Love your spiritual siblings.  Love your neighbors.  Love your enemies.   The Bible makes it clear that we are to love other people, but sometimes we are not clear about what it looks like to love other people.  One thing we need to understand is this:  It is un-loving to be silent.  Silent in calling people to repent.  Silent in calling people to follow Jesus.  Silent in calling people to live abundantly.  Love isn’t indifferent to the well-being of others or tolerant of the wrong-doing of others.  We are to show up, speak up and stick up for people in ways that invite them in to enjoy the ever-present, everlasting love of God.

As image-bearers of God who are to model Jesus to a hurting and hungry world, there are two things we need to do:  Make it clear what Jesus is like.  Make it clear that Jesus is not like us.  In other words, we need the people in our lives to see us showing them the heart of our Savior.  But, let’s face it.  We’re going to get this wrong a lot of times.  So, we also need to tell others what Jesus is like.  That He is…  Purer than us.  Wiser than us.  Calmer than us.  Kinder than us.  Stronger than us.  Greater than us.  Let us strive by grace to show others Who Jesus is, but let us also tell others that He is far better than what they see in us.

God loves us, but He doesn’t approve of everything we think, say and do.  God took our sin seriously enough to put His Son Jesus to death in our place; we should take our sin seriously by fighting against it instead of trivializing it, rationalizing it or fraternizing with it.  Let us feel godly sorrow for our sin, but may that conviction give way to celebration of the forgiveness and freedom that is ours because of Jesus.  Grace means there is pardon for our sin and power not to sin.  We fight against it, we fail in the battle, we fall into mercy, we fight on, we finish.  For those who are trusting in Jesus… Grace always wins in the end.

It is hard to know who is telling us the whole truth, withholding the truth, distorting the truth, misinterpreting the truth, or creating their own version of the truth. We can easily be deceived into thinking something is true when it is not. So, who can we count on to be honest with us with what we need to hear?  What is the standard by which we can evaluate all other guiding life principles and philosophies? What truth can we live by so we do not live in vain or error? Who can we believe?  Jesus.  Jesus is Who we can believe.  We can always count on what He says to be true for us and good for us.

God didn’t create you primarily so you could make a lot of money, take a lot of trips, have a lot of fun, and indulge in a lot of temporary pleasures.  Those things may be a part of your experience, but they are a means to this end: “to let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).   Today, be mindful of the beautiful calling upon your life:  You were made to be…  An image-bearer.   A darkness-brightener.  A difference-maker.  A good-works-doer.   A Jesus-treasurer.  A God-glorifier.   That is why you are here … so, go shine your light!

It’s ironic, isn’t it?  For some people…  God receives all of the blame for everything bad that happens and none of the credit for anything good that happens.   God is questioned when things don’t work out right in the end, but He wasn’t asked in the beginning about what things are right.   God gets treated as if He isn’t there most of the time and as if He should show up when summoned at any time.  God is met with disbelief that He ever shows His love and disbelief in the cross where His love was most greatly shown. But… No matter how He is seen, God still does good, still works things out, still shows up and still loves.

God wants us to be happy.  When He tells us in the Bible to do, say, correct, believe, feel, think or share something, it is not to take away our happiness. Instead, it is to take away things in the way of our full and lasting happiness in Him.  We must trust that God is after our happiness, that He knows best how to bring about our happiness, and that what He tells us in the Bible is designed to lead us into happiness.  Doing what God tells us is not always easy, popular or instantly gratifying.  But it is always for good, always better in the end than sin, and always the best option for making us truly, ultimately, and eternally happy.

One of the primary aims of Christianity is to invite as many people who are far from God into the joy that we have in Him so they can experience it with us. To fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith means not only enduring in the gospel ourselves until our homecoming, but also equipping others with the gospel so they can fight on, race on, and keep on when we have gone on, until there is no place left that has not heard the good news of Jesus.  A life well-lived means we press on in the faith ourselves and pass on the faith to others so that God is honored in more of us and more of us are happy in Him.

No matter how much we grow to look like Jesus, there will be countless times when we don’t look much like Him at all.  Because Jesus never sinned, and we often will.  The natural response for us when we think wrong things, say wrong things and do wrong things is to hide.  Hide the truth.  Hide our responsibility. Hide from God.  But because God is gracious, we don’t have to do any of these things.  When we sincerely repent, He is faithful to extend grace.  Every. Single. Time.  He isn’t reluctant.  He doesn’t have a shortage.  He won’t turn you away. Run to God with joy knowing this… His fountain of forgiveness will never run dry.

We are to be generous with our words, actions, time, money, forgiveness, kindness, hospitality, patience, service, friendship, compassion, skills, truth-telling and love.  Even as we enjoy what God does for us and gives to us, we can confidently share every good resource in our lives as He leads us, knowing that even as we give away, there is always enough.  God is continually pouring out more forgiveness, goodness, kindness and blessedness so we can be more of a witness to His generosity by giving away part of what He gives to us.  Overflowing cups are not for us to choke on, but for us to let others drink from too.

What you and I have is ultimately not our own; it all belongs to God. Our time is His.  Our Talent is His.  Our Treasure is His.  Little or much, temporary or lasting, tangible or unseen, everything in our lives is the property and possession of God. We have been entrusted to steward it faithfully, dispense it liberally, and credit it clearly to the One from Whom all blessings flow. Our stewardship will not be judged by the amount we are able to give, but by the readiness, cheerfulness and faithfulness of our giving. It is not a matter of how much we have to be generous with, but how generous we are with how much we have.

Praise doesn’t take away from our enjoyment of something; praise adds to our enjoyment of it.  Think about it… We can’t wait to share great news.  We can’t help but cheer a great play.  We can’t stop singing a great song.  We can’t keep quiet about a great result, great movie, great experience or a great meal.  Praising is the natural response to something that excites and delights us, and it always increases and intensifies our enjoyment of that thing. So, above all, let us admire and applaud our God for Who He is and what He does, that our hearts might explode over His greatness with the greatest of all joys.

God didn’t reluctantly choose you because there was an empty space in His family tree, and He was down to His last option in you.  He readily chose you because that spot in His family was reserved especially for you.  He doesn’t regret it for a moment, even in those moments when you feel like He does because you have fallen short and failed Him.  Because of the moment you put your faith in Jesus… He delights in you.  He rejoices over you.  He is pleased with you.  Whether you stand by His grace and get it right, or fall into His mercy when you get it wrong, you were chosen by God. And He’s happy with His choice.

People go to great lengths to safeguard their money, health, jobs, computers, phones, homes, families, and minds against dangers that threaten their well-being.  They look for security in a variety of places like their bank account balances, home alarm systems and workplace seniority.  But all of the security measures people take have one thing in common:  they can fail at any time, which means they don’t really offer security at all.  Real security is having something which guarantees a good future for you that can never be lost by you or taken from you.  And that kind of security is only found in the love of Jesus.

A semi-painted canvas doesn’t show the whole picture.  A rough draft doesn’t tell the whole story.  A list of ingredients doesn’t look like the whole entrée.  Similar to these things, you and I are works-in-progress in the transforming hands of our loving Father.  And He will continue changing us from who we used to be into who we will be.  We are… Unfinished, but not unsaved.  Unfinished, but not unfixable.  Unfinished, but not unloved.  Because God will finish what He starts in you, you don’t have to give in to despair when you stumble in your faith or give up in trying to live out your faith. He isn’t done yet.  And neither are you.

Life can be stressful.  There are… Problems we can’t solve.  Situations we can’t handle.  Demands we can’t meet.  Changes we can’t avoid.  Troubles we can’t escape.  As Christians, we aren’t exempt from the stresses of life, but we are empowered to endure them. Real relief from stress comes not from the absence of tense and troubling situations, but from the presence of Jesus with us in those situations.  Stressful becomes stress-free when we trust in this:  Jesus will be with me.  Jesus will help me.  Jesus will guide me.  Jesus will deliver me.   Rest in knowing that you’re not the one who holds it all together. He is.

There is an enormous, eternal difference between knowing Jesus and knowing about Jesus.  We can know about someone without being in a personal relationship with that person.  So, how can we be certain that we really know Jesus and we are really bound for heaven?  We look for evidences that He is changing us from the inside out.  Knowing Jesus transforms us into people who increasingly, though imperfectly…  Love His family.  Desire His will.  Value His mission.  Treasure His word.  Choose His way. Long for His return. Delight in His presence. No one who truly knows Jesus is ever left the same.

All times.  All places. All circumstances. That’s when and where Jesus will be there with you and for you if you are trusting in Him.  There are occasions so wonderful that you never want them to end.  There are occasions so painful that they feel like they will never end.  The key to not being distracted by the highs and defeated by the lows is to keep your eyes on Jesus and experience His strengthening, sustaining, satisfying presence in both the ups and downs, the wins and losses, the pleasures and pains. Today, trust and treasure Him.  You can rightly go through all things because Jesus goes right through them with you.

The holiest nature.  The brightest glory. The highest authority. The strongest power.  The wisest intellect.  The longest reign.  The surest justice.   The loveliest artistry.  The kindest heart.  The closest embrace.  The greatest mission.  The biggest sacrifice. The finest reward. The fullest grace.  The deepest love.   God doesn’t just have some of these things, He has them all.  He doesn’t just have some of each of these things, He has the fullest portion, capacity, scope and measure of them all.  Let us stand before Him today mind blown, hands raised, head bowed, heart stirred, mouth open and declare Him Worthiest of all.