Love - You can't give what you ain't got.

Listening to a Greg Boyd sermon yesterday (or the day before) Greg said, "you can't give what you ain't got!"

And it struck me in several ways.

This is true to two levels: material and spiritual.

Materially, I think, is quite self explanatory.  If I don't have a dollar, I can't give a dollar. If I don't have a coat, I can't give a coat...etc.

However, spiritually, this isn't so obvious - or at least, I don't know that we act as such.  That is: we still try to give what we don't have AND we can hide the fact that we don't have it as well.

I may SAY that I have love in my heart for my fellow man, or my enemy - however, what I have is anger, or apathy or hate.  I can put a smile on my face, act nice, do all the "loving" things that I should do - but I'm not really giving love am I?

To truly GIVE love, we must HAVE love.  Which type of love?  Well, the love Jesus shows us, and expects from us.

Unfortunately, w(m)e don't always possess this love.  For many reasons: fallen world, sin, etc...you know the list.

Yet, we still try to "give" this love or make it seem that we do.  However, in reality, we know we are going through the motions.  We give to a charity for helping the homeless ("love") yet we turn around and chide and make disparaging comments about a man holding a sign on the street begging for spare change.

We say we love our enemy, yet speak ill about them with like minded company...

(this was especially true during this past election - how many people said something not so nice about Republicans/Democrats?)

Love is a funny thing because it isn't just a "feeling" it's a FORCE - we can feel it.  Deep down we know this to be true.

How often have we heard or said, "I could just FEEL the love."

Yes we FEEL love, but that isn't the best word to describe our interaction with it - we EXPERIENCE love.

People can FEEL love behind an act, just like you can hear a smile over the radio/phone.  You know it's there.

But if it isn't there...

So where do we get love?  Where does love come from that we can HAVE it and SHARE it?

Sadly, we can't just create love.  It doesn't work that way.  WE - you and I - cannot make love "out of nothing at all" as the song goes.

Only God can.

Only through Jesus can we GET love.  Get the love that we need to have and to share.  And thankfully Jesus has an endless supply so we can love freely and with wild reckless abandon!!

And that is EXACTLY what we are to do!

We are to give love FREELY and WITHOUT hesitation or restriction - and why not?  We can always get more from the source!  We will never run out because HE will never run out.

Yet we don't love that way - not always.  I certainly don't - though more and more I try to, and do, but if I am honest, I will never be perfect at it as HE is perfect at it.

But that shouldn't stop us, that should SPUR us!

On the days we have abundant love - give it away as if there is no tomorrow (for there might not be).  And when have little to no love?  Turn to the one that ALWAYS DOES.

Love can do miraculous things, but it needs to be shared, given, shown, etc.  and if we don't have it within us - we certainly cannot give it, share it, show it...

Don't have love for your enemy (or just for today)?

Jesus does and he will be more than happy to give you that love as well...

But there is a catch (isn't there always?):  we have to ask for it, and more importantly we must truly WANT it.

Jesus will not force love upon us - love doesn't act that way.  While it is a FORCE it is NOT FORCED.

We must truly want it and want to give it, share it, and show it.

Then we will see miracles happen.

Black Friday - The most selfish day of the year!

Hey, I like a great bargain just like the next guy - maybe even more so.  My two favorite words are: Free and cheap.

The clothing label I always buy: Clearance.

However, today - the deal day of deal days - is quite a different bird than being thrifty.

Let's be honest, it's about STUFF -  not the just the deals.

I have even seen some reports that say that quite a bit of the shopping done on Black Friday is not even related to Christmas - that is, while we might pick up some gifts, the majority of the deals/gifts are bought for ourselves.

And in that regard I'm guilty as charged as well.

But in the end, regardless, the day itself is a testament to our Western (material) culture.  People wait in lines, HOURS BEFORE stores open - to such a point that stores this year opened a day early!  Why not?  The shoppers would already be there, why not let them in and get their money sooner!

I'm not saying we shouldn't participate - though, it might not be a bad idea: Buy Nothing Day

I know the stores NEED this day, but is that really a good thing?  A perhaps that's a question for a different day.

Instead, what I'm offering, challenging, is simply this:  after all this shopping (regardless if it's for gifts or ourselves) let's not forget about those who are REALLY in need.

While we stand in line to get a great deal on a TV (that we really don't need), let us not neglect those who have no line to stand in for even fresh water.

No, I'm not trying to go the guilt route here (though if you do feel guilty, perhaps you should do some self-reflection as to why) but just to keep our minds in check.  Most, if not all, of what we buy today is NOT a necessity to us.

A great way to help is through World Vision.

They got lots of cool gifts you can buy that will actually help someone, in many ways.

Peace and Love

Chris

Where the heck have I been?

Been gone far too long from here...will be back soon - in  a couple of weeks with more regular posts, etc.