What's Love Got to Do With It?

So, what does love have to do with it – humility, that is?  I have been studying this week about “unconditional love” for a class that I teach to mentors and about “humility” for my ladies Sunday morning Bible study class.  It dawned on me this morning that love is all about humility and that humility is a required ingredient for unconditional committed love.  I see this played out on the pages of my Bible and in the lives of my family and friends. 

In Scripture, God revealed His love for all people, the good, the bad and the ugly, by sending His Son, who suffered the shame and pain of crucifixion, to provide a way for all to experience an eternal relationship with the Almighty, One and Only God.  Jesus exemplifies humility.  Jesus was and is God, yet He did not use His divine status for His own purpose and gain.  Out of His humility He showed love and out of His love He chose to be humble.

Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself . . .. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  

Philippians 2:5-8

The two greatest humbling experiences in my life have come from love relationships:  marriage and parenthood.  These begin with an overwhelming emotional love, but love that is lasting and unconditional comes when we are humbled in and through these relationships. In this season of life I am watching the beginning and the development of these relationships in my children.  My daughter is engaged and in the midst of planning and preparing for her wedding day. She is in love, but soon after the wedding she will experience what it means to be humbled by love.  Even now, during the planning she has been faced with many difficult decisions regarding such things as the number of bridesmaids to have, the best photographer, and the colors for the bridesmaids dresses and groomsmen suits. In this process she made this statement, “I want to be considerate of what he (the groom) wants.”  She is taking the first steps in learning what it means to love unconditionally.  Just as Jesus chose to set aside His divine rights to fulfill God’s purposes, a husband and wife must choose to set aside their rights to self-gain in order to fulfill God’s purpose for marriage. Tina Turner may sing that love is just a second-hand emotion, but the truth is, love is not only an emotion, it is also a choice to be humble.  When we demand our rights, rather than humbly considering others above ourselves, it never ends well.  Lasting love lasts because people choose to put others before themselves.  That takes humility.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind, 

regard one another as more important than yourselves.  

Philippians 2:3

My son and his wife have just recently become parents to my precious granddaughter, Isla Rose.  Moments after Isla was born I received pictures of the brand new family.  My son and daughter-in-law’s faces glowed with an awe-filled love.  A couple of weeks later I had the great joy of spending a week with the new family.  The sleep-deprived parents were still over-the-moon in love with their precious Isla, but the romance of parenthood was giving way to the reality of sacrificial love.  Every moment of each new day was now filled with meeting the needs of this tiny human being.  She had to be fed, bathed, changed, swaddled, soothed, and watched constantly.  Changing dirty diapers is humbling, but it becomes second nature because you love her, sacrificially.  Parenting can also be humiliating!  When my daughter was two, she began to exert her will with a vengeance.  I remember once in the grocery story when I had lightly swatted her leg for some act of disobedience, which I can no longer recall, that she loudly proclaimed, “Mommy, you are hurting me!” (With no tears I might add!) At that moment I wanted to find a rock to crawl under in embarrassment.  That was only the beginning of many more humiliating experiences as a mom.  Because I loved her, I persevered and learned that it wasn’t about how good I looked as a mom, but how well I loved my child.  Often I had to discipline my children out of love.  I wanted the best for them and so correction and instruction were necessary.  Selfishly I wanted to let it all slide, have fun and keep the peace.  In love, I had to choose to put aside my own interest and do the right thing.  That takes humility.

Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.  Philippians 2:4

God continues to teach me how to love and live humbly.  The lessons so far have revealed one solid truth – you cannot have one without the other. 

He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

 Micah 6:8

Humbled by His love,

Nancy

A Divine Sidewalk Encounter

Over the past couple of weeks I have read the same verse several times in my devotional book and then heard it in a sermon.  I made note of this reoccurring passage in my journal, asking God to show me the lesson He was teaching me in this familiar passage. 

For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.  2 Corinthians 4:6

The day after writing this question to God in my journal, I was enjoying a breakfast and reading scripture at a favorite restaurant in Santa Monica, California while my daughter was working.  She was to call me when she was finished with her meetings and then I would walk up the street a few blocks to meet her.  I had finished my meal and the restaurant was filling up and becoming louder, so I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and started my walk toward the spot where I would meet my daughter.  As I walked along the sidewalk taking in the sights and sunshine, a young man approached me and asked, “Would you mind if I asked you a questions?”  I was drawn to him.  This was in itself unusual because I generally am a little apprehensive to speak with strangers I meet on a sidewalk.  I generally ignore them or give them a polite nod and say, “no thank you.”  But today was different.

I surprised myself when the words came flowing out of my mouth, “Sure, what would you like to ask me?”  He answered with this question:  “Can I pray for you?”  He went on to tell me that he felt that our meeting was divinely appointed and that he was to pray for me.  With my skeptical tendency and guarded heart, I asked him how he would pray.  He closed his eyes and said, “I would pray like this: Father in heaven I am asking you to give her a revelation of your love.  Fill her with your love in such a way that others would notice.  Fill her with your Holy Spirit . . . in Jesus name, Amen.”  As he opened his eyes, I said, “Amen, in Jesus name, I receive that prayer!” I asked him if he knew Jesus and he said, “Yes and I can tell that you do too.” He went on to say that his faith was being increased, just by talking with me.  I shared some scriptures with him and answered a few more of his questions.  Then a homeless man walked up and he said, “Sir, can I ask you a question?”  At that I said goodbye and continued on my walk.  

As I walked away, I thought to myself, “Was that a genuine divine appointment, or just someone who was a little crazy repeatedly asking people the same question?” Then “Light shall shine out of darkness” came to my mind.  Either way I was in the midst of darkness on a sunny day and Christ came shining through!  I am choosing to believe that the sidewalk meeting was a divine opportunity to shine the light of Jesus.  The Holy Spirit did fill me that morning, just as the young man prayed, empowering me to yield to love instead of hate, to kindness instead of aggravation, and compassion instead of coldness. 

That morning God answered my question.  He is true to His Word.  He has given us the Light so that we can be a light wherever we walk.  The key lesson I learned is that in order to be a light I must be willing to set aside my own agenda, notice the darkness around me, and speak the truth that will bring the Light to those blinded by darkness.

“What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.”  Matthew 10:27

The only true light we have is our knowledge of God through a relationship with Christ.  Today the darkness is greater than ever in our world.  Evil abounds, fear rises, and many are without hope.  The good news in the midst of such darkness comes straight from the mouth of Jesus: “I am the Light of the world, he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” 

My prayer for you today is that you would first follow Jesus and then intentionally seek to be a light to those who are groping in darkness.  Build someone’s faith today and share with him or her that you know Jesus, the Light of the world!

Shine on,

Nancy

Like a Newborn Baby

I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw. Proverbs 24:32

These past few weeks I have celebrated the birth of my first grandchild, the 30^th birthday of my son, and the 60^th birthday of my husband.  Each celebration marked a different stage of life, yet at every stage there are lessons to be learned.  As I spend time with my precious granddaughter I have been taken back to a scripture that keeps running through my mind.  “Like newborn babies, long for (crave) the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.” 1 Peter 2:2-3 Baby Isla craves pure milk and let’s her request be made known about every two to three hours.  She really requires very little: milk, a clean diaper, and sleep.  Simple babyhood! “God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated!  Ecclesiastes 7:29 (TEV) It seems the older we get the more complicated we have made our lives.  So complicated that we often put God on the “when I have more time” list. 

As I have been observing Isla, my precious newborn grandchild, I have learned some lessons about myself.  There are days that I confuse my craving for the milk of His Word with the craving for more activity, more fun, or even more ministry.  When was the last time that I cried out in my craving for more of God and His Word?  The second lesson I am learning from Isla is that cleanliness is a requirement for godliness.  Once Isla has her diaper changed, she has a new attitude!  When I spend moments in the morning reflecting on yesterday asking the Lord to show me the dirt in my life and then through confession allowing Him to remove it, He brings me peaceful contentment.  For prior to craving the Word there must be a time where  we put aside malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander. (1 Peter 2:1) Nothing is more refreshing than tasting the goodness of the Lord’s forgiveness!  Lastly, Isla sleeps a lot, not always at night, but she sleeps.  After a good sleep, she wakes up cooing and her eyes wide open in wonder.  I have been staying with my son and his wife this week to help with the baby.  I have been sleeping on their couch with their puppy dog.  Couch plus puppy does not always equal a good nights sleep.  But, this morning as I woke up from a good nights rest I opened the blinds and the brightness of the sun peeked through. What hope and anticipation there is after a good nights sleep to see the sun streaming in.  I woke up from that rest craving even more time with the Light of the world.  

This week Isla has reminded me to focus on the simple truth that I am to crave the pure milk of the Word, so that I can continue to grow up in Him.  Isla has grown before my very eyes this week.  She has fed on pure milk, had her diaper changed, and rested well.  Lesson learned:  Crave the Word, confess my dirt, and rest in His love and mercy.  If you are reading this and have tasted the kindness of the Lord’s salvation keep your life simple by craving His word, keeping your life free of unconfessed sin, and find your rest in Christ alone.  

Keep Craving,

Nancy