Love...What is it good for? (absolutely something)

Before I jump into my rant/topic for tonight, I have to give a quick life-update and shoutout:

It's technically my youngest daughter, Eva's birthday as I type this. 2 years ago today I was blessed for the 3rd time by seeing a piece of God's handiwork through procreation. (Eva, baby, that's daddy's way of saying I got to see you face-to-face and loved it)

I wish I could say that things have settled into some sort of rhythm with this whole SAHD thing, but nothing could be further from the truth. I still love it...well, I would love it if I could simply relax and focus on that being my job. Unfortunately, outside circumstance keep creeping into my life that take away that focus. Bills are due, with no money to pay them. Because of that, no one (except my wife) in my family will take the notion of me being a full-time student and staying home with the kids as a practical way of life.

I can't really blame them, I suppose. Perhaps it's because I haven't been putting my trust in God, where it should be full-time. I'll reach the point of 'almost-there-ness', only to have something pseudo-catastrophic come into our lives and I am reminded once again that the finances simply aren't working.

Money. Money isn't the root of all evil, contrary to popular belief. That saying is actually scripture from the Bible, but people often leave the first few words off. "For the LOVE of money is the root of all sorts of evil" is what it actually says and it's taken from 1 Timothy 6:10, located in the New Testament. The rest of the verse continues with, " It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs."

Ouch. Isn't that the truth? What's really interesting is if you were to ask your friends and family if they loved money, I'm certain the majority of them would respond in the negative. But they do. Read those same people that verse and see if they agree with it. Even if they don't 'believe', or 'have faith', they will. What folks (including me at times) don't realize, is the way love can be expressed.

But before you get into the area of how love is expressed, you must first define the term as it is used in common society. I have heard people use the word 'love' to describe everything from the person they plan on spending the rest of their lives with, to the newest song on the radio. Heck, I've even done that. So do I really feel the same way about a song as I do about my wife? Of course not (unless it's some old-school Controller 7). So why am I using the same word to describe that feeling?

I do it for the same reason we all do it: we've lost touch with what "Love" really means and even more tragically, how to express it. Sure, getting flowers for your wife every once in a while is a nice gesture, but it doesn't necessarily mean you love her. Well, at least not if we're using the biblical definition of "love". And just what is that definition is that, you ask? Let's look and see! (Wheeeeeee!!!)

Jesus taught that "Greater love has no man than to lay his life down for his friend." The Church, as well as secular society has twisted that into a masculine mandate that paints more a picture of saving your buddy from terrorists by jumping in front a bullet, than what Jesus was really trying to focus on...Your heart. To "lay down" your life for someone is, indeed, sacrificial. But it's not just in the life/death situations where it applies.

If that friend of yours, who you would take a slug for, asked you to help him move on Super Bowl Sunday (which is tomorrow, Go Giants!) would you do it? Probably. What if a month after the move, he lost his job and asked to move in with you? Would you let him? Would you be willing to put HIS (or her) needs in front of your own, in EVERY capacity? Can he wear your clothes? Can you take his calls at 2am to pick him up from the bar? Can you do all of that and more?

We've all done one or two of those things on occaision, sure. But making it a LIFESTYLE is a completely different story. The short answer to those questions is a resounding, "NO!" We simply aren't built that way.

There's a reason God's word teaches us that we must 'die to ourselves' and be 'born again' (in the spirit). Apart from the saving grace of Jesus Christ, who put the needs of YOU and ME in front of His own by suffering a humiliating and painful death, it simply cannot be done. When you surrender to His healing love and mercy and make Him Lord of your life, it is suddenly not of your own accord that you can do amazing things in the lives of others, but through power of His Holy Spirit.

E-mail me if you have any questions, as I'd love to share more with you. ;)























PS,

It's super late, and I didn't intend for this post to go on as long as it did, so I will have to edit it later on with the scriptural references in quotations towards the end.