Day 28: A Dear God Letter: About Our Getting Along.
Read: Romans 12
Dear God: "Why can't we all get along?" "What is the difference between
a person with an open hand extended in friendship and a person with a
closed fist rearing back as far as they can reach ready to strike the
first target of opportunity?" "Why are some people so completely bent on
pushing people away?" In our lives today, I think about people who use
sweet talk to make someone think they are loved, but the real motive is
to manipulate them into giving the other person something that they
want. Or love that is given only so long as you play along with the
other person, but as soon as you make your own decisions you are
rejected, cut off from friendship!
One day as I was standing
in line at a hardware store I heard someone make this off handed
comment: "The more I get to know the human race, the more I love my
dog." Treat them right and guess what; those dogs are always loyal,
dependable, eager to please, and quick to forgive and forget. Don’t you
wish people were more like that?" To which the clerk responded rather
tersely "Not in my lifetime friend!" It really stunned me that I heard
that in the open. It was really painful for me to realize in such a
stark manner as that exchange that sometimes no matter how hard we try
to have a relationship with someone, it doesn’t work. People have
trouble believing it.
Paul writes to the people and the
churches at Rome: 2 'Do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what
is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. 9 - 10: 'Let
love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one
another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.'
Paul uses a very interesting word to describe the love that we are to
have for one another – “sincere”. Another way of putting it is to say
that we are not to be hypocrites with our love, being real and genuine,
not play-acting. What are we to do but strive to Outdo one another in
love.
The word Paul uses for love is also an interesting one – it is the Greek word 'agape'. This is a word that talks about the very highest quality of love there
is, that of God towards His Son Jesus, and towards all of His people who
are both in Jesus and without Jesus. It is not the sort of fickle,
sentimental, unreliable love that we know in this world, but it is love
that is supremely shown in the self-sacrifice of God for our benefit; it
is absolutely unconditional, reliable and unfailing. What we are to do
is to strive to outdo each other, in fact, taking great pains to stumble
over each other in seeking out God moments, Holy Spirit opportunities
giving to all, sharing with all, God's 'agape' love.
Dear God: "What sort of
mindset are we dealing with here that so many people are so skeptical
about relating to the person standing next to them?" Why must there be
all this suspiciousness we struggle to live with in our hearts between
ourselves and those who You command that we count as our neighbors?
Lord, this is something that I deeply struggle with in the deepest
recesses of my heart to overcome? But HOW? It feels like such a natural
part of me. I am very much afraid of separating from myself what is too
much a part of who I am, who I have become in response to this world." Reveal to my doubtful heart, O God, where I can freely give, freely share thy 'agape'.
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Read: Romans 12
Dear God: "Why can't we all get along?" "What is the difference between a person with an open hand extended in friendship and a person with a closed fist rearing back as far as they can reach ready to strike the first target of opportunity?" "Why are some people so completely bent on pushing people away?" In our lives today, I think about people who use sweet talk to make someone think they are loved, but the real motive is to manipulate them into giving the other person something that they want. Or love that is given only so long as you play along with the other person, but as soon as you make your own decisions you are rejected, cut off from friendship!
One day as I was standing in line at a hardware store I heard someone make this off handed comment: "The more I get to know the human race, the more I love my dog." Treat them right and guess what; those dogs are always loyal, dependable, eager to please, and quick to forgive and forget. Don’t you wish people were more like that?" To which the clerk responded rather tersely "Not in my lifetime friend!" It really stunned me that I heard that in the open. It was really painful for me to realize in such a stark manner as that exchange that sometimes no matter how hard we try to have a relationship with someone, it doesn’t work. People have trouble believing it.
Paul writes to the people and the churches at Rome: 2 'Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. 9 - 10: 'Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.' Paul uses a very interesting word to describe the love that we are to have for one another – “sincere”. Another way of putting it is to say that we are not to be hypocrites with our love, being real and genuine, not play-acting. What are we to do but strive to Outdo one another in love.
The word Paul uses for love is also an interesting one – it is the Greek word 'agape'. This is a word that talks about the very highest quality of love there is, that of God towards His Son Jesus, and towards all of His people who are both in Jesus and without Jesus. It is not the sort of fickle, sentimental, unreliable love that we know in this world, but it is love that is supremely shown in the self-sacrifice of God for our benefit; it is absolutely unconditional, reliable and unfailing. What we are to do is to strive to outdo each other, in fact, taking great pains to stumble over each other in seeking out God moments, Holy Spirit opportunities giving to all, sharing with all, God's 'agape' love.
Dear God: "What sort of mindset are we dealing with here that so many people are so skeptical about relating to the person standing next to them?" Why must there be all this suspiciousness we struggle to live with in our hearts between ourselves and those who You command that we count as our neighbors? Lord, this is something that I deeply struggle with in the deepest recesses of my heart to overcome? But HOW? It feels like such a natural part of me. I am very much afraid of separating from myself what is too much a part of who I am, who I have become in response to this world." Reveal to my doubtful heart, O God, where I can freely give, freely share thy 'agape'.
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