Friday, September 30, 2011

Created to Believe

Why were we created? I don't know about you, but I've definitely thought this question quite a few times. My guess would be that you've also thought it too. We can ask it on a big-scale level as "why is humanity here?" or we can ask it on a personal level "why am I here? what's my destiny?" Well I hope to clarify the answer a little bit more for you in this entry.

First, why is humanity here? Logically, we can come to the conclusion that it is to do good. How do I reach this conclusion? Because all people, black and white, American, European, Asian, large and small, young and old, feel this urge to do good things, and at the same time, feel this desire to stray from bad things. While our versions of good and bad can stray a little bit from other peoples, there are really no significant differences. We all feel this idea of good pressing down on us.

From a more Christianity oriented perspective, we're here to love God. Loving God leads us to doing good things, to obeying Him, to being rewarded, and service. God put us on earth with the intention of everything being perfect. He wanted us to simply love Him and be loved in return (or vice versa). Now, since the fall of man, our purpose also includes leading the lost to Christ.

Now I'll discuss what I really want to talk about. Why am I here? Why are you here? Why was I created?

You were created to be wealthy. If we examine both the bible and modern times, many times we find that the people we look up to as the most spiritual are wealthy. coincidence? I think not. Solomon was wealthy. David was wealthy. Job (after some trials and pain) was wealthy. The leaders of the biggest churches we know of, which include Lakewood (Joel Osteen), Hillsong, and T.D. Jakes church, are all wealthy. God wants you to be wealthy...but there is a catch.

You were created to be happy. I know, crazy right? You weren't created to feel burdened and stressed all the time. You were created to live in harmony and peace with God. You were created to be content both with spirits of holiness and with men. You weren't created to live in a dramatic and toxic environment. As I type this I can just imagine some one coming up to me and saying "but you don't know what I've been through. If you'd seen all of the stuff I've seen and had all of these things stacked up against you, you'd be different." Maybe so, but that's really not my point. I'm not focused so much on the problem as the solution. God is the solution to every problem regardless of size and time and shape. Secondly, the glory always comes after the trials. Jesus was not glorified until His resurrection. You should expect to have hard times, pains, and trials. My point is that should not and does not have to stop you from being at peace.

You were created to have fellowship with others. You were created to be married. Now, while this may not apply to all people, as it did not apply to Paul, I think I'm still safe to say that most people want to get married. You weren't created to have torn and broken relationships; you were created to be edified and built up by others.

Lastly, you were created to be successful. I mean that in every area of your life. Financially, spiritually, romantically, and in all these things, you were created to be blessed by God and to walk and talk with God.

Here's the catch. You don't get any of these things by looking for them, and even if you did or do, you won't be content. The only thing we can get by looking for it is a relationship with Christ. Once that is completely and utterly looked for and submitted to, then all of the things I've described above will happen. Why is this? Because all of those things are good things, and all good things come from Him. As unfortunate as it is, you are not a good thing unless you are part of Him and He is in you. Logically, you can not have a good piece of cake unless you have a good cake. In the same way, you can't be a good person unless some one better than you is living and breathing in you. He is good and He is what makes you good.

You were created to believe. You were fearfully and wonderfully made to know and love this awesome person named Jesus Christ. Interestingly enough, God is the one thing that we have such a hard time proving, and yet such a hard time disproving as well. That is where agnosticism comes in. No one on earth can help but wonder if there is a God, and the only people on earth who can prove there is a God are the ones that truly and sincerely know Him. God would not tell you to believe in Him unless He was in fact real, and it were in fact possible to believe in Him.

When I say believe in Him, I do not mean simply to believe that He is real and exists (though that is the first step). I do not simply mean to obtain intellectual facts and philosophies on Him. I mean to know Him. Once you know Him, you will find that He is undeniably good and perfect, and you will be on the other side of the fence. Instead of being one who doesn't know if He's real  but not being able to deny His existence, You'll be one who believes and knows His existence. What's really cool and inspiring about this is that once you really know God, He will start to show you mysterious and wonderful things; He will share His heart with you when you give your heart to Him.

Jesus loves you. Nothing can separate you from that.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Don't You need somebody to love?

"Dont you need somebody to love?" Why yes, actually i do. I think we all both
want and need love, and we long to love others. Ive found my true love. His name is
Jesus Christ. Not only do i love Him, but through many years and many
experiences, Ive found that He loves me too.

I know this will come as a surprise to some people, and some others who ought to be surprised won't be because they won't really understand what im saying, and still some others wont be surprised because they already know about the truth im about to describe to you. 

No one can ever fill the place of God in their life with anything except God. In other words, only God can make you satisfied and content. You have an emptiness in you that God is supposed to fill, that nothing else can. If you consider this far enough, you will more than likely reach the conclusion that the devil's soul purpose in life is to keep you from finding that out, to distract you with any and everything that your flesh would rather pay attention to. He tries to get you to fill that emptiness with anything that doesnt go there.

I think the reason relationships with others, especially those of a romantic nature, are such an easy tool for Satan is because the love of a person is the closest thing you can get to the love of God. All other idols do not love you back, but people can and do. God created us uniquely to have the ability and capacity to love.

On the flip side this also reflects the reasoning for fellowship.

The way i know this all to be true is that it has been strived for for so many years in so many ways by so many people who have never quite gotten it. Most relationships fail. This is why. We were not created to depend on others most, and they were not created to sustain us. Your boyfriend or girlfriend or spouse will never have everything you need. No person ever could have it all. We were created to support each other, not depend on each other. Give Him a chance to fill you up and He will. Seek Him and you will find Him.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

The Flock

     God is referenced as the shepherd many times throughout the scriptures, and we are his sheep. Why is this so? Because he tends to us and cares for us and guides us. Why are you a sheep? Because you’re an idiot. I know that sounds cruel, but in perspective, it’s true. God is far wiser than you.


     Here’s the crazy thing. He is in love with you. He says “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?” Now of course we know that God is more like 100 shepherds watching 100 sheep, but that’s not the point.


     The one extra sheep is worth only 1% of the total flock, and yet the shepherd goes after it. There’s really no practical reason. It’s not for wool, because one sheep is worth hardly anything compared to 99. It’s certainly not easier to take care of. So why then does God pursue that one sheep? Because He loves it. He does it because He wants it, not because of it’s value in any practical purpose. God does not need you to follow Him, but He desperately wants you to.


     Love that is out of need isn’t love at all, it is simply need. You being wanted by God is far more valuable than you being needed by God. Crazy? God is crazy. Beyond crazy in my opinion.


     Maybe you read this and think “I wish I were part of the flock.” This entry of the sheep and the shepherd only applies to God’s sons and daughters, but there’s good news! You can be one too. There’s a real easy way to be that, and when you get there you will find that God is far more powerful and far more loving than you ever imagined. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who died on the cross so that you could be forgiven, and confess it with your mouth, out loud, verbally, and you shall be saved.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Trials

3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.

I think we so often get it backwards. We think that those who have hope haven't gone through anything. It's so easy to convince ourselves that the reason he or she is happy is because they don't have anything to be sad about. According to the bible, that's completely backwards.

People that have hope have it because they've been through the fire and back. Those people know that God is God, and that He is a good God who loves them and desires them. He is a God who saves. They have hope because they trust God. They trust Him to send the money. They trust Him to bring peace. They trust Him for a new home or a new car or a new wife.

A little further into it, I find one more thing to be interesting. This doesn't just apply to what we call Christians; it applies to people in the world as well. Most people who are older and who have really gone through stuff (and I'm saying most, not all) realize that what goes around comes around. They realize that even though they don't have a job right now, they've been without a job before and found one before. They know that a death in the family sucks but eventually time heals. It's a universal concept.

One last point. C.S. Lewis wrote in "Mere Christianity" "If you are a Christian you do not have to believe that all the other religions are simply wrong all through. If you are an atheist you do have to believe that the main point in all the religions of the whole word is simply one huge mistake. If you are a Christian, you are free to think that all these religions, even the queerest one, contain at least some hint of the truth." The above paragraphs lead me to agree with him. Everyone, even the most wicked person, has some hint or idea or piece of truth, and few people, if anyone, has it all. Interestingly enough we find that, no matter how hard we try, we cannot separate ourselves from God.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Thot- The Miracle You Hoped For

I heard a sermon preached by Louis Giglio once (a podcast actually) about miracles. He believes, and I agree with him, that when you pray for a miracle, you always get one- it's just not always the miracle you hoped it would be (or perhaps prayed that it would be).

We find the story of Stephen is Acts. He's a believer and filled with the Holy Spirit. Basically, he ticks a bunch of people off because of his faith, so they take him out of the city and stone him to death. What's interesting about this is he was filled with the Holy Spirit, and yet wasn't delivered. Instead, he became a martyr (and quite a famous one at that). Though I'm sure Stephen hoped that God would deliver him from them, God didn't. Does this make God merciless? No, it just makes Him wiser than Stephen, and wiser than you.

A more told story we hear is that of Jesus dying on the cross. Jesus said "if this cup may be taken from me, let it be taken, though not my will but yours be done." Jesus could have had a variety of miracles save Him from the Romans, but that wasn't God's plan. If any miracle other than the one of Christ dying on the cross for us had happened, we would be in a much worse state than we are now even.

All of this leads me to 2 points. First, that if you don't know what to pray, simply pray for a miracle. God will come through. Secondly, trust Him. Many times His plan will involve pain and trials, real stuff that involves real life. I'm not gonna give you some sappy "it'll all be alright" soft soap christianity or entry. Trials are real, death is real, pain is real, depression is real. God is real. If Jesus had not died on the cross, He would not have had resurrection, and would not have been glorified.

No matter how far you may feel or how down you may be, no matter what trial you may be facing or what tomorrow may bring, remember that Jesus loves you.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Thot- Unbelievable

God is a lot of things. He is, as I'm only recently discovering, all expansive. He is not limited to a book or a church, to a religion or an ethinicity. Whether you realize it or not, He's not even limited to what you think He can and can't do (or what He will and won't do). He is far beyond that.

He is all knowing. He not only knows all that you've done, but knows your reasons for doing it. He knows your excuses and your pleasures, your justifications and your "hidden" thoughts. He knows what you did yesterday, and knows what you're planning to do tomorrow. He knows not only the literal, but also the abstract as well. He knows what you think of Him, and knows what you wish you thought of Him.

He is all powerful and sovereign. He is absolute in that sovereignty. This means that He can do what He wants to do, and withold what He wants to withold. He doesn't have to ask for your opinion or your permission. Logically, if God is powerful enough to create all things that we know of (let's just limit it to that for now), then He is all powerful enough to manipulate all things we know of. It's similar to how the maker of the ipad knows more about he ipad than anyone else. why? because he designed it and knows how to control it.

He is all loving. This is the crazy part. He not only knows all of your sins, all of your wrongdoings and filth, but He has the power and capacity of good to overlook that. His love, in fact, isn't changed by anything. Nothing that you could possibly think of would make Him love you less or love you more.

The difference between those who dream of changing the world and those who do change the world, between those who desire to be pure and those who actually are pure, those who start the car and those who actually leave the garage, is this. The latter know they are loved, and have and seek the knowledge of God. The accept His love and dwell in the power that comes from that. The first in the examples I gave usually has little more than information. Yes, they are saved and going to heaven, but they'll never experience anything great until they get there.

This brings me to my last statement. I've said in the last few paragraphs what God is. One thing God is not is unbelievable. I've heard many Christians (and perhaps even I have said this) say that God's love is just "unbelievable!" No, it's not. God is not a fool, and His love does have logic behind it. He didn't create you with the ability to think just so you could hear His thoughts all the time. He gave you the ability to think so that you could learn and grow from both tangible (books, podcasts, the bible) sources and supernatural sources (prophecy, tongues, imagination/dreams, thoughts).

Logically (yes, I love logic), if we believe that God is good (which nearly all people who believe in a god believe), we must believe that the commands He gives us are doable. He would not instruct us to believe in Him unless it were actually possible to believe in Him. He would not tell us He loves us unless it were true. He would not tell us to depend on Him unless He was, in fact, dependable. God is not unbelievable. Quite contrary actually. God is easy to believe in. I'd say that lies are actually harder to believe than the truth, it's just that we're confronted with lies so much more often.

If you go through life thinking that miracles are "unbelievable" or abnormal, you will never perform them. If you go through life thinking that God couldn't love some one like you, you'll never experience His love. He will of course still love you, but it won't be of value to non-believers hardly at all, and only of value to those who recieve salvation and nothing more once they get to heaven.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Action from Love, The Struggle

The church has forgotten the most important rule- to love God, and to do things because of that love.

Before I go on, I will say that it does not apply to all of the church. There are those who will simply read this with no convictions or change of heart because it does not apply to them. But, I would say with certainty that if you must fight to convince yourself that what I'm writing doesn't apply to you, then it most certainly does.

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus"

Jesus loves you. He could not love you more. The knowledge that's needed with this is to know why He loves you. Before I say why, I'll clarify what the reasons aren't.

God does not love you based on your righteousness or purity level. Saying "I'm too evil" or "I'm too sinful and dirty" or "I'm too far gone" is not valid. God died for you before you knew of Him, and His death still has power today. He died for you and wanted you before you ever did or even knew about anything good or bad.

It is not because of how much you do or don't do for Him. If that were the case, He would never love anyone except for in glimpses, because no one ever does anything quite worthy of Him (and if they do, it does not last long). You can always have more sincere prayers, deeper worship, and participate in one more ministry. And after you have sinned, His promises have not changed and He is not gone. He desires that all come to know Him.

He does not love you because you were predestined, or because He called some and not others, or loved some and not others. I've seen people come from the deepest pits of hell on earth to Christ's daily glory, and I've heard plenty of stories of those we thought holy both staying truly holy and backsliding to darkness (or turning out to be deceptive). And besides, even if this were not the case, you would not know who was called and who wasn't. Thus, you're just as safe to assume you are chosen as not chosen, and more so chosen because you know about God and the choice.

God does not love you because you love Him. Your feelings of loneliness or rejection are not from or because of God. God cannot hate, because hate is evil and God is not. So, it is senseless to stay in the struggle of God loving you or not. He has already chosen to love you and that choice will not change.

Now, I move on to why He does love you. The first and maybe most logical reason is because He created you to be loved by Him. You were especially designed to be cherished and infatuated over. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. That isn't just a coincidence or a human thought, God created you with a fearful and wonderful process, of which a fearfully and wonderfully made product came of, and has a fearful and wonderful and crazy-awesome destiny. That's you.

Now, hopefully back to my original point. We need to love God, but we should love Him because we want to. We should be pure because we want to be pure. We should do things for Him because we want to do things for Him, not because we ought to. The fuel for all of this is to know that He loves you, and dwell in that.
Going to church on Sunday does not make you a Christian; but rather, because you are a Christian, you go to church on Sunday. No amount of obedience will ever prove that you love God. No amount of humility or church attendance will satisfy Him, and it will never convince you that you love Him. Your loving Him is what satisfies Him, not your actions.

Those who love God know they love Him, and they don't walk around doing miracles and praying over people because they are trying to prove anything, they are doing it because they want to because they want God. They want God because God wants them.

Those who try to love God know that they really don't, they're aware of the struggle- that struggle to convince themselves they're accepted, and to convince God that they love Him. They either don't know or can't accept that God loves them, and that love is unconditional. It's like going to a job where you get paid the same amount regardless of how long you're there or how much work you do, except it's sooooo much better
I encourage you my friends to not stay in the struggle. If you seek God and seek Truth, you will find Him. Why seek Him? Because He is seeking you. He is seeking to overwhelm you in love and peace (that does not mean there is not a cost, but I'm not going into that in this entry).

Jesus loves you, and He could not possibly love you more than He already does.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Square Peg, Round Whole

You my friend, are a square peg. This world and all it’s pleasures are like a round hole; you will never fit. Why won’t you fit? Because you’re not made to fit. Because you’re not designed to fit. That’s why no matter how hard you try, the friends in this world won’t do it for you. This is especially true if you know that you’re not of this world.
Before I expound, I’ll point out that none of us were made to live “in the world.” Yes, when God originally created and designed the earth, He created it to be a place of peace and rest for us. But now when I speak of and say “the world,” I’m not referring to the earth, I’m referring to those who are ruled by and blinded by their sinful nature. I’m referring to those who have caught a glimpse of the truth and ignored it.
Now that I’ve defined the world, my bigger point was that none of us were created to live in sin. So you shouldn’t think yourself any more than those who haven’t found truth, because they were just as designed by God and are just as loved by God as you are. Despite the fact that they aren’t His children, they were created to be. They were created to love Him and be loved by Him; they were created to love Him, and through His love, to truly love you.
We will never care to witness to this world until we care about this world. The only way to love the world enough to have the courage and strength to share Christ with them is to know Christ more. The more we feel loved by Him, and the more we love Him, the more we will love others. My beliefs are that you shouldn’t share God with some one simply because you’re supposed to, no more than you should like football because all men like football or you should own a car because all adults own a car. You should share God because of the personal experience you’re having with Him. You should share Him with others because you’re love and desire for Him simply overwhelm you. This is called grace. Living by the law is obeying it because you should obey it/doing something because you’re supposed to do it. Grace is greater than the law.
One further point before I finish. The way to witness to the world is not by joining the world. There are plenty of analogies for this so I’m not going to even name one. The point is this. You will naturally become more like those you are around, like those you talk to and look up to. If those people are in the world, you will live as one in the world. You cannot be friends with God and the world. There is no excuse to stay in the world when you know the truth. Yes, this includes “it’s my only friend” and “this is where I feel most accepted” or “but we’ve always been friends.”
Then the argument comes “well the Christians I know aren’t much better.” The solution? Find better Christians. Surround yourself with people who are in and of God. Surround yourself with those who will encourage and love you with the love of the Father. 

Sunday, September 11, 2011

You Don't Like Me

One of my greatest annoyances and pet peeves in life is this. I hate it when people (not to be confused with hating people) who don’t really like me act like they do like me. Honesty is the best policy far as I’m concerned.
Now, this being said, I can understand why they do so. It comes down to one or all of two reasons far as I can tell. Either they feel like they should like me because they feel and think that it’s good to like and love all people, or they have some and probably too great a sense of pride, which tells them that they’re better than disliking anyone, and that “you’re supposed to love everyone including your enemies” no longer needs to be taught to them because they don’t have any enemies. The reality with the second is that many times this is a blind view that the devil loves us to have; the reality is that they really do have enemies.
The first reason is admirable, but still at a fault. The second is foolish and unfortunate. The fault with the first is that God doesn’t tell us to like everybody. Jesus had plenty of people that He didn’t like; the Pharisees, the retailers of the temple, and I’d imagine the Romans, just to name a few. But, while He didn’t like them, He still loved them. He died for them as well. As disagreeable as it may seem, Jesus died for Hitler and Stalin too.
Jesus actually made some people dislike Him by loving them. I’ll let you read up on that one though. My bigger point is that being loving doesn’t mean being likable, at least not always. Of course we should strive to be at peace with all men (Romans 12 I believe), but not at the expense of honesty. This being said, I do know of a verse in the bible where it says that “God sent a lying spirit…” which means that He is sovereign and there may be exceptions, which means that what I’ve said may not be absolute. At the same time, God is God and He knows morality and perfection (and wisdom) better than you do.
Honesty is the best policy, and here’s one logic as to the reasons why. A bad man who is honest with himself and others will, perhaps through trials and pain or through wisdom and following, eventually want to change. This is because God has put in each of us an inner sense of morality, of what is good and what is bad. Furthermore, He has made us feel more compelled to do good.
A good man who is honest with himself will one, but humbled by seeing what faults he does have (and being receptive to being humbled), and two, people will naturally like him more because he is good, because he is real, and because he has character (which produces hope).
So either way, honesty is a good thing. Is honesty always pleasurable? No. Is confessing our sins to one another fun? No. Is confessing our sins to God fun? Not at all. But is it good? Yes. I believe that honesty is directly from God, and that it’s ends are always good. Do unto others as you’d have them do to you. Love your neighbor as yourself. Be honest, first with yourself and then with others.
One last point I shall make. Me bringing this up is not out of some desperate need to be loved by some one, as some may assume it is. It is not spurned by immaturity and sensitivity, but rather by injustice and hopefully wisdom. I don’t need you to love me because I know and love the One who loves me more than you ever could. He shall supply all my needs. I do, however, want you to like and love me, and I do my best to like and love you.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

In His Likeness


We are made in His image. It seems like I hear it argued or doubted all too often. Those who argue say it simply means we have 3 parts, a mind, soul, and heart. Thos who doubt are, as far as I can tell, ruled simply by disbelief and fear (and perhaps worthlessness as well).
>>>>>>>
This is what I believe. We are made in His image and likeness. I believe we are fearfully and wonderfully made. I believe it completely logical that a God who values us enough to send His Son to suffer and die a brutal and humiliating death also values us enough to make us in His actual physical image. Does that mean we all look the same? No. God was also smart enough and considerate enough to make us each individually special. If He was willing to give us some one as cherished to Him as Jesus, why wouldn't He also want to make us reflect Himself? Why wouldn't He be willing to give us everything else?
>>>>>>>
Before I go on, I should point out that our bodies are made by God. Yes, we refer to it as flesh and our sinful nature and all of the above, but originally, before Adam and Eve sinned, we were created in His likeness. We were perfect, even in our physical attributes and form. I say this because I also think it completely logical that God has a physical form. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. While they are all in each other (noted by Jesus saying "I am in Him and He in me"), they are all seperate in a unique way as well. The part of the flowy ghostly mistifying spirit is already played by the Holy Spirit, so why would God the Father and God the Son need to only be spirits? Why wouldn't they have physical forms? Just food for thought.
>>>>>>>
In a world of disbelief and doubt, I stive to not be reductionist. I don't care to make less of myself (or more of myself) than I am, and espeically don't care to make less or different of God. It's the same reason the bible isn't God. If God is only the bible, then He is nothing more than words and knowledge on paper. Knowing what I know, I know He is far more than that. God was here before the scriptures were written, and He'll be here for long after they disappear.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Song- The Truth Is

I am scared
I’m afraid
For I have sinned
If I confess
aren’t I less
Than what you want?
But the truth is
I’m fallen short
I am in chains

But the truth is
In Your arms
Is where I belong
I know through love
In Your name
Chains will break
I know
You are a God
Who forgives and forgets

But the truth is
I can be free
I can be changed

But the truth is
In Your arms
Is where I belong

What a beautiful surrender
What a glorious Father
I am forgiven
I am forgiven

But the truth is
I am free
I am changed

The truth is
In Your arms
Is where I belong

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Why?


My question today is this. Why? Why not love? Or maybe a better question is, why don’t we love? There are only a few reasons as far as I can tell. I’m going to do my best to keep this streamlined, but it may go off on a few tangents, please pardon me.
First and most common, we don’t love because we don’t feel loved. Being as we are, and even as God is, we desire to be loved and be loved. God was the “bigger man” by stepping up and loving us first, in hopes that we’d love Him back because we already were and felt loved. As inhumane or cruel as it may seem at first, we really only want to love those that love us. That is the basis for most relationships. You find something in common with some one, you’re kind and they’re kind, and you develop an interest and love for each other. This is true whether it be friendships or family or romance.
I personally don’t think that it’s impossible to love without first feeling loved, though I know of many people that do. Each person is made with a spirit, a soul, and that soul is given by and likened to God. I believe that with that comes a small dose of an ability to love, even without acknowledging Christ. If you want to dispute that, feel free to email me.
With this also comes a reality that if we feel loved by God, we can freely love others. Love is a need, and when that need is met by The One who designed it to be met by Him, we don’t need love from people and so, because we love God and feel loved by Him, we obey Him and love others. If you aren’t content, and don’t feel loved, and especially if you’re a Christian, you will find it terribly difficult to truly love others. This is because you don’t feel loved, which means you feel empty. You can’t fill up a car with an empty gas pump.
The next reason, I think, because we don’t know how to love. Solomon and God both make it very clear that knowledge is vital. Solomon says “though it costs all you have, gain wisdom and understanding.” God says “my people perish for their lack of knowledge.” A desire to love must not be confused with the ability to love. I have a desire to speak Italian fluently, but that doesn’t automatically mean I know Italian. So it is with love.
The most interesting thing about this is that love is received in different ways, and in different extreme ways by those who understand it the least. People who have more wisdom, especially the elderly, can receive love in a variety of ways because they understand that each word and each action can have multiple meanings. They understand that intention is more important than results (at least when it comes to love.)
That last line may seem a little shady so let me expound. If my best friend is dying, and needs a blood transfusion, I will gladly go up to the hospital to give him my blood. If he is as true of a best friend as Jesus describes, I’d go up to the hospital to give him my heart. Now, let’s say that my blood type or my heart does not match his. Am I any less of a friend because I couldn’t donate my blood or my heart? Is my love any less valuable because I couldn’t follow through with the action? No. But, this story is told from an inside perspective. My friend may never find out that I didn’t donate because I couldn’t, or some one hearing the story may think that, and think I’m a very terrible person.
If a person truly loves another person, in and through the perfection of love that is Christ, they will show love or at least seek to show love in every way. The love languages would become irrelevant because I would be speaking all of them. I don’t just compliment my friend if I love him, but I pick him up when he runs out of gas, I give him twenty dollars when he’s running low on cash, I listen to him after his girlfriend breaks up with him. That is love.
Now what really baffles me is this. If my friend is gifts oriented, and I am words of affirmation oriented (and we’re saying that neither of us have a love that is perfected), why would I not give him or her gifts? There are only 2 reasons possible. Either I in fact do not love this person, and convince myself that I do because I want to be proud of being a loving person, or I do not know how to love this person because I don’t know that they are gifts oriented. If you somehow do know this person’s love language and do not speak it, yet claim to love him or her, you are not only a liar but also unloving. I plead that if you are this way with some one, you repent and forgive, and ask for forgiveness.
There is nothing greater than love, no greater feeling that to love and be loved. Even God desperately wants your love. This is how I know. Jesus plead with the Father saying “Forgive them for they know not what they do.” If you read Genesis, you will find that we are created to fellowship with God. In Psalms David writes “how great are your thoughts of me oh lord, that they outnumber the grains of sand!” God is happy and fulfilled when you love Him, and He loves to love you.
My last note. The big difference between you and God (besides the obvious) is that you need love, while God wants love. God existed before you, but you did not exist before God. God is sustained without you, but He so desperately wants to live in you.