoons of love, we might find a way to share our love, first by the tablespoon, and then unlimited amounts.

Pastor Dave

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”      1 Corinthians 6:19 – 20

“We are not our own: let not our reason nor our will, therefore, sway our plans and deeds. We are not our own: let us therefore not set it as our goal to seek what is expedient for us according to the flesh. We are not our own: in so far as we can, let us therefore forget ourselves and all that is ours. Conversely, we are God’s: let us therefore live for him and die for him. We are God’s: let his wisdom and will therefore rule all our actions. We are God’s: let all the parts of our life accordingly strive toward him as our only…goal.” John Calvin (1509 – 1564) “For All The Saints” volume I

Wow….could John Calvin say something that is more “anti-twenty-first century” than what he has said: “Let us therefore forget ourselves and all that is ours”. That flies in the face of the messages we hear every day. Each day we are told, on TV and radio and other advertisements, that we deserve so much – that we need to get what is ours, especially “our billions back” right “H & R Block”? “We are not our own”, Calvin says. This would never be a popular message in any campaign for office, any resume, any persuasive speech – to begin with the statement “I am nothing – I am not my own person”. Now, please, I am not saying that we dare not have any self-esteem. But I am saying that our identity begins with being G-d’s possession first – and the world’s second. We are to live for G-d – which means that we live for G-d first, then everyone else second – and ourselves third. “OK, pastor Dave, then where do we fit in if we are third on the list of priorities?”

Well, you may be married or single — male or female – gay or straight. Being here on this planet you are many things. You might be a spouse. You might be a child. You might be a sister or brother, aunt or uncle, cousin, friend. In other words, you are many things, but you are first a child of G-d. This should be what defines you. This is your starting point. We belong to G-d who loves us unconditionally. This not only gives us identity, but it also promotes our self-esteem – because whatever anyone else says about us, we are first children of G-d – who each day strive to live for G-d. When this is our goal, then it also gives us direction.

Pastor Dave