Loving God

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5, Mark 12:30)

War in the Middle East. People killing each other over land that God created. Citizens angered over an election. Individuals taking out anger and resentment on their neighbors. Others staying in the grip of the enemy, choosing to stay there, blaming others because their own circumstances are not to their liking. 

As Christians, Jews and Muslims approach this season, we all need to get back to our religious roots of peace and faith, and look to our common ancestor, Abraham. 

All three religions have a common creed: to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength; to obey Him in all we think, in all we say and all we do; and to honor and love Him first in all things.

Abraham was chosen by God because he was a fallible, but faithful, human who was obedient to God. He made mistakes, but he was repentant and sought God’s forgiveness. He loved God, and obeyed God’s commands even when he didn’t know what the future would bring.

• When we hate, do we love God?
• When we are unforgiving, are we loving God?
• When we are ungenerous with our attitude, our words and our actions, are we loving God? 

And worse, are we showing God’s love to others? Are we searching our own hearts and allowing God to do His gracious work in us? Are we building His Kingdom?

The apostle Paul, who was a former Jewish teacher of Mosaic law, tells us that we ought to be living sacrifices to God because He has shown us such great mercy. 

In simple terms, it’s called pay it forward. This season, as Christians, Jews and Muslims, if we can show just a small percent – a tithe, if you will – of God’s mercy, love and forgiveness to others, we might just make a huge difference in the world.

A Thicker Coat of Stubborn

Do not be stubborn as in the past when you turned against God, when you tested God in the desert. Hebrews 3:8 NCV

How often has the Lord given you a way out? How often has He pointed you to scripture to show you the way? How many times has He shown you, through friends, pastors, songs, or other avenues, what you need to do to follow and, just like Jonah, you have fled in the opposite direction?

You have grown, what my eloquent, newfound, friend KK Jones calls, “a thicker coat of stubborn.”

All through the Bible, God warns us not to be stubborn. He tells us to change our ways and listen to Him. 

The Lord says, “Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the wilderness. Psalm 95:8 NLT

He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the people of Israel. They are people from a nation that has rebelled against me. They and their ancestors have rebelled against me to this day.  I am sending you to these defiant and stubborn children. Tell them, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says.’ Whether these rebellious people listen or not, they will realize that a prophet has been among them. Ezekiel 2:3-5 GW

Stephen continued speaking: "You stubborn people! You have not given your hearts to God, nor will you listen to him! You are always against what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell you, just as your ancestors were.” Acts 7:51 NCV

That’s why the Spirit said, “If you hear God’s voice today, don’t be stubborn as in the past when you turned against God.” Hebrews 3:15 ERV (ref Psalm 95:7-8)

You’ve been hurt or rejected and refuse to let go of your anger; you want a certain job and won’t open to another path; you bear guilt and shame like a badge of honor and use it as an excuse to keep you from moving forward. You blame others for disappointment or lack, you fail to give grace or forgiveness, and you take offense at minor perceived insult. You become angry with God when He rewards others that in your judgment should be punished.

But we must also remember The Lord says, "My thoughts are not like your thoughts. Your ways are not like my ways. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:8-9 NCV

When we begin to judge God’s decisions, we are placing ourselves higher than the Lord. And do we really want to do that? 

I have learned over the years not to ask, “Why.” That is part of my trust in Him. When I had breast cancer in 2007, I asked Him to get me through it with grace and humor, and He did.

Take off that coat of stubborn. Ask Him to clothe you in grace, forgiveness and peace.

He will.