In The Name Of Love

Jesus came in peace with love.


When Jesus rode in on that donkey, he was making a statement. He was willingly and strategically entering Jerusalem during the celebration of Passover as a king. All of the imagery for an onlooker that day would have picked up on it. The shouts of acclamation, the palm branches, the coats on the ground – all actions to honor a royal. And Jesus’ ride? He chose a donkey. Not just to fulfill prophecy, but to make a statement. Kings mostly rode donkeys. When they wanted to rally the troops and people for battle, they would ride a war horse. But when they wanted to display peace, they rode a donkey. Jesus rode a donkey.

When Jesus made his big entrance, he made it with a gesture of love and peace.

Question…
If you were a Jew living in Roman-occupied Jerusalem at that time, is this how you would want Jesus to make his big entrance into the capital city? Why or why not?
We all agree we need more love in the world.

Everybody agrees on this. U2 sang Pride: In The Name of Love. Michael Jackson sang Heal the World. U2 sang One. The Beatles sang All We Need Is Love. U2 sang Crumbs From Your Table. John Lennon sang Imagine. U2 sang I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. Air Supply sang Seriously, Did You Really Spend Money On This Album?  U2 sang Grace.  U2 wins.

So what’s the problem? It sure seems like everybody loves love. We love songs about love. We love movies about love. We love cards that express love. We love holidays that are filled with love. What do we call the most intimate of physical intimacy – making love – and humans apparently have loved it for a very long time, and show no signs of slowing down…

So, again, with all of us loving love, why aren’t things better than they are?

The Problem: love has as many definitions as definers.

Some people understand love as a feeling. I love you because I feel so much love for you! I can’t get you out of my mind! I just want to be with you in every way. Let’s ride this wave together – everything about how we feel about each other feels so right – there’s not wrong, here. Until someday comes when the feeling is gone. Then I don’t want much to do with you, and regret much of what I did with you!

Some people express love for those close to them very well. But if you’re not in the family, you’re on permanent probation. Cross me, and there will be no more love for you! In fact, I may appear to be your friend one day, but the next day I may be your worst enemy. I will love you if you love me, but I will not tell you what love looks like to me. When you cross the line you know nothing about, then I will let you know, and with vengeance.

Some people are crystal clear with their definition of love. I will love you if you do exactly what I want. If you don’t do what I want, I won’t show you any love. In fact, I’ll show you the opposite. I will only love you if you agree with my worldview, my theology, my politics, my taste in music, my love for guacamole, my setting of the thermostat, my TV shows, my cable news channel… the list is endless.

Each of these – and there are many more – are examples of conditional love.

Questions…
Toward which of these understandings of love do you sometimes gravitate?
Does your understanding of love change depending on the recipient? How does your understanding of love change from someone especially close compared to a coworker, a rival, or an enemy?

Maybe the problem in our world isn’t that there isn’t enough love, but that the love is ill defined.

Love of one’s homeland leads to aggression toward those perceived to threaten it. Love is expressed as violence. And so we see foreigners mistreated in the name of love socially, economically, and sometimes physically.

Love of one’s power passionately protected. Funds hoarded. Greed fed. Books cooked. Portfolios embellished. Silver traded. Jesus crucified. All in the name of love.

Love of one’s politics leads to passionate debate that can even lead to threats and acts on threats. Opponents maligned. Mud-slinging. False allegations. Half-truth million dollar commercials. People rallied by fear. Opponents hated. Character destroyed. Jesus crucified. All in the name of love.

Love of one’s race leads to the protection of one’s color. Love that leads to prejudice, racism, the KKK, cross burnings, genocide, oppression. Jesus crucified. All in the name of love.

Love of one’s religion leads to violent displays of loyalty and devotion. Suicide bombers. Planes crashing into buildings. Places of worship being bombed. Abortion clinics being bombed. Synagogues being burned. Genocide. Spanish Inquisition. Crusades. Salem Witch Trials. Prophets murdered. Gays bashed. Jesus crucified. All in the name of love.
Questions…
Can you recount examples of each type of malicious love – malovelance (yes, I know it’s misspelled – work with me)?
Have you ever been the recipient of any of the above forms of “love”?
Have you ever expressed “love” in any of the above ways? How did it go? What was the result?

Jesus had a radically different definition of love.

Love wasn’t simply a feeling, but a verb. Love was substance, the foundation, an action, and a sense of being.

Love wasn’t simply for those he easily loved, or just for those who loved him back. Love was for anyone and everyone.

Take a moment and read some of Jesus’ words that he used to define love in Luke 6:27-42. What strikes you most about Jesus’ teaching in this passage?

Take a moment and witness Jesus’ final moment in Luke 23:26-46. What strikes you about Jesus’ actions? How were they congruent with his teaching?
Questions…
If you were a Jew living in Roman-occupied Jerusalem at that time, is this how you would want Jesus to make his big entrance into the capital city? Why or why not?
Would you be okay with Jesus making a similar entrance into the world today?
Is it possible that we may make the same mistake as our predecessors’ if we assume the Christ’s coming will be more like a warrior?
What if the battle is won not on a horse, but on a donkey?
What if the way to change the world is through radical love, not super-power?
What changes do you imagine you would make if you lived according to Jesus’ definition of love?
What changes do you imagine you would experience in your key relationships? In your relationship with your circle of influence? With your enemies, or those who don’t seem to like you so much?
What aspect of Jesus’ love are you going to incorporate into your life ASAP?

Put Some Rubber On The Road…

Before you read on, I’ve got some questions for you.

Why are you sucking air? Why are you still here on this planet? Is life simply a daily routine of sucking air, eating, sleeping, and doing it all over again? What are we doing here? If there is a greater purpose than sucking, is it worth pursuing?

Okay, read on…

One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. “Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money, or even a change of clothes. Wherever you go, stay in the same house until you leave town. And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.” – Luke 9:1-5 (NLT)

What Jesus gave that day wasn’t just for those disciples. It was for all disciples. We have been given the same power and authority for the very same purpose as those original disciples: to be agents of spiritual, emotional, and physical healing.

So, life is not just for sucking.

Question: Do you feel like you have been given power and authority to carry out the same purpose as the disciples? Why or why not?

The advice Jesus gave to the disciples that day was not just for them, but for us as well. He knew that we have a tendency to over pack, over think, overeat, over spend, etc. He was sending his team on a day trip, not a long-term multinational campaign.

Jesus advised his disciples to not take a walking stick. Back then, walking sticks were more than just for walking. They were also tools of protection. People who saw you knew you had boundaries. Not many folks who don’t need aid use walking sticks today, but many make it known that they have boundaries. Sometimes, it’s our language. Christians can be especially guilty of using “churchy church” language with other Christians, and sometimes with those who are not. How we speak sometimes makes us as unapproachable as if we wielded a ninja-swinging walking stick.

Question: Are you aware of anything you do that makes you unapproachable to others? What are you protecting? Who are you keeping at arm’s length when you do? What’s it do to them? You?

Jesus also advised against taking a traveler’s bag. I guess folks back in his day liked to pack stuff along for the journey, too. The probably threw their cell phone in there, their iPod, maybe a deck of cards. Since it was a ministry trip, maybe they tossed in a Bible, maybe some spiritual tracts. So, what’s the big deal?

Sometimes our stuff gets in the way. Stuff can distract us from fully experiencing the moment we’re in. Stuff can restrict us from engaging the people we’re around. Stuff sometimes limits our ability to be in relationship with the very people we’re there to love. So, lose the stuff. Travel light. Pay attention.

Question: Are you aware of anything you do (or have) that restricts your capacity to relate to those around you?

Then Jesus told them not to pack food or cash. That’s because all the disciples carried a debit gift card from Jesus. Actually, Jesus instructed this because it forced them to be in relationship with others – to ask for help. And when people helped, a relationship was born, and so was an investment. It is a good thing to ask for help now and then. And it’s a wonderful thing to be asked to help. Jesus was being strategic on multiple levels with this instruction.

Question: What happens to you when you ask for help? How does it feel when you are asked to help? Why do we sometimes not ask for help if it’s good for everyone involved?

And then Jesus told them not to pack any clothes. Hopefully, they knew enough to wear clothes on their journey. This was a short term deal – don’t quit your day job!

In addition, Jesus told them to stick with one host in the place they found themselves instead of moving around. He knew that if an offer to stay in nicer accommodations came along, they might be tempted to take the bait. But doing so would likely hurt the feelings of the original host. Since relationships are everything, giving in to nicer digs carries a higher price than it appears.

We in the US often get lured into the Bigger Better Deal (BBD) syndrome, where we abandon what we have for something we think is bigger and better. We tell ourselves the grass is greener, but then discover the grass is really full of weeds, or synthetic. In our pursuit of the BBD, we sometimes hurt core relationships we are called to minister within.

Question: Have you ever “improved” your life at the expense of someone else? Have you ever discovered weeds or synthetic grass too late?

Finally, Jesus told them to shake the dust off their sandals if the blessings they came to give were flatly rejected. Jesus is saying here, “Give it your best shot. Be me as best you can. If people throw it back in your face, let it go. Their decision is not about you. Let it go and move on.”

Question: When have you had a hard time letting go when you’ve tried hard to be an agent of grace? What kept you holding on? Why is it hard sometimes to let go? What value is there in shaking dust off your sandals?

Question: What keeps you from embracing the power and authority entrusted to you?

So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick.


When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida. But the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. He welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, and he healed those who were sick.


Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to him and said, “Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.” Luke 9:6, 10-12 NLT

The disciples evidence their very human qualities here. Even though they just came back from an incredible experience of God’s might, they suddenly don’t think in terms of faith, but shrink away from it. They shift from power to cower. They immediately began to focus on what they didn’t have and what they couldn’t do rather than on what may be possible and who was with them.

Our tendency is to focus on our limitations more than our potential. We can’t afford it. We don’t have enough. There’s nothing we can do about it. But this is not how Jesus focused his attention. He embodied the Way of God wherever he went. In God, there is always enough, there is always joy, there is always hope. When we live outside the Way of God, we tend to become whiners and complainers.

Question: Can you think of such a contrast in your life, where in one moment you were full of faith, and in the next you cowered? Why?

But Jesus said, “You feed them.”


“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?” For there were about 5,000 men there.


Jesus replied, “Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each.” So the people all sat down. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers! Luke 9:13-17 NLT

Which would be the greater miracle:
a) Jesus miraculously multiplying food for many?
b) A crowd sharing their food with strangers?

If we lived in a third world environment, we would be wondering when our next meal might come, if at all. We would be looking at wealthy nations where the majority of its people are overweight, and wonder why such an inequity exists. We might even harbor anger toward such countries, mixed with jealousy and envy. We would think, “If only they would share…”

Maybe both miracles can happen today. Maybe in praying, the Spirit of God can produce far more than we ever imagined. And maybe through praying and modeling, we can inspire others with our example to be generous in a world in need. Maybe in modeling good stewardship, others might follow, and healing on many levels would commence.

Could it be that you have great impact potential?

Could it be that your lifestyle inspires?

Could it be that your prayers move mountains?

Could it be that God can use you for great good?

Could it be that being used by God deliver life’s best?

Could it be that God has really empowered you

To be agents of

spiritual, emotional, and physical healing?

It’s time to wake up…

Question: What question has struck you most in this blog, and in the list above?

Question: What are you going to do now?

Intentionally Stepping In It

This week, I offer you three stories, with some observations on the way. As you read, think on two levels. First, consider how you, right now, are looking for God’s continued restoration work in your life. The way Jesus – as God-in-the-flesh – operated then is how God operates now. Take heart in the beauty of God’s approach to restoring you. Second, read with the eye of a disciple. We are called not to simply enjoy God’s redemption for ourselves, but to be used of God in the redemptive process of others.

Jesus and the Roman Officer (Luke 7:1-10 NLT)
When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people, he returned to Capernaum. At that time the highly valued slave of a Roman officer was sick and near death. When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave. So they earnestly begged Jesus to help the man. “If anyone deserves your help, he does,” they said, “for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us.”

So Jesus went with them.

Note: God looks beyond our associations and affiliations. God really doesn’t care about your politics, and loves you regardless of how important you think they are.

But just before they arrived at the house, the officer sent some friends to say, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself by coming to my home, for I am not worthy of such an honor. I am not even worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!”

Note: God affirms what you’ve learned so far and builds on it. God builds on what you’ve learned so far – God doesn’t ridicule you regarding your ignorance.

And when the officer’s friends returned to his house, they found the slave completely healed.

Note: God will meet the need, but do we trust him to lead? Do we really allow God to be God? Can we trust God to be good?

Jesus and the Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11-19 NLT)

As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

Note: God sees you as more than your label. No matter how others have devalued you, or how much you have devalued yourself, your value has never changed with God – you are precious in his sight.

He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

Note: God offer healing through the journey. Are we willing to take steps toward healing, or do we only allow God to heal us on our own terms?

One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”

Note: God personally blesses those who return thanks. Those who honor their relationship with God experience a relationship with God.

Jesus and the Homeless, Naked, Demon-Possessed Cemetery Dweller (Luke 8:26-39 NLT)

So they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee. As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in a cemetery outside the town.

Note: God moves into your territory. God lives in Vallejo as much as Napa; in Iraq as much as the US. But not Ireland. God hates the Irish. Just kidding!

As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Then he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had already commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. This spirit had often taken control of the man. Even when he was placed under guard and put in chains and shackles, he simply broke them and rushed out into the wilderness, completely under the demon’s power.

Note: God is at work before you even know it. God builds many exits off the expressway to destruction – lots of orchestration for our redemption before we are aware.

Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he replied, for he was filled with many demons. The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit.

Note: God calls us to name the problem because identifying it helps us conquer and avoid it in the future.

There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby, and the demons begged him to let them enter into the pigs.

So Jesus gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned.

Note: God doesn’t value the symbols of your bondage. Be willing to let go of your substitute god.

When the herdsmen saw it, they fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran.  People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.  Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed.  And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them.

So Jesus returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake.  The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying,  “No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.

Note: God wants us to tell people what God has done for them. How else will they hear?

Think…

1.  Where are you seeking God’s redemption in your life?

2.  In which of the following statements are you most confident? Least confident? Why are you confident in some of the truths and not others? 

• God looks beyond our associations and affiliations.
• God affirms what you’ve learned so far and builds on it.
• God will meet the need if we trust him to lead.
• God sees you as more than your label.
• God offers healing through the journey.
• God personally blesses those who return thanks.
• God moves into your territory.
• God is at work before you even know it.
• God calls us to name the problem.
• God doesn’t value the symbols of your bondage.
• God wants us to tell people what God has done for them.

3.  In light of the above, how will you allow God to move forward in restoring you to greater life?

4.  When you Go Be Jesus, which of the following statements reflect you? Which ones don’t? Why do some reflect you more than others?

• Do I tell people what God has done for me?
• Do I look beyond associations and affiliations and simply see people?
• Do I affirm what’s been learned so far and build on it?
• Do I encourage people to trust that God will meet the need if we trust him to lead?
• Do I see people as more than their label?
• Do I help walk people through the journey of healing?
• Do I honor people who show gratitude?
• Do I move into uncomfortable territory?
• Do I live to bless others long before others recognize it?
• Do I help people identify their problems so that they can address them?
• Do I help people become free from the symbols of their bondage?
• Do I tell people what God has done for me, and encourage them to do the same?

5.  In light of all of this, how will you Go Be Jesus this week?

Walking Across the Line

We’re all inherently selfish… When we are born, the first thing we do is complain about our surroundings. We don’t have any problem letting everyone know that we are not happy. Screaming as loud as we can is our way of looking out for number one, right from day one. Looking out for number one is a very natural way of life in the Western world, and especially in the US, where individual freedoms are built into our country’s very foundation. It may surprise you to hear that looking out for number one is biblical, and even modeled by Jesus. Several times he withdrew to a quiet place to recharge, think, and pray. He needed rest, and he wasn’t apologetic about taking it as needed.

 

A new version of looking out for number one… What babies don’t realize when they let out their first scream is that they are doing more than registering a complaint. They are doing something that is actually helping them get a healthy start. The wail from the pit of hell they let loose helps them physically by clearing their entire air passage of all the guck from the womb. Guck is the scientific term for the fluid a pregnant mother’s belly – look it up. Looking out for number one with a scream is actually music to the ears of the parents, doctors and nurses in the delivery room – it lets us know the baby is actually breathing well. Of course, the baby doesn’t know that their howl is doing anything for anyone else, and is not at all clear about the benefits of screaming offers for personal health. But the reality is, the screaming promotes health for everyone involved.

 

There may be something to learn here. Maybe when we think about looking after number one – our natural tendency, we need to consider that part of that is taking our surroundings into consideration. Maybe if our view of looking after number one is too narrow, we might end up actually hurting ourselves inadvertently.

 

So, you drive a car. You like the fact that it gets you from point A to B. Especially if one of those points is a place you like to go, like a movie, or a restaurant, or your church (of course!). But one place you don’t like to go is the mechanic. They’re know-it-alls, of course, and who likes that? They have crazy ideas like: you should change your oil more than once every few years; your brakes need to be replaced or you’ll probably run into someone or something; and, if you don’t get your front end aligned, you’re going to keep wearing out your tires prematurely, which will costs you hundreds and hundreds of more dollars than you need to spend. The truth is, however, if we don’t take care of our cars, they aren’t going to take care of us. Eventually, our looking out too narrowly for number one (not servicing our car) will come back to bite us.

 

But it’s not just about cars. It’s everything. If we don’t realize that looking out for number one requires looking out for numbers two, three, four and the millions after that, our happiness is short lived. Our joy is only going to be momentary, because we will find ourselves frustrated, angry, and disappointed that the world around us is getting in the way of our pursuit of happiness.

 

We are connected to every other person on the planet. And we are connected to the planet. Neglecting the relational environments we live in – not giving any attention to the needs around us that don’t fit our scope of looking out for number one – is like dumping your used motor oil out on the ground right above your well, or into the reservoir that provides water for the treatment plant. Neglecting the natural environment because it doesn’t fit our scope of looking out for number one is as stupid as insulting your employer to his face and behind his back day after day, expecting no consequences. Both myopic approaches result in an isolated, miserable life.

 

Could it be that looking out for all that is around us is an integral part of looking out for number one?

 

How Jesus modeled loving the situation… There are three great stories about how Jesus modeled this very thing. Jesus was a man on a mission – he knew why he was alive, and knew what his calling was on earth. In one instance (Luke 7:11-17), Jesus was passing through a village called Nain, when he came across a funeral procession for a boy – the only son of his widowed mother. If you were a woman living back in those times, the way you looked out for number one was to look out for a man who could provide for you. First a husband, and then a son. Both of her men died. Her hope was dashed, her heart was broken, and her future was bleak. Jesus stopped the procession, and brought the boy back to life. This was more than a display of miraculous power. This was Jesus looking out for those in his path. He saw hopeless, knew how to bring hope back in a way the widow would receive it, had the power to do something, and did it. Looking out for number one – Jesus’ purpose in life – meant that he looked out for those in his path.

 

Another time, a leader in the local synagogue rushed to Jesus, pleading for help for his ailing young daughter. Jesus agreed to go see her, but on the way was touched by a woman seeking healing for many years. She literally touched his robe in hopes that healing power would make her bleeding condition cease. Jesus knew that such bleeding was keeping her from community, from worship, from life. So, he affirmed her faith and she found herself well. An unexpected delay en route to helping a little girl (what was the girl’s father thinking of this interruption?). Once back on track, a messenger came to tell the father and Jesus that the girl had died. The father’s heart no doubt sunk. Jesus saw the situation, could see what he could do to restore hope in a way that the father could understand it, and went forward. He healed the girl, restoring her life. Looking out for number one – Jesus’ purpose in life – meant he looked out for those in his path.

 

Earlier in his ministry, he intentionally went out of his way to look after others. He walked across the line of his faith into Samaria – a land despised by his fellow countrymen. There he met a woman at well in the heat of the day. He opened up a conversation with her – way out of cultural norms. He discovered that she was a woman who had experienced a really, really rough life. She was alone, and had little hope in her life. Her heart had a pulse, but nothing to really beat for. Jesus saw the need, had something to offer, and gave it to her. In this case, it was encouragement and honor – she was the first to hear from his lips that he was the long-awaited Messiah. How fully did that restore her? Enough to cause her to run back to the village that probably despised her, tell them about Jesus, and bring them all back to meet him. Her life was restored. Looking out for number one – Jesus’ purpose in life – meant he looked out for those in his path.

 

If you really want to look out for number one, look out for everybody else, too.

 

Who decides if love was shared… Wally was married to Tilly. He was in hot water, but didn’t know why. He had done his best to express his love to her. He was always doing acts of service for her – cleaning the house, tending to the garden, keeping her car spotless, taking care of laundry, and doing the dishes. Then one night, Tilly exploded with anger. The core of what she was saying cut Wally to his heart. She wondered if he even loved her! What!? But look at all the stuff I’ve done to show you my love!

 

Gert was married to Glen. Gert was in hot water, but she couldn’t figure out why. She had done her best to show her love to Glen, spending every chance she got by his side. They really had a lot of quality time together. But one evening, Glen exploded in anger. What hurt Gert the most was that Glen wondered if she even loved him anymore.

 

The conflict in both of these relationships was rooted in a language barrier. Gary Smalley suggests that there are five primary love languages: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Physical Touch, and Acts of Service. Often, people in relationships don’t operate with the same love language, but love their significant other in the way they want to be loved. Wally’s love language was Acts of Service, but Tilly’s was Quality Time. While Wally was showing his love to Tilly by doing endless chores, Tilly was getting steamed wondering why he was avoiding spending Quality Time with her. Gert’s love language was Quality Time. Glen’s love language was Physical Touch. After countless hours of deep conversations and romantic walks, Glen was feeling pretty put off when he never got any Physical Touch with his wife. The point? It doesn’t matter, really, if you think you’re showing love. What matters is if the person you are wanting to show love towards feels loved.

 

When we consider looking out for number one by looking out for others as well, being as Jesus wherever we find ourselves, we are challenged to get beyond our own language for love and service, and consider what our recipient’s needs. Jesus didn’t offer a popsicle to the widow at the funeral, he offered her hope that would restore her. The bleeding woman didn’t receive a coupon for a free cup of coffee – she got her life back. The father of the little girl saw his hope restored. And the Samaritan woman at the well experienced personal and community redemption. Jesus showed them love in ways they could appreciate, not just in ways he thought would be lovely.

 

As you move into a new week looking out for number one, how are you going to really do that? Are you going to broaden your scope beyond your nose? How are you going to love those you encounter in ways they feel respected, honored, and valued – all things that are stepping stones to redemption? May you realize that God has loved you personally and endlessly, and has shown you the path to life at its best – a life that does look out for number one, but does so by looking out for others at the same time.

 

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.

Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that come from God.

Think…

1. Where do you draw the line when it comes to giving to someone else (money, time, help, etc.)?
2. What keeps you from being more other-oriented?
3. How were you taught about giving to others? Were they right?
4. Where do you draw the line when it comes to looking out for number one? When do you say, “I’ve got enough – time to give some away”?
5. How did Jesus love in ways they recipients felt loved?
6. How do we sometimes love in ways that are not received as lovely?
7. What is your love language? Is that your primary way of showing love as well? How’s that working for you?
8. Who is your sphere will you show love to this week that you normally would not? How will you do it?
9. Is inviting someone to CrossWalk an act of love?