Love Above All

Fear

There are so many things in life that we fear and there are so many fears out there that would amaze us that they could possibly be real.

Right now, I think of my own fears, fear of people, what they think or what they say, fear of being alone, fear of  crowd, fear of death, fear of life, fear of heights, fear of diseases or accidents, fear of spiders or cockroaches...and the list just goes on. So, how do we live in a world where we are so fragile and so small and weak compared to all around us that makesus shrink and walk backwards?

Fear paralyzes. It makes us stop and act non senseless, it makes us do things in opposite of what we really want to do. It makes us lose opportunities. It makes us fail without even try.

So many times I need to remind myself that God didn't create me to be afraid: "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of self-control." (2 Timothy 1:7). This passage encourages me and gives me a new look at my own self: 

If I think I am nothing, God says I am His temple: "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16)

If I think I have nothing, He tells me to ask: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:7-11)

If I think I am condemned, He says I am free: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. "(Romans 8:1)

If I think I am nobody, He calls me friend: "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15)

If I think I am weak, He gives me strenght: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13)

Then I look at myself and I meditate on what God tells about me and for me. How can't I be encouraged by His words? How can I dare to think as my life being so insignificant if I am so precious in God's eyes? I find then purpose in living this life that has been given to me and I am thankful for all good and bad moments that help me grow and understand that life is more than the riches of this world or the torments of our minds but it is what we learn from them.  

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every

spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the

praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood,

the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding."

(Ephesians 1:3-8)

Weird

  After the sunday service, by the end of summer still warm and sunny, a perfect day, driving back home with my husband he told me his parents think we are weird because we are Christians. I questioned him, what you mean by weird?, how exactly do they think we are weird? My in-laws are sort of religious people, so I wondered what would make them think we are weird.

That thought kept coming back to my mind thoughout the day and I began to take a look at my life and remembered that passage in Jhon 17 that says that we are not from this world: John 17:13-16 (KJV)

"13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."

Maybe we are weird, actually I don't think I've been weird enough, I am still too much alike everybody else, sometimes I don't wantto be different, I don't want to "renew my mind with the word of God", that sounds kind of weird, right? By the other hand  I don't want just to conform with this world and do everything it tells me to do: "you need to be thin, you need to have sex, you need to eat this, you need to go to that place, you need to wear that and bla bla bla...this list goes on and on. Isn't thatsome sort of slavery?

Maybe isn't a bad thing to be weird after all, weird by trusting someone so much more powerful than we are, that loves us so much to the point to be made flesh and die so we could have a reason to accept his sacrifice of love. Isn't that much more weird

to reject this God that calls us sons and daughters, that wants to give us a joyfull life here on earth and is preparing a place

in heaven for those who accetp Him as Savior and Father?

"Psalm: 16:11  You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

palm:19:8  The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes."

"(Jesus said) "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14.1-3)

I realized then, that I want to be weird, weird enough to live my life caring about others, feeding the hungry, dressing the poor,

comforting the hurting, strengthning the weak, be peaceful of mind and soul...that was what Jesus did and set an example for us.

People thought Jesus was weird, He called himself Son of God and many rejected Him, He died on a cross for the sins of

others (myself included)being Himself without a sin.

"Hebrews 4:15 reads: "For we have as high priest, not one who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has

been tested in all respecs like ourselves, but without sin". And 1 Peter 2:22 - "He committed no sin, nor was deception found

in his mouth".

Life is short here. Our eternal life is what really matters and the way we live our lives here will determine where we are going.

Matt.25:31-46

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.

All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates

the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left "Then the King will say to those

on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the

creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to

drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me,

I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and

feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did to me.'  (verse 40)

 "Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, `Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do to one of the least of these, you did not do to me.'  (verse 45)

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (verse 46)