Love Archives

A valentine to the chosen

Today is a fun day for many and a not-so-fun day for others.

I still remember the pressure of hoping my carefully decorated shoebox would contain some valentines from my classmates! In my day, it wasn’t a requirement to give everyone in the class a valentine. A few of the kids, especially the classroom bully, didn’t get many. And looking back, the classroom bully probably needed a valentine more than anyone else.

Valentine’s Day can still be a lot of pressure for some in our culture. This is a good day to be sensitive to others around us. God might call us to be a valentine to somebody today.

God’s valentine to you

God “so loved this world” he gave us Jesus. When God sent his son to become our Savior, he said, “I love you more than you can imagine.”

When Jesus stood silent before his accusers and accepted our punishment on his cross, he said, “I love you more than you can imagine.”

When we set aside our own needs in order to serve someone else in the name of Christ, we are saying, “Jesus loves you more than you can imagine.”

Your valentine to others

Scripture teaches us how to live a life that offers the love of Christ to others.

Paul probably wrote his letter to the church in Colossae when he was under house arrest in Rome. Epaphras was a convert of Paul’s who likely established and led the church in Colossae. Epaphras came to see Paul, concerned about what he saw happening in the church.

Colossae was a smaller city surrounded by larger, more important cities of that day. It was located in what is now modern-day Turkey, along an important trade route. If you live in Texas, think of Colossae as a town that might be chosen for the next Buc-ee’s. (For those of you outside of Texas, check out the link. You don’t know what you are missing!)

Colossae saw a lot of people who were simply traveling by each day, giving the Christian church there a great opportunity to share the gospel. Sadly, many of the travelers saw the church as an opportunity to share their own “message,” which often conflicted with the truth of the gospel.

Paul encouraged those living in that city to be careful with their theology, their calling, and their character. His words to that important church are a valentine message to us for the sake of others. Paul wrote:

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:12–14).

Our Christian character can be a daily valentine that we share with people around us. God gave his love to us for every day, not just for certain holidays.

A Valentine’s message to the “chosen ones”

I still remember the class Valentine’s party when I was in the fifth grade.

Jeff, a boy in the class who “liked me,” came up to my desk with a box of chocolates and a store-bought, real Valentine’s card! (It was too big for the shoebox.) He was as red in the face as the foil of that heart-shaped box of chocolates. I was probably blushing as well.

The other kids stopped to watch him deliver his gift. It was a fifth-grade moment for sure! I still remember Jeff and that Valentine’s Day that made me feel special and chosen.

Everyone who has placed their faith in Christ is a “chosen one.” We are loved more than we can imagine. That love is the best source for our sense of “self.” We should pause on this Valentine’s Day to remember that we have been made “holy” and are “beloved.” That love should create in us “compassionate hearts” and a life marked by “kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” The character of Christ within us will enable us to “bear with one another” and “forgive each other.”

Jesus in us will forgive when we cannot. Jesus in us will love others that we might not naturally choose to love on our own. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Who shared God’s valentine with you?

Most of us probably can list several people who have invested their time, their love, and their compassionate help in our lives. None of us live our Christian lives on an island. If we aren’t careful, however, we will live our lives in our own circles and miss those who are outside of our “group.”

Is there a “bully” who needs a Valentine’s message today?

Is there a shy, quiet person that most people don’t notice that you can choose to bless today?

We often think of Valentine’s Day as being for just a few special people in our lives. Who, outside of our circle, needs a message of God’s love today too?

Happy Valentine’s Day!

If this is the only valentine you get today, I hope it will make you smile. God is love. The Creator of the Universe has chosen to love you more than you can imagine. You are loved today, tomorrow, and for all eternity with his powerful and perfect love.

Buy yourself a rose or a box of chocolate. Give someone else what you would enjoy receiving yourself. You have been chosen, and you are loved with an “everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).

Happy Valentine’s Day.
Love, God.

Three blessings for restored faith

Throughout our ministry, we have often spent time with people who recently lost a loved one. Invariably, the conversation turns to the last time they saw that person and the last words that had been spoken. Sometimes, their parting words gave them a sense of peace or calm, while other times those words became an additional part of the grief they would always remember.

We drop kids off at school, send them off to college, leave work at the end of the day, and say goodbye to people at church we won’t see again until the following Sunday. Our parting words can be brief and unimportant or sometimes full of careful thought or planning, depending on the situation.

Last Sunday I was talking to our Sunday School director about their “kids” when he mentioned that his son-in-law ran a roofing company. I told them that was good to know while hoping I would never need to know!

About twelve hours later a large storm roared through Tyler and the morning light revealed a downed tree and a lot of shingles in our yard. I sent an early email to them and the roof will be repaired this afternoon. God is so good.

A random “goodbye” statement at church wasn’t so random at all.

Paul’s parting words

Paul wrote his letter to the church in Corinth carefully. In the first century a letter required parchment, ink, and a great deal of thought and care. Paul didn’t have a “delete” key on a computer to quickly erase words he no longer wished to say. He would have planned and possibly practiced a sentence before recording it on the valuable parchment. He, or whoever was recording his words, wrote his letters knowing they would be shared often, with many churches and people in the region. It was important they were thoughtful and well done.

Paul was a pastoral parent to the Christian churches he helped to establish. Like any good parent or pastor, he taught his people what they needed to know and then worked to remind them of what they had been taught. One of Paul’s deepest concerns for his young churches was false teachers, men who claimed to be apostles yet taught a message contrary to the truth. The people in the church were impressed with these men’s oratory and therefore lacked discernment for the actual truth of what was being said or taught.

We have two of Paul’s letters to Corinth, but we are missing at least two. Apparently, Paul had written a very angry letter to the church at some point that occurred between the two letters we have in Scripture.

Paul was willing to be angry when necessary, especially when the truth of the gospel message was being harmed. Many of our preachers today share a similar anger. It is hard to see the people in the church choose to believe, truly believe, something that the Bible teaches against.

Why is truth essential to the future of the church?

Last week, our ministry was blessed by hundreds of people who chose to donate on North Texas Giving Day. Not everyone understands why Denison Ministries exists and what our purpose in ministry truly is. In many ways, we write for the same reasons Paul wrote to those first-century churches. Our page on the North Texas Giving Day site simply reads, “Take a stand for God’s truth.”

Our purpose for all we do is to provide biblical truth to as many people as possible for their daily choices. We have existed for almost fifteen years, and we are amazed at the profound changes in our culture and government that have occurred in that short time. We knew it was time to carefully proclaim biblical truth to our culture, but we had no idea fifteen years ago all that would take place.

But God knew.

The greatest threat to the Christian church has always been false teaching. In some of the final words of 2 Corinthians, Paul wrote, “For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for” (2 Corinthians 13:8–9).

Truth was essential in Paul’s day, during the Reformation Era, and remains an essential goal for the church for all time. Please know how grateful we are to those of you who help us speak biblical truth to our culture. We began our ministry praying to lead God’s people to a renewed relationship with God and to help the church seek revival and awakening among their people. Paul prayed for the restoration of Corinth, and we pray for the restoration of the church in America.

How can we pray for our churches today?

Dedication to biblical truth
The original apostolic message of salvation in Christ
The power of the gospel to save
Biblical marriage values
The biblical standards for our daily choices
Making choices God can bless, or accepting that God must discipline
The One true God and Jesus, the one true “way” for the salvation of all

All Christians need to know that faith doesn’t work apart from God’s word of truth.

It never has.

The three blessings of a restored, biblical faith

Paul’s closing words to Corinth at the end of his letter spell out the three blessings Paul wanted for those in the church. His parting words would display his heart for them and his passion for their faith. Paul wanted the church to be filled with rich blessings.

So, Paul reminded them of the singular power and purpose of the Godhead, the holy Trinity. He said, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).

Paul describes a blessed life as:

Confident of the grace that provides our salvation through Jesus Christ
Abundantly overflowing with the love of God for oneself and others
Maintaining a continual fellowship with God through the voice and guidance of the Holy Spirit

Paul chose his parting words to the church in Corinth because his great desire was for them to live with truth and faith God would be able to bless.

If Paul wrote a letter to us . . .

What would Paul tell us to change? Repent of? Be restored to? What would revival look like today?

We are in many ways like the church in Corinth. We need biblical morality. We need an insistence on the original apostolic teaching. We need careful concern for others. We need to be restored so that God can bless us with his grace, love, and fellowship.

God wants to bless his people. Thank you so much for helping us send biblical truth to a culture that needs God’s restoration and blessing. We are praying for renewal, awakening, and revival in our churches so that others will want to know and receive the blessings God wants to give. We will continue to speak God’s biblical truth and pray for those blessings to come.

How does God say “I love you”?

Americans will spend about $26 billion this week on Valentine’s Day, which is about $2 billion more than last year.

Yep, inflation is even hitting our heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, not to mention the cost of roses and steak dinners.

And didn’t we just finish our Christmas shopping?

At least Easter is still two months away.

America—and America’s retailers—do like their holidays.

Five free Valentine’s gifts . . . maybe?

It’s good to have a day dedicated to the joy of having people to love, but we don’t need to break the bank to do that. Cosmopolitan Magazine had a few ideas for free, or almost free, giving:

Decorating a mug with oil-based Sharpies using personal ideas or dates. (Don’t forget to bake the mug at 250 degrees for two hours after drawing on it. Apparently, that makes the marker permanent, and spreading ink all over someone’s hands does not say “I love you.”)
They suggested a cheap feast of a person’s favorite junk foods, like Mcdonald’s fries or Oreos. (I’m not too sure about this one . . . but it would be cheap!)
Rewrite some song lyrics to personalize them for the one you love. (I suggest you choose wisely. You might want to avoid certain 70’s classics like “Send in the Clowns” or “Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown.”)
Write notes, roll them up, and place them in balloons all over the room. (This sounds like a great idea unless the notes are an extension of the honey-do list. Imagine popping your valentine’s balloon only to read, “Please pick up my prescription while you are searching through the last seven valentine’s cards at CVS! Love ya’!”.)
Fill a jar with future date-night ideas. (Caution: This one may be cheap for Valentine’s Day but then could really cost you for the next few months!)

Six expensive gifts that are sure to impress . . . maybe?

SuccessStory.com went another direction with their article. They listed the most expensive Valentine’s Day suggestions they could find:

Italian sunglasses from someone I never heard of that cost $412,000. (A person probably shouldn’t keep these in the cup holder of their car.)
An expensive pen that costs $720,000. It’s covered with diamonds and gemstones. (It will, however, run out of ink just like the free pens you get at the bank.)
A small heart-shaped purse that costs $3.7 million. It is covered in gold and diamonds. It does not, however, hold the extra-large cell phones that most of us carry.
A gold iPad will set you back about $6 million. (You can play Words with Friends in style, but it will still be tough to play the Q if you don’t have a U as well. Hint: Go with the word Qi if you can use a triple score for the Q.)
If your loved one isn’t tracking their steps on their watch, try the 201-carat watch that costs $24 million dollars. They won’t be congratulated when they reach their walking goal, but they will probably feel pretty good about themselves when someone asks them for the time.
Finally, if it is time to trade in the SUV, you can purchase the 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO for only $70 million. But, let’s face it . . . if you can afford that car, you probably don’t have the ability to get in and out of it anymore.

How does God say “I love you”?

If Jim drove up in that Ferrari, I would know God had performed a miracle.

If I ever signed a check with that diamond pen, the person I was writing the check to would need to report a fraud alert.

I often try to win the HGTV Dream Homes, and I’ve given the Lord opportunities to “provide” me with a million dollars, but let’s just say God’s response has always been, “Remember, the last shall be first and the first last.”

Actually, I am a very blessed person in many ways. But I’m old enough to realize that no matter how much we have, we usually define enough as just one or two things more. One of the best things about heaven is that we will live completely content with all we have because we will know for certain it is all we need.

Do you remember the first time you heard someone quote the familiar saying, “I asked Jesus how much do you love me?”

“This much,” he answered. Then he stretched out his arms and died.

I repeat that quote again because it is memorable and pretty well says it all.

How did God say I love you?

He gave his one and only Son so that we could be saved (John 3:16).
Even though we were sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
God has loved us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).
The Lord is on our side (Psalm 118:6).
The Lord is abounding in steadfast love (Psalm 103:8).
God is love (1 John 4:8).

Whom will you give God’s love to this week?

God’s love is free to us but cost him his beloved Son.

Interestingly, we receive God’s love freely, but it will likely cost us something to give it away.

What are you willing to pay in order to give the very best valentine?

When I was in elementary school, we covered shoe boxes with paper and then the teacher cut a hole in the lid so our classmates could drop valentines in for us. It was so fun to look through the cards and read them all several times. Those little heart-shaped cards were not expensive, but they were valuable.

I remember the year I got a valentine that wouldn’t fit in my box. It was a real, grown-up valentine from a boy in my class. I felt special and proud to receive it. I still remember the boy’s name.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I hope you get a special card this week from someone who loves you. But I also hope you know that every day you have a message of love sent your way by the God who is love. His love is perfect, profound, and permanent. His love saves, is sufficient, and strengthens.

One day we will dwell with the daily blessings that are the gift of being greatly and powerfully loved. We are treasured by the One who owns all there is. That thought kind of makes that Ferrari pale in comparison!

I wish all of you, my readers, a very blessed Valentine’s Day filled with the knowledge that you have been chosen by God and you are his beloved.

(And if you get that heart-shaped purse, just buy a little burner phone at the drugstore to go inside! If you get that “feast” of all your favorite junk food, just enjoy the fries and buy yourself some chocolates the day after Valentine’s Day. They are half-priced then anyway!)

Whatever your gift is for Valentine’s Day, you can know you are greatly loved by our great and perfect God.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

St. Valentine had no idea

I was curious about the amount of money Americans spend on Valentine’s Day. It’s surprising!

According to WalletHub, Americans will spend almost $24 billion this year. How much is one billion? I like this measurement: The average human heart will have clocked one billion beats by the time we are 27.4 years old.

St. Valentine would never have imagined the holiday that bears his name! What is it about Valentine’s Day that prompts this kind of spending? (Especially since most Americans don’t pay off their Christmas debt until April or June.)

Why do we think spending money says “I love you”? St. Valentine would have preached against that notion. In full confession, I spend some money on the holiday. I’ve been married to my valentine for 42.5 years and, let’s face it, I’m a grandma who likes to see those grins! It’s good to remember the people we love for Valentine’s Day. But, extravagant gifts don’t say “I love you.” Thoughtful effort does.

What says “I love you”?

Everyone is different, especially these days. The advent of social media has impacted so many things, and not always for the best. I don’t post a lot of things, and rarely do I post personal things.

I don’t want to use a social media platform to make me feel better about myself if it might cause someone to feel worse. I don’t want to look at social media and close the lid of my computer thinking someone has it better than I do. Mostly, I don’t want to question whether someone did something, or gave something, just for the sake of a social media post. Sometimes a person should feel loved by a Facebook post, but often people could probably feel a bit exploited.

What truly says “I love you” in a way that builds a person up and causes them to know they are deeply cared for?

When it comes to gifts or social media posts, the answer is individual.

When it comes to the Lord, his word of love is pure, genuine, and a gift for everyone.

We should give what we have received

One of the most important spiritual lessons I learned was that I cannot give away what I have never received. The best way to be a person who is loving is to become a person who is loved.

First John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.” I used to read that verse as a directive. In my mind, it meant, “We have to love others because God gave his love to us, and we owe him.”

But that isn’t the way God works.

He didn’t love us so that we would be obligated to love others. God loves us so that we are able to love others. We can love others because God has given us his love to share with others.

Are you running on fumes?

We often speak about being filled with the Spirit in order to serve God well. However, we also need to be filled with the Spirit in order to love others well. In fact, loving others is our most important service to God and others.

Galatians 5:22 says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace . . . .” When Paul was listing the fruit that God’s Holy Spirit produces in our lives, he listed love first. When he spoke of the gifts of the Spirit in his letter to the Corinthians, he said, “The greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

When we feel like it is difficult to love other people, is it because we have not taken the time to be filled with God’s love to give? Are we running on fumes instead of a full tank?

A Valentine’s message for you

We know we are loved by God, but has it been a while since you received God’s love into your life? Valentine’s Day is coming, and this may be the most important “word of love” you receive this year.

The best way to be filled with the love of God is to draw near to him.

The Apostle John wrote to the church he loved saying, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16).

Have you ever received a hug from someone wearing expensive perfume or aftershave? Quite often we pick up the fragrance on whatever we are wearing. Consider Jesus, anointed by Mary with that expensive vial of costly perfume. Anyone Jesus hugged would have carried the fragrance of his anointing to others. That is still true today.

When last did you feel enveloped by the love of Christ?

When last did you study Scripture for the purpose of receiving his love?

When last did you pray, asking for God to fill you with his love so that you can share his love with others?

Sometimes I imagine what it will be like to enter heaven, knowing I am eternally home. One of my favorite thoughts to consider is stepping into the open arms of Jesus as he wraps me in a loving hug. And I like to think that the fragrance of his love will always linger, for every moment of my forever.

A message from St. Valentine

There is a lot of mystery surrounding who the original St. Valentine really was. I wish I had a famous quote from him, but there are none I could confirm. Maybe that is for the best because there are as many ways to say “I love you” as there are people in this world.

Maybe the best message we received from St. Valentine is simply to remember the importance of love. The only perfect love is God’s. Our country will spend a lot of money this week trying to say “I love you.” Good luck finding the perfect gift or card!

But, as Christians, let’s share our valentines with the love of God. If you give or get a gift that disappoints, remember what Peter said: “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). We can’t get the gift right every year but we can give it with genuine love.

Christians are loved with a perfect love! That is our most important gift on Valentine’s Day and every day.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you!

Wear your crown over clean hair

All of us wear a lot of “hats” in this lifetime. Hats are a good metaphor for our various roles because most are easily exchanged for another. All of us are many things to different people.

There is one hat, however, that Christians should wear all the time.

The apostle Paul told us, “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:14). The love of Christ should be the first impression we make as we enter a room.

An iconic hat

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is my favorite movie in the series. Sean Connery plays Indiana’s dad. During one classic scene, the audience grew quiet when it looked like Indiana Jones had just gone over a cliff in a Nazi tank as he fought to protect his dad. A few moments later, Indiana Jones surprises his grieving dad and is wrapped up in a big hug.

But, the best moment of that scene occurs when a gust of wind blows the famous suede hat over to Indie’s feet. When he put that hat on his head, the audience cheered.

Who is Indiana Jones without that hat?

But, let’s be honest. If you or I had the chance to wear Indiana Jones’ iconic hat, would we? We love seeing it as a prop on the big screen, but would we want to wear it on our heads?

In reality, that hat would be filthy dirty and stink like yesterday’s raw chicken left in the warm trash.

We wear a lot of hats in our lifetime, but some of our hats are more of a prop too. We occasionally wear a hat to cover our heads, not crown them.

A crown on dirty hair

It’s hard to imagine a king or queen showing up to their coronation with dirty hair. Yet, our hats are worn today to serve that purpose. When we have to run an errand or jump on a Zoom meeting, we just cover the “bad hair” with a cap.

We often try to do the same thing with our witness.

We hope our words will speak louder than our works, but that’s like wearing a crown with dirty hair. Scripture teaches that we should clean up our lives in order to share our witness. God’s truth is a crown, not a cap.

Grow food, not weeds

People in the first century didn’t plant gardens as a hobby; they grew food in order to survive. Jesus used a parable to illustrate that, in order for our Christian witness to thrive, the first thing we need to do is treat sin like unwanted weeds that need to be pulled out of the garden (Matthew 13:24–30).

The first-century Christians planted gardens so they and their families could survive the winter months. Weeds weren’t just annoyances; they were a threat. And Paul said we should think of our sin natures like they did their weeds.

We shouldn’t serve cake on a dirty plate

Have the biblical lessons lost some power in our culture today? Americans have grocery stores. Our gardens are more often a hobby than our hope. What illustration would Jesus have used if he were teaching about our witness today?

Would Jesus or Paul say: Treat sin like a virus? Treat sin like a poison? Treat sin like a cancer? Treat sin like a smelly hat?

Their point would be the same. We need to get rid of anything that harms our witness and do whatever it takes to separate it from our lives. After that, we can “put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:14).

If Paul were writing today, he might have written, “Don’t put your muddy feet into your new shoes.” Or “Don’t put the velvet dress over the sweaty tracksuit.” Or maybe “Don’t cook today’s meal in yesterday’s unwashed, germ-filled pan.” Paul might just be blunt and say, “Even a beautiful cake looks inedible when it’s served on yesterday’s unwashed plate.”

The world won’t notice or appreciate the love of Christ until Christians pull the weeds out of our witness.

The world won’t consume our words unless we serve them on a clean plate.

Put on love, but put it on clean hair

Love will be our theme for the February blog posts, but it should also be the theme of our lives. We don’t think of Indiana Jones without his iconic hat. A Christian should be known by their crown, reminding people we are the adopted child of a King.

Maybe the first thing we should consider, however, is how we present our love of Christ to others. If our faith is our crown, the role people most associate with who we are, shouldn’t we be sure we aren’t using that crown over dirty hair?

If faith is to produce the spiritual fruit of our lives, shouldn’t we make certain the weeds aren’t taking over the garden?

Gossip said it well

Imagine being a preacher with the last name of Gossip!

Arthur John Gossip held the title of Professor of Christian Ethics and Practical Theology, and he was licensed as a minister of the church in Scotland in 1898.

When I found one of his quotes, I had to look him up. I could tell by the language the words were “old,” but the message seemed so new. I want to close this blog post with Gossip’s words from a century ago that speak to our subject today.

Arthur John Gossip said, “At the very moment when the pulpit has fallen strangely silent about sin, fiction can talk of little except evil, not indeed viewed as sin, but apparently as the invariable ways of a peculiarly repulsive insect, which it can’t help, poor thing; and there is no manner of use expecting anything from it, except the nastiness natural to it.”

That quote takes a couple of reads to even begin the process of thinking about it. His words are even more powerful when we realize we are reading them almost one century after they were written.

What would Gossip say about our view of sin today?

Put on love—but consider it a crown

How do we “put on” our Christian love? Is it a crown or a cap? Is it used to say who we are or to cover up what we don’t want others to see? Those are the first questions we need to address if we truly want to live as a witness for Christ.

According to Jesus, we shouldn’t try to “put on love” until we pull out the weeds. According to Gossip, we shouldn’t view sin like a bug we just can’t get rid of. According to me, we can’t wear a smelly hat as a prop, even if it’s a popular prop worn by a movie hero.

What do we need to weed out of our witness so people can see the love of Christ as more than a hat we wear over our dirty hair?

We are children of the King.

We should choose to wear our crowns.

But, let’s make sure we are wearing those crowns over clean hair.

Dignity. There’s no getting around it.

When I hear the word dignity, I picture a top hat or pearls, worn by someone who speaks with an English accent drinking tea from a bone china cup, pinkie extended.

I never thought dignity was a crucial goal because it felt like I would need to pretend to be someone else to achieve it.

The word dignity has recurred in my mind and life a dozen different times recently so I finally asked God if he was trying to tell me something.

Let’s just say that the answer was “Yes, absolutely.”

I googled “What does the Bible say about dignity?”. After reading the Bible verses that came up, I knew I had to write on the subject. We don’t have to look past our television sets to recognize we need more dignity in our culture.

But the point of this blog post is to help us define the word as God has defined it.

WHAT IS CHRISTIAN DIGNITY?

Merriam-Webster’s defines dignity as “the state of being worthy or honorable; elevation of mind or character; true worth; excellence.”

That seemed perfectly Christian—until I looked at the passages I had googled.

Jesus defined Christian dignity saying, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35).

The apostle John wrote, “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” (1 John 3:17).

Christian dignity is not just about how we behave with others. It is mostly how we behave for the sake of others.

UNPRECEDENTED DIGNITY

I wonder how many times we have heard the phrase “unprecedented days” in this past year. As I look back on my fairly long life, I think only 9/11 and this season of COVID seem to fit the word unprecedented. Truthfully, I had grown tired of hearing the overused phrase until I used it with dignity in mind.

If you are like me, getting the COVID vaccine is a very high priority. The second dose represents renewed freedom to live like we want to live. But, I had to have a lecture with myself (authored by God) before I wrote this blog.

We are in “unprecedented” days for our spiritual lives too. We need to live these moments with Christian dignity. How difficult will it be to make that choice?

Christian dignity involves how we behave for the sake of others. We need to live with unprecedented Christian dignity during these days, and I really don’t want to be dignified.

I genuinely like the world’s standards a little better than God’s right now.

CHOOSING CHRISTIAN DIGNITY

I saw a woman interviewed who had just received the vaccine from one of the large auditorium locations. When a reporter asked why she was able to get the shot, she was nervous about answering. She was obviously not elderly. She looked to be in great shape. She was shifting from one foot to the other and said defensively, “I have underlying conditions.”

Maybe she did, but maybe she lied and took a vaccine that should have gone to someone else. In that moment, I realized that I kind of wanted to lie if it meant I could get a vaccine sooner.

Not a very dignified thought for a Christian blog writer!

Titus wrote, “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity” (Titus 2:7). We all need to wait for our vaccine, honestly. We need to wait with dignity. We need to put others first.

I can confess: I don’t want to wait any longer. I want to try to get ahead, pull some strings, get it sooner. But, how would I feel about myself a year from now if I did?

The choice to live with dignity isn’t about the next few months. This choice is about how we will live the rest of our lives. Will we earn God’s favor or do ourselves a favor? Waiting seems a lot easier with that perspective. God has called us to make the dignified choice.

I’d rather give up a few months of freedom than live the rest of my life knowing I made a selfish choice.

DETERMINED DIGNITY

I wanted to write this blog post because I probably needed the accountability.

We know people. We could possibly work it and end up with a shot. I feel embarrassed to admit that. Or, maybe I should say, I feel completely undignified to admit that.

We are all walking a road that has become an uphill, dusty climb. Keep going! It can’t be good to choose the wrong road just to make life easier.

Paul wrote to Christians who were living in days much more challenging than our own. He understood things were hard for the people who had chosen Christ as their Savior. They probably weren’t feeling rewarded or lucky in their daily circumstances.

But, Paul told them (and us) why Christian dignity is always the right choice: “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6–8).

We need to live with determined dignity or we will be tempted to live apart from Christ’s example. Christ gave everything, and not just for those who would appreciate or accept his sacrifice. Christ lived with dignity, then gave his life away for everyone, even the ungodly.

PRE-LIVE EASTER SUNDAY

I want to sit in a crowded church and sing Easter praise to Jesus for his great sacrifice.

I want to shop for spring colors in a crowded mall.

I want everything to be normal and joyful again by Easter.

But it might not be the Easter I imagine and hope for. I might still be waiting for my vaccine.

As I close this blog post, there is an Easter celebration I feel called to choose now. Jesus was determined to carry a cross for my sake. I can be determined to walk in his example and wait for a vaccine, with dignity. If Christian dignity is what Jesus wants for our lives, there is no getting around that calling. His favor is our reward.

Please, Jesus, help us to be determined to live with dignity. We owe it to ourselves and to others. Mostly, Lord, we owe you that choice. For your highest glory . . . Amen.

The Best Valentines

If you haven’t purchased anything for Valentine’s Day, then you are an American exception. (Or, maybe you are running behind?)

Americans will spend about $27.4 billion this year to celebrate the people they love.

That is a LOT of cards, flowers, and steak dinners!

The statistic I found most interesting concerned the increase in spending. Americans will spend $6.7 billion more in 2020 than they did in 2019. In fact, I was in the drug store last week, and they were already stocking the shelves for Easter! They only had a few remaining gifts for Valentine’s Day.

Have those words caused a mild panic amongst some of my readers?

You might want to shop sooner than later.

Google to the rescue

I think spending on Valentine’s Day has been greatly impacted by our computers.

You can google great gifts, click on the website, and be ready for Valentine’s Day in one coffee break.

For those who don’t know what to say on the bottom of the card, ask Google for the best Valentine’s quotes. Here are a few recommendations from Country Living Magazine:

From a few authors:

“In case you ever foolishly forget: I am never not thinking about you.” —Virginia Woolf
“Love is friendship that has caught on fire.” —Ann Landers
“Loving is not just looking at each other, it’s looking in the same direction.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupery

From a few “would-be” authors:

I love you more than pizza.
Know why I have a library card? Because I’m checking you out.
Are you a banana? Because I find you a-peeling.

Let’s just say not everyone is a gifted author.

If you could Google God

There are a lot of clever words in our world today. And we will always be looking for ways to express our gratitude and love for the people in our lives. God’s word has the perfect advice for us if we want to truly experience the best Valentine’s Day.

Romans 12:9–10 is a Valentine’s message from God. The New Living Translation states those verses well, saying, “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”

God would tell us not to simply buy messages of love. He would tell us to live them with genuine love.

The best valentine to receive

The best love story ever written is the word of God.

It began in Genesis, when God carefully made man, then woman—in his image. He breathed his life into theirs and gave them everything. He loved them. Sadly, they wanted more than he gave.

When mankind sinned, God gave them everything again. He has always provided us a way to have a relationship of love with him. God loved his creation so much, he gave his Son.

But, no love is ours until we choose to receive it.

I wonder how many valentines will be given this week, but not received. It is always sad for someone when love is a one-way road.

The best valentine to give

We should be especially grateful for the love in our lives. To be loved by God is to know the most perfect love in this lifetime and then for all eternity.

I’m grateful for all the people the Lord has given me to love and to receive love from. I’m aware that I am blessed and have a lot to be grateful for. But, I’m also aware that love requires one to give and another to receive.

I hope all of us will give away God’s love to someone else this week. The Bible says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7–8).

The most important valentine we will ever give will be words that lead others to the One who is love.

A happy Valentine’s Day

When I taught second grade, we would spend time decorating boxes or bags for Valentine’s Day. We had a party at school, and everyone went home with messages from classmates. It was always a fun party because everyone was included.

Most of us will spend some money for Valentine’s Day. We should also spend some time giving God’s valentines away. Not everyone has been included in his celebration. They still need to receive what he wants to give.

I wish you all God’s abundant love this week.

We are greatly, miraculously, and perfectly loved—now and forever, by the One who is love.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Focusing on God’s Word

Do you ever wonder why people send money to a television evangelist so they can get a piece of the cloth he used to wipe his tears?

I knew someone who sent such a televangelist a donation. She didn’t really believe it would work. She just wanted to hope.

History channels have produced shows and books have been written about possible and potential miracles involving a supposed piece of the cross, the Shroud of Turin, Noah’s Ark, or the Ark of the Covenant. Church history records all kinds of promises about these holy objects, and others, that were offered to people who wanted to believe.

Hope has always been one of God’s promises, and false hope has always been a by-product of that truth.

A church leader’s words can’t change God’s

There are some passages, like one in Luke 8, that theologians and Bible teachers will always struggle to explain.

At least, they should struggle to explain these passages. One of the reasons miracles are miracles is that they involve acts of God that transcend what is normal or explicable.

There is a story in Luke 8 that certain preachers have used to offer people hope of healing. It’s in the Bible, therefore it is possible.

Why did touching Jesus’ hem heal the woman?

It isn’t easy to find a theologian that wants to tackle that question. There really isn’t an answer except “It happened”—to her.

It was the second year of Jesus’ ministry, and his popularity was soaring. By now, word had spread about the miracles people had seen, the sermons people had heard, and the hope that Jesus might be the long-awaited Messiah. Jesus is drawing large crowds of people everywhere he goes.

Luke records a time Jesus is walking through such a crowd. A synagogue ruler had pled with Jesus to come to his home because his twelve-year-old daughter was dying. Jesus is very unpopular with most Jewish leaders by now, but a man whose daughter is dying is desperate for any hope. Jesus agrees to go to his home, and Luke says, “As Jesus went, the people pressed around him” (Luke 8:42).

Then Luke describes a miracle within the miracle.

A woman in that crowd had been bleeding for twelve years. Her medical issue would have made her an outcast from society, worship, and even her family.

In desperation, she reaches out to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, hoping and believing that it might help. And it does.

Luke wrote, “Immediately her discharge of blood ceased” (Luke 8:44).

Why was this woman healed?

According to Luke, the crowd was large and people were pressing to get next to Jesus. His robe would have touched or been touched by many people. Why did touching the robe of Jesus heal the woman but not all the others who were “pressing around him”?

Why did Jesus sense her touch?

The disciples didn’t understand why Jesus was wondering who touched him. Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” (Luke 8:45).

Blogger’s note: This statement is another reason I am a huge fan of Saint Peter. Luke usually got his information straight from the source. In other words, he probably interviewed Peter and the apostle made sure people knew about another of his less-than-perfect retorts to the Son of God. Peter also made sure Luke had Jesus’ answer to his impertinent question.

How did Jesus know that someone’s touch in that crowd was different from the others?

Luke records Jesus saying, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me” (Luke 8:46).

Jesus’ power to heal

The reason this is a theological conundrum is that Jesus didn’t choose to heal the woman. He didn’t know she was healed until after the fact.

The woman came to him and confessed she had touched his garment. It was then that Jesus told her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace” (Luke 8:48).

Those words open a can of worms that theologians can’t fully explain, so this blogger won’t even try.

Was it her faith in Jesus?
Her faith in God?
Her faith that even Jesus’ garment could heal?
Were the others that touched his garment lacking faith?
Does enough faith heal and not enough faith hinder?
Why didn’t Jesus know who had touched him and who had been healed?

Those are just a few of the questions that surround this passage. So, why is such a complicated passage included in our Bibles?

In fact, the story is important enough that Matthew and Mark also record the miracle in their gospels.

What if we are supposed to focus on the reason Jesus knew he had been touched rather than the fact that a woman was healed?

What if the moment and message of the miracle are the most important parts of the story?

The message of the miracle

Jesus perceived that “power” had gone out from him. It wasn’t the garment of Jesus that healed the woman; it was the power within Jesus.

It wasn’t the crowds that were healed. God healed the woman that day, and Jesus knew it when God’s power was released through him.

One day, Jesus would look at these same men and tell them, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The “power” released through Jesus that day is the power that fills all Christians today. But, it isn’t the power to heal; it is the power that can heal, when God chooses.

Jesus was on his way to Jairus’ home. Jairus was a synagogue ruler and probably the most important, influential person in the crowd. Culturally speaking, Jesus paused from his most important task to show compassion to an “unclean” woman who had not requested his attention but had stolen it.

That day, the culture didn’t define important; God did. The apostle Paul was trying to explain that truth when he wrote about heaven, saying, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

A message about miracles

Two miracles occurred that day: God publicly healed a bleeding woman and privately healed Jairus’ daughter.

What is the message about miracles?

God heals and decides how to heal and who is healed.

The power for healing is the power of God, through his Son, and through his Holy Spirit.

God loves everyone, equally. Some of God’s miracles are witnessed; some are not. Some of God’s people are healed on earth, but most are healed in heaven.

Faith in God is the key, not faith in garments.

Jesus said, “Your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

If you are a Christian, that is your hope, your promise, and your miracle for today and every day. Whatever you are facing, you will be healed—maybe not today, but definitely one day.

Don’t Forget God’s Valentine

Most of us will celebrate and honor the people we love this week. But let’s remember to honor the One who created the concept. God is love (1 John 4:8). He deserves our first and highest commitment of love.

Jesus told us that loving God was the most important commandment (Luke 10:27), and then added that we should love others as we love ourselves. I’ve often taught that the love we have for others is generated by the love we have for God.

But what would you answer if someone were to ask you “How do I love God?”

God is love

God is love, and we are created in his image. Human beings were given the unique ability to make choices because, without that gift, we couldn’t choose to love. Unfortunately, the ability to choose is also what grants us the ability to sin. And God created us with free wills anyway. That one fact tells us how important love is to God.

But, how do we choose to love God? Why do we need to make that choice?

God doesn’t need our love. He wants our love. God wants us to delight in him.

God is delight-ful

What delights you?

I am delighted to my core when my grandson runs to the front door and I hear him say, “Grandma, Grandma’s here!” When I know my family is safely home after a trip, I am delighted by that news. When I hear that someone is “cancer-free,” I am delighted with joy.

Psalm 37:4 tells us, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Do I get a sense of delight when I consider the holy love of God that has been poured into my life? Absolutely . . . but how often do I take the time to delight in God and receive his blessings?

We should take some time this week to turn off the world and fellowship with the love of our life—the God who created and is that love.

Love isn’t what we do

Where did we get the idea that love = doing something?

This week, millions of flowers will be sold, reservations made, and cards purchased. Don’t get me wrong: if you have a Valentine, you probably need to “do” something about that.

But, is loving God simply about what we do?

Jesus said, “If you love me you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Jesus did not say, “If you keep my commandments, that means you love me.” That’s why Jesus had such a hard time with the Pharisees. They missed that point entirely!

Obedience is a natural result of loving God, but it isn’t how we love God. The cards, roses, reservations, and boxes of candy that will be purchased this week aren’t love. They are expressions of love. What someone does out of a sense of “duty” isn’t the same as what someone does out of their sense of love.

And God knows our hearts.

Love is what we choose to become

How do we become a person who loves God?

Make that choice. You were created in God’s image with the ability to love. Jesus said loving God is our highest commandment. Choose to love God with a powerful, faithful, unwavering commitment. When you make that choice, God will fill you with the desire to love others.

Become a person who truly, devotedly loves God and the rest of your life will reflect that choice. Max Lucado said, “You change your life by changing your heart.”

Jesus taught us how to love God when he taught us how to pray by saying “Our Father.” Become the loving child of the Creator God and you will love your Abba. Allow your primary identity to be as his adopted, loved child. Imagine his delight when you run to the door of heaven, shouting his name with joy.

As you give valentines this week, make the choice to include your highest expressions of love! God will be delighted to return the love you give.

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him.” —1 Corinthians 2:9