Archive for the ‘Love’ category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Merry Christmas!

December 22nd, 2008




Christmas is here! This is my favorite time of year. I love the decorations, the cookies, the gifts, the music, pretty much everything. Yet as much as I enjoy those things, I cannot overstate how exciting the real meaning of Christmas is to me.

It is the birth of our Savior. I think most people know that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, yet I think we lack the amazement we should have. Jesus Christ was fully God and yet humbled Himself to become not only a human but a baby. He went from ultimate power to a helpless infant. We have a hard time understanding this because we rarely see power without pride attached. Most in power would not completely debase themselves for love. This is what Christ did for you.

Add to this the purpose of His birth which was to die for our sins and save us from damnation. God the Father knew this was the purpose yet sent Him anyway. To save people who would abuse him, not believe in Him, and not worship Him as the God that He is. This was an act of pure love. That is what God did for you.

This is something else that is hard to wrap our minds around because as flawed humans we do not fully comprehend what pure, selfless love is. As a parent we get a glimpse of pure love in how we feel for our children, yet this is still not the pure unconditional love of God.

God truly is love and He wants the best for all of us. God sent His Son because He loved the world.

God is also holy. He cannot allow sin in His presence, so He provided Christ to die for us so we could have a relationship with Him. This is His desire, to have a relationship with you.

Jesus came to Earth in all humility to die on the cross and shed His blood to cover our sins. There must be sacrifice for sin. The perfect sacrifice was born in Christ.

Jesus was not dead forever though, He was raised from the dead and lives in heaven with His Father. He intercedes for those who believe in him. Because of His sacrifice when we ask His forgiveness, and believe He is our Savior His blood covers our sin and God sees us as Holy because Christ is Holy. We then have the wondrous relationship with God He wants with us.

Because of Jesus we can have real peace in our lives. Someday He will bring peace to earth and those who believe in Christ’s sacrifice to save them from sin will live in perfect peace with Him forever.

So this Christmas enjoy the festivities. Love your family, and think on this truth from God’s Word. If you do not believe in Christ I hope you will accept His loving gift of salvation from sin. If you are already one of God’s children, share this truth with those around you this Christmas season.

Thank you for reading this blog this year. I’ve loved the correspondence, I’ve loved getting to know new people, and I’m looking forward to the new year. God Bless you, and have a very Merry Christmas.

1 comment »

Posted in Grace, Love, Salvation, Video

Grief conclusion

December 15th, 2008

To sum up my last post on grief I want to address the promises to God’s Word to love and care for us.

God loves you. Even though you are suffering and the pain is very real. The truth is that God loves you and He always will. Testing, trials and pain are all part of our human experience. Yet God’s love is constant and sure.

God hears you. Even when God feels far away to us, He is close. Cry out to God and He will hear your prayer.

His mercies are new every morning. There is mercy for every day and it is new and fresh for you.

For those of us who weep with those who weep.

We can encourage with love. We do not need to offer solutions, just love and sympathy. I wrote about this in my last article about loving through silence but it bears repeating. It does not matter why someone is suffering, if someone is experiencing grief we need to love them, and sometimes the best way to show love is to just be quietly supportive.

Bear ye one another’s burdens. We can pray for our friends in pain; sometimes it hard for someone experiencing grief to pray. As Christians we can pray for them. It is a blessing to them.

Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. The God of all Comfort will not leave you. Let His love comfort you, and let His peace replace the hurt you feel.

1 comment »

Posted in Loss, Love

Love and Forgiveness

November 17th, 2008

This week I’ve been thinking about sin, the love it takes for Christ to forgive us, and the love it takes for us to forgive each other. Maybe for some of you true forgiveness comes quickly and easily, but for people like me it can be a difficult process. I always think justice is necessary, but justice and forgiveness are two very different things. While justice sometimes occurs, the only thing I have control over is my attitude of forgiveness.

One story I have meditated on this week has been the one of the “sinful woman” who pours her ointment on Jesus’ feet. It’s such a strange picture in my mind. Here sits Jesus at dinner with one of the spiritual elite, a Pharisee. As this poor and sinful woman approaches, The Pharisee sits shocked. How could this type of woman walk up to Jesus? Then she begins crying, washing Jesus’ feet and anointing them with oil. She is making a scene, and the Pharisees are appalled, not just at this woman’s behavior, but at Jesus’ reaction to her. From the story, we know that Jesus can read his thoughts. So He speaks to what the man is thinking about in his heart.

That story is behind the phrase that will not leave my mind Luke 7: 47: “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” It just won’t leave my mind. Profound truth in just a few words, and it’s a truth that is changing my thinking. The forgiveness the Lord gives any of us is great and should produce our great love. The reason it does not is because in our humanity we think we know what sin is worse in God’s eyes. We are wrong in assuming what God thinks. I suggest to those of you who read this that all the sin Christ forgives is amazing. The difference is in our view of sin. We let our view cloud what God’s Word says. The Pharisee who sat and judged this sinful woman was full of pride, a sin which the Lord says He hates. He wanted justice for her worse actions, and did not realize the extent of the sin in his own heart.

The act of forgiveness from the Lord is rooted in His perfect love for us, the sinful. In return for His forgiveness, we are to love the Lord with all our hearts, soul and mind. His great forgiveness should easily produce great love. Of course as humans we fail to remember this, but one day in heaven we will be able to love Him completely without our sin filled flesh.

What I’ve just described is the love and forgiveness from God to man. Forgiveness and love also take place between people. The principle Jesus speaks of in this passage applies to our earthly relationships. I know for me, I can think of times when forgiveness was difficult. I can remember times when I have been so hurt or angry that forgiveness did not seem possible. I wanted that person to pay for what they had done. Yet Christ paid the ultimate price to save me, so the least we can do is forgive our brothers and sisters in Christ. I certainly don’t want the Lord to judge me harshly for all the wrong I’ve done. So, I must allow the love of Christ to dwell in me richly, and forgive the trespasses of others just as God forgives me. The result of forgiveness is love.

This is what it comes down to for me today: love motivates forgiveness and forgiveness creates more love. I have been deeply convicted by this passage to forgive in love quickly and completely. Christ has forgiven me, I should forgive others and pray for grace and mercy in their lives just as I have experienced it in mine.

I encourage those who read this to examine their own relationships, and to give forgiveness and love freely, just as Christ has done for you.

2 comments »

Posted in Forgiveness, Grace, Love

America Did Not Elect God

November 11th, 2008

I must admit shock at the behavior of some Christians. I supported John McCain because of a few key issues, but he lost. That’s disappointing, but not upsetting to me. I have a hard time understanding the angst and fear exhibited by Christians over the election of Obama. I am troubled by Christians involved in groups where they put President Obama’s head superimposed in a poster of Osama Bin Laden. That is offensive and shows no respect for the highest office in the land. I am angry when I see countries in the Middle East defaming our President, what is being done here in our country is no different, maybe worse.

Our God is Almighty and Sovereign no matter whom the President is. The Bible has a lot to say about kings (in our case a president) and our response to them and our government. I’d like to share a few passages with you.

In Matthew 22:17-22 the Bible shows a dialogue between people and Jesus: Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

Caesar overtaxed his people. He was not someone who was loved by Israel. These Pharisees thought they could ignore Caesar because of his wickedness, but Jesus give them a surprising answer. They are to give Caesar what is his. Interesting to think this instance compared with our culture.

Another passage on submission to governmental authority is Romans 13:1-7: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Submission to authority sometimes just goes against the grain doesn’t it? Yet God’s Word commands us to respect and be in subjection to our ruling authorities. They are appointed by God and He demands that we respect their authority. President Obama deserves our respect because he is going to be our President. We need to show the love of Christ to him, his family, and supporters. I see no evidence of Christ supporting actions which defame our leaders. I also see evidence in this passage that God will not bless those who are not in subjection to their leaders. I see no evidence that this President will impede on our rights to freely worship, we should be grateful to God for this, it is our most important freedom.

Another principle to think about is Ecclesiastes 10:20 Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird of the air may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say.

I am convinced that with the amount of vitriol I see on the internet or hear from Christians about Obama, that there are even more bad thoughts about him in hearts and minds. This behavior is not winning souls to Christ. It is turning them away.

I believe that on issues that are against God’s law such as abortion, Christians should stand their ground firmly. Surely God’s law comes first. This kind of stand against wrong doing can be done while still respecting the office of the Presidency. It is what we should strive to do.

I am sure some who have read this will disagree with me, feel free to tell me why. I pray that some will consider their part in this nonsense, and show real Christian love to those with whom they disagree politically.

God was on His throne when Obama was elected, God will be on His throne when Obama is no longer our President, and God will be on His throne forever and ever, Amen!

11 comments »

Posted in Love, Politics, Submission

Loving Through Silence

October 19th, 2008

I love words, whether I’m writing or speaking, words come very naturally. Recently, I’ve been studying the book of Job. His friends caused him a lot of trouble. Here is poor Job, devastated by his loss, the death of all his children. His friends come with the intention of speaking what they perceive to be truth, but in the process they bring Job down deeper in his despair. Often they are speaking right theology but to the wrong person at the wrong time. While they have good intentions with their words that did not minimize the negative impact they had on Job. As I think about Job’s friends, I’m afraid I would have been one of them. I would desperately want to comfort or point him in the right direction, but would probably do more harm than good.

Even though his friends really end up causing Job more pain, they really started out well. The Bible tells us that these friends came from far distances. They come all this way and find Job, covered in boils and sitting in ashes. He was not only miserable spiritually, but he was miserable physically as well. These friends came and sat in the ashes with Job. They did not sit there for a minute and then start into their diatribes. No, they sat there for 7 days.

Seven silent days in horrible surroundings; I cannot imagine being silent for 7 minutes let alone days. Yet, that is what his friends did. They waited for Job to speak. How could Job deny the true friendship of these men after they had endured with him through his suffering? Would we as busy Americans be able to stop for 7 days to just sit with a friend? No Blackberry, no laptop, no TV, no books; just silent comfort to a friend in mourning. It’s hard to conceive of it, but these men stopped their lives for a friend. I feel immense conviction when I stop and think about this loving act.

I’m not against using words to encourage, convict, or discuss. I’m just burdened with the idea that maybe I’m too quick to judge what is going on in someone else’s life. I’m too quick to label something without all the facts. That’s what Job’s friends did. They saw what they thought was consequence for sin when it was not. Unless someone has committed a fault against me personally, I really have no reason to call them to repentance for wrongs I think could have been committed.

While words are wonderful, sometimes the words “I love you and I’m praying for you” are enough when someone is hurting. Through notes, prayers, meals, and hugs we can show immense love through our silence.

3 comments »

Posted in Job, Loss, Love

Abraham and Sarah’s Adoption of Lot

October 7th, 2008

I have been studying Genesis recently and came across a portion of Scripture that made me think of adoption. I’ve mentioned Sarah in a previous essay about Infertility. In Genesis 11, I was reading through a genealogy of Abraham. Generally, I find these to be rather boring, but yesterday, it certainly was not! It mentions in verse 27-30 that Haran fathered Lot. Haran died in the presence of his father.

In the next section of verses it mentions Nahor and his wife Milcah and Abram and Sarai. It makes special note that Sarai was barren.

The chapter closes with Terah (the grandfather), Abram, Lot and Sarai leaving Ur of the Chaldeas for Canaan and settling in Haran.

In this description of the line of Abraham, we see a few specifics mentioned that are not typical for genealogies. One that Lot’s father dies before Terah, and that Sarah was barren.

Is this the first recorded instance of adoption in the Bible? I think it could be. Certainly there could have been adoptions before, but this is the first time one is mentioned. Sarai, a woman who had no children of her own, becomes the mother to Lot.

Now, I don’t know why I thought this, but I always pictured Lot as adult who just went with Abraham. It never occurred to me that he was fatherless and that Abram and Sarai had taken him with them as their own.

Scripture does not use the term “adopt” here, but think of their relationship throughout Genesis. Abram does everything for Lot, he truly loves him. He gives him the good land, and he petitions God to save his life when he is in Sodom and Gomorrah. Does that not seem like a parent child relationship?

While infertility brings pain to many mothers, I believe it can be used for God’s glory. There are so many children who need loving parents, maybe this seeming trial is God’s good plan for you and the child you are called to adopt. It seems to me that Abraham and Sarah’s infertility was used in the life of Lot.

2 comments »

Posted in Infertility, Love

Grace

October 1st, 2008

I think most of us can think of a time when there was a bratty kid at the grocery store. A usually good child who just doesn’t want to be there. Picture him, a little boy with big eyes and a wide smile. His mom has him perfectly styled and they seem to be the perfect little family. As they stroll through the store they come to the candy aisle. “Mommy, I want candy!” he says, they mother of course says “Not today buddy”. The pleas from the child grow louder “I want candy now!!” and the mother replies yet again “No honey, we have candy at home.”

This little boy is not happy, and he begins to show it anyway he can. He screams, cries, kicks and generally flails about the grocery cart as his mom valiantly tries to stay calm and finish shopping as quickly as she can. As they reach the check out line his fit continues when he spies more candy right within reach. “ I WANT CANDY!” he screams. The mother feeling much more exasperated says “No, I told you no and I mean it. You’re in big trouble when you get home!” The mother and the son leave the store angry and upset. Not to mention the people in the store who had to witness this exchange.

There is no doubt that this child is sinning against his mother. This is the woman who gave birth to him, cares for him when he is sick, and getting to the heart of the matter, she is the one who usually buys him candy! Yet this child berates her in front of an entire store of people.

Think about the love and mercy this mother showed to her son. She did not pick her son up and shake him for being naughty. She loved him because he is her son. While she must be the authority in her child’s life, she is also the source of great love.

Now think about God. He lovingly created Adam and Eve, and pronounced them good. Even though they had everything in the Garden, they were tempted by the one thing they couldn’t have. Yet even though Adam and Eve disobeyed God, in lovingkindness He gave them a way to escape the punishment they deserved. He also promised to one day send a perfect sacrifice to save the whole world.

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Romans 5:12

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Romans 5:8-9

God loved us even though man committed terrible acts against their Creator. He sent His own Son to die for us.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16.

The result of this love is grace. We can do nothing to save ourselves.

For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9.

Grace is possible because of the blood of Christ. As hard as I might work by doing good for those around me, by trying not to sin, by punishing myself with guilt; only the grace of God can save me from myself.

The mother with the disobedient child, while she still loves her child with all her heart, will more than likely discipline her child at home. Our Father in heaven is different. He will not punish us when we reach our heavenly home because of the the saving work of Christ on the cross, and the grace of God. Though we have sinned against God, if we believe on Christ to save us from our sins, instead of eternal suffering, we are given eternal peace and comfort beyond our wildest imaginations. We don’t simply avoid punishment by God’s mercy, we will enjoy all good things because of His grace.

2 comments »

Posted in Grace, Love

A Woman’s Influence

October 1st, 2008

In my never-ending search to discover women and their importance in Scripture, another peculiar idea came to mind, influence. Over and over again in the Bible tells stories of women influencing their husbands for good and evil. The first time I thought of this was a mention of Solomon in Nehemiah 13: 26 “He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by strange women.” I had never really considered the fact that Solomon turned his heart from God because of his marriages. In 1 Kings 11: 4 we see that the wives “turned his heart toward other gods”. Now, it was Solomon’s choice to indulge in his wives’ idolatry, and therefore his sin, but this shows me the power of a wife’s influence over her husband’s decisions.In Proverbs we see many references to “strange women”. This can be translated as adulteress, but it is also interpreted as foreigner. Solomon’s book of Proverbs is a way of teaching his son. I find it fascinating that he warns his son over and over again about the trap of strange women. I wonder if this was out of an awareness he had of his own failing in this area. He warns him of the flattery of strange women, that they are a deep pit. He knew the dangers because he had experienced the consequences of marrying and listening to women who were not godly. The book ends with a proverb to Lemuel describing the “perfect” woman. Who a man marries has a profound impact on his life and decision-making.

Even in the beginning of the Bible, Eve was deceived and Adam chose to sin with full knowledge of what he was doing. Again, we see the great influence of a wife over her husband. It was Adam’s choice, but Eve’s influence led him in the path of sin.Esther was a very influential wife. She could not make decisions independent of her husband, but she did influence him for good. She prayed, she fasted and the Lord used her influence to save his people. Now, Ahaseurus was not a godly man, but he was a man who was blessed to have a godly wife. She used her influence for good.

In the New Testament the Christian wife is instructed to try to win her husband to Christ through her godly example. Paul gives this command specifically to women. I believe Paul was very in tune with the power a wife has over her husband. Have you ever really contemplated the fact that it is just through her godly conduct that her husband would be won to Christ? It doesn’t say she was to force him to pray or read the Bible. She was to be a Godly wife, submissive, respectful, and loving. The husband is to be won by her lifestyle. That is an incredible ministry and responsibility that every woman married to an unsaved man has.Why does this matter to me as a wife? Isn’t this a man’s concern? These warnings about strange women are to men. Men are to beware of ungodly, adulterous, and idolatrous women. The reason it is of interest to me is that if ungodly women had such a dramatic impact, wouldn’t a godly woman have a dramatic effect in a positive way? As a woman I can take my responsibility to be a good influence seriously. It is sobering to think that my influence as a woman has such a distinct influence on my husband. My sin and attitude impact him greatly. While a woman should not make decisions for her husband, she should be constantly aware that her attitude is shaping her husband’s opinion about life and choices he must make.

There are different types of women. There is no way I could list them all in this short essay, but consider the following types of women.A whiny woman, the one who complains all the time about money, her life, and other people is a drain on her husband. Through her attitude she is telling her husband that she is discontent, and he is to blame. She may not think that her actions have that effect, but indeed they do. She brings her husband down, and then they are both brought low. I don’t know of anyone who makes wise decisions while they are whining or listening to a whiner. A discontented woman is usually selfish, and not working toward a happy and productive marriage. Instead of putting her focus on the Lord and her husband, she has turned her gaze inward. Although she may be unaware of her impact on the marriage, she may even influence her husband to put all his effort into pleasing her selfish desires and not focusing his heart on serving God. I have bad news for this whiny wife, the more her husband takes his focus off the Lord, the more poor decisions he will make, and her life will probably get worse rather than better.

Contrast the whiny woman with a happy thankful wife. She is an encouragement to her husband. Her joy brings her husband’s spirit high. Her joy is truly contagious. It is so hard to be around someone who is happy and not become happy yourself. As a wife you can be a joy, and share joy with your husband.

Better still is a woman who is joyful and submissive, one who is respectful and loving toward her husband. She will have the greatest positive influence, because she is following the command of the Lord. It’s when we start to do our own will that we get into trouble. While she is submitting to the Lord and her husband; she is showing him the respect he so desperately desires. By respecting her husband, she gives him the confidence he needs. She has that power to help her husband.

While we can (hopefully) agree that our influence matters, what are we to do about it? How can we actually put our influence to good work instead of bad? The most important thing we can do is pray. So many times we pray for the Lord to do quick fixes through out the day. I challenge you to pray thoughtfully, and using Scripture. The Lord promises to hear and answer our prayers. I believe strongly that if the Bible tells us to be submissive, loving wives, then it is His will for us. If it is His will for us, then I have confidence that He will answer your prayers for your marriage with a resounding “Yes!” Pray that the Lord will show you areas where you cause your husband to stumble. Pray that your life and attitude would be positive and Christ- honoring. Ask the Lord to make your spirit joyful. Right with praying comes reading the Word of God. Read His Word looking for truth. Read His Word diligently, and put into practice what it says. Commit the Word of the Lord to your heart. The Word is powerful and will encourage you in your life and marriage.

The only thing left to do is put into practice right living: encourage your husband, don’t complain about your life, kids, or friends, don’t second guess his decisions – respect them, be aware of your words and actions. When we pray, read, and then do, we will see the Lord work. I hope and pray whoever reads this is able to influence their husband for good and not evil

No comments »

Posted in Influence, Love, Women

Love in Relationships

September 20th, 2008

Relationships are the often the greatest blessing in our lives. Husbands and wives, parents and children, friends, these are all part of our life’s primary focus. I remember vividly those first moments of connection when I first started dating my husband. My children’s first smiles. Some of the best memories I have are the ones where I ran around crazy with good girlfriends.

The opposite is also true of relationships; they also cause the deepest pain. It was devastating when my husband I had our first real disagreement. The shock I felt the first time my son deliberately disobeyed me. Broken bonds of friendship that were not easily repaired. Relationships bring real sorrow and disappointment.

I began thinking about relationships this week after studying Genesis. While God is the Holy Creator of the universe, He is also described as our Father. God’s attribute as Father came alive to me as I studied these first passages in Genesis. Consider first the way God made people. He did not command from Heaven that people exist, although He surely could have. Instead he came down to the Earth He created and lovingly created Adam. Once God created Adam, He wanted him to have a companion, and again He carefully and purposefully created Eve. From the beginning God loved people. It was a relationship He created and valued.

In this wonderful relationship, heartache came because of sin. Just like our relationships today, sin is what causes break in our relationships. Selfishness, pride, hate, anger, jealousy, and the list can go on and on. The point is that sin harms relationships. And so, as we do today, sin caused a break between God and His creation. God could have, quite justly, destroyed Adam and Eve immediately. He does not, in fact God does not insantly come down and accuse them of sin. He asks them “Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” God knew what they had done, yet chose to ask them, what love. I wish I could learn to always speak kindly even when someone has wronged me. While God is just and righteous and cannot tolerate sin, He shows love when dealing with His children.

He takes them out of the Garden and with grace shows them his unconditional love, and the remedy for their sin. God knew that he would have to ultimately send His Son to redeem us, but was willing to make that sacrifice because of His perfect love.

It is my hope that when as women when our husbands, children or friends hurt us, or we hurt them, that we remember the most important relationship of all. The one we have with our Father in Heaven.

God is not only our perfect example of love, God is Love.

2 comments »

Posted in Love, Marriage, Motherhood

Women of Good Works

July 20th, 2008

Good Works

The first thing that comes to mind is that our good works identify us as God’s children to a lost and dying world. Matthew 5:16 says In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

It does not say that our light shines because of our personal devotions, giving, or prayer life; although these private things have a direct impact on our works. This passage is clear that our good works bring glory to the Father. What are the good works we can be doing? As the church and larger body of Christ, we can do larger-scale works to bring glory to God. Examples of such works would be: food drives, ministry to the homeless, prison ministry, teen mother ministry, school ministries, college ministries, the list is endless. As individuals we can do good works for our neighbors, or through one of these larger more organized activities. Christ ministered to physical needs during His earthly ministry. These miracles and other physical acts of kindness were done because of the deeper heart needs of the people with whom He came in contact.

As women, I believe we are specifically called to do good works. Timothy says that women who profess godliness should be adorned with good works. He also says that the widows in the church that will be cared for should be “well reported of good works”. Her works were the outward manifestation of her godly heart. In Proverbs 31 we see the Virtuous Woman lauded for her good works. It says nothing about her personal spiritual life, because her works show the abundance of her heart. Dorcas was known by her church because of the good work she did for the poor. Time and again women are known for their works and I think that is how a woman’s heart is revealed.

I also think based on Galatians 6 that we should place a priority on doing good for the household of faith. I think this is a principle throughout Scripture. If you cannot take care of your own how can you properly take care of others? I can assure you that I do not look at families who fight and argue all the time for advice on how to love and find peace. That wouldn’t make any sense. I think of the qualifications for a pastor, he has to be able to take care of his own family, in order to care for the church properly. In the same way, we should be doing good within the Body of Christ, and those good works should be so rich that we cannot help but do good for the world around us.

Good works show the transformation of the Gospel within our lives. Our works can reflect the love of Christ and shine the light on the goodness of God to work in spite of our flesh.

No comments »

Posted in Good Works, Love, Women