LonelinessWritten by Joyce C. Lock
Loneliness is everywhere around us, sometimes within us, and is often responded to with, "If you want a friend, make yourself friendly" (taken from Pr. 18:24). We gulp, give it a try, and conclude it does not work. Scripture always works when properly applied. Perhaps we are friendly for what we can get out of it (Ja. 4:3), or we take meaning too lightly. Jesus is our best model of what a friend could and should be. In all ways He has loved us, we are to love each other (Jn. 15:12). There is not much room for loneliness when our vessel is filled with love. All it takes is enough compassion to be difference (Jude 22) and, in so doing, we can not out give God (Lu. 6:38). In staying course, we may also find desires of our heart (Ps. 37:3-4) and to have both found and become a friend like Jesus. The most beautiful part being that we would have become a best friend to Jesus, caring more about desires of His heart than ours. And when we walk with Him, we are and are being made complete. Not forgetting we are also human, why not give others a break and love them anyway? Then, when they don't receive, just shake dust off your feet and try again another day. But better yet, seek those in need. It could just be that desire of their heart is same as yours ~ to have a friend like Jesus.
| | God FirstWritten by Joyce C. Lock
God first, others second, self last ... Most Christians believe that's how it should be, whether they practice it or not. Few have problems recognizing when "Me, Me, Me" gets in way, whether they care to admit it or not. But, putting others second can get very confusing in relationship to God being first. It is God who teaches us how to love others and, in so doing, we are loving Him. However, when we have a passion for caring for needs of others, you can bet Satan is looking for ways to trip us up and burn us out. Satan will use that passion against us (wherein we are being called upon, up to twenty-four hours per day, to help others in countless ways) until we find we no longer have time for God. Then, others get first place and God gets nothing. In addition, we run out of time for tending to our own spiritual needs and soon become drained, finding we no longer have anything left to give.
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