Back by Popular Demand . . . Minute Meditation
I write a simple column for our church bulletin. It consists of a quote out of a book I'm currently reading, a matching Scripture verse, and about 3 short paragraphs of commentary. I've written the column weekly for about 7 years. I recently went on hiatus with it to determine if it would be missed. To my pleasant surprise, there has been a slow but constant inquiry about the column. So back by popular demand is the Minute Meditation. This will appear most Sundays in the church bulletin and then be posted on the blog the following Monday. For those of you who can't wait, here is a sneak preview of the January 7 edition. I hope you enjoy it.
“If you don’t love somebody, it gets annoying when they tell you what to do or what to feel. When you love them you get pleasure from their pleasure, and it makes it easy to serve. I didn’t love God because I didn’t know God.” (Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003)
“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8 (NIV)
God is the originator of love. He invented it. He is it. That is why if we want to learn about love, we should go to the source. Our ability to love or our lack of love is in direct proportion to our knowledge of God. Not only our head knowledge, but our heart knowledge.
Love changes our thoughts, attitudes and behaviors. When we feel or know that we are loved, we tend to reciprocate in kind. If we don’t have that sense of being loved, we look for ways to earn it, or be affirmed in it. If we know we are not loved, we tend to be suspicious, we resign or retire, or we lash out to protect ourselves. If we know we are not loved, we avoid people or circumstances that confirm the absence of that love.
People who don’t know God are offended at the idea that there is someone they must answer to, or be obedient to. What right does anyone have to run my life? But those who do know God, really know him, are excited and eager to be obedient to Him. If you are having trouble being submitted to God in obedience, the issue isn’t obedience. The issue is, have you grown in your love of God, and have you been affirmed in God’s love for you? Once that issue is addressed, obedience becomes a pleasure.
Minute Meditation:
“If you don’t love somebody, it gets annoying when they tell you what to do or what to feel. When you love them you get pleasure from their pleasure, and it makes it easy to serve. I didn’t love God because I didn’t know God.” (Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003)
“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8 (NIV)
God is the originator of love. He invented it. He is it. That is why if we want to learn about love, we should go to the source. Our ability to love or our lack of love is in direct proportion to our knowledge of God. Not only our head knowledge, but our heart knowledge.
Love changes our thoughts, attitudes and behaviors. When we feel or know that we are loved, we tend to reciprocate in kind. If we don’t have that sense of being loved, we look for ways to earn it, or be affirmed in it. If we know we are not loved, we tend to be suspicious, we resign or retire, or we lash out to protect ourselves. If we know we are not loved, we avoid people or circumstances that confirm the absence of that love.
People who don’t know God are offended at the idea that there is someone they must answer to, or be obedient to. What right does anyone have to run my life? But those who do know God, really know him, are excited and eager to be obedient to Him. If you are having trouble being submitted to God in obedience, the issue isn’t obedience. The issue is, have you grown in your love of God, and have you been affirmed in God’s love for you? Once that issue is addressed, obedience becomes a pleasure.
posted by jawbone at
10:19 AM
1 Comments:
Thank you for bringing this back! I have missed it.
- Tracie McDaniel
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Anonymous, at 10:50 AM
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