QUESTION OF THE HEART

been thinking about love lately, not because of Valentine's day though. ;) been thinking about the line, or whether there is a line, between loving without fear and guarding one's heart. all the books and talks etc about dating and relationships always cite Proverbs 4:23 - "Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life." while i appreciate that nugget of wisdom, a part of me also wonders whether one can be so concerned about guarding his/her heart that the heart begins to live in fear. because in 1 John 4:18, it says, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." conversely, if one loves people so much that the heart seems unguarded, is that necessarily a bad thing? is that not the type of love God has for us?

if Proverbs 4 is read in its entirety, it is actually a warning against allowing sin to enter the heart. so could it be that verse 23 has been taken out of context? i think there is definitely a line for guarding the heart against lust, but against love? perhaps this is only a personal misconception. but i've come to realize i live with much fear. so if i am to live completely in the love of Christ, i suppose i must also let down my guard against love - because loving people comes with the prospect of rejection and there's no getting around that. God loves us this way, Jesus loves us this way and so i must learn to love.

however, i think that loving with reckless abandon is only possible if one is grounded in the love of Christ - because He is the source of security when rejection from people hits.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
~1 John 3:16~

CALLER ID

postings have been slow as of late. it's because my brain is pretty much perpetually fried. anyway, yesterday, i was reminded again of why i love being in ministry and meeting up with the froshies every week - i learn so much from them! we were investigating 1 Samuel yesterday, talking about how Samuel came to recognize the voice of God when the student leading the discussion proposed an analogy. he said that the Bible is like caller ID on our phones. it shows us who the call is from. just as Samuel recognized God's voice when the Word of God was revealed to him, so we can recognize God's voice when we know His Word.

and so, my theme for this year continues: knowing and loving the Word of God more and more.

I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.
~Psalm 138:2~

THIS FIGHT

last night, i finished reading Safely Home by Randy Alcorn. i can honestly say that i have never been impacted by one novel as much as i've been by this one. it totally opened my eyes to the persecuted church around the world and it challenged me to think about what i really value and what i'm living for. it also gave me a glimpse of how wonderful heaven will be. it is seriously such a good book i want to make everyone i know read it! ;)

anyway, i'll post more later but i'll leave you with this poem for now.

"Prayer penetrates the hearts we cannot open,

Shields those we cannot guard,
Teaches where we cannot speak,
And comforts where our hearts have no power to soothe."

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
~Ephesians 6:18~

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE

last night at ccf, we were asked this question, "what's important to you?" being one of the first few people to share, i said that people and investing my life into them was important to me. but as more of the group shared, i realized that that wasn't what was most important to me. as far as i can think of right now, the underlying thought that shapes almost all my decisions is this: on that day, when i face my King Jesus, will i be able to look Him in the face and say, "look what i did with what You gave me! the talents, the people, the time, the knowledge, my life... look! i didn't waste any!"

today, i started reading a novel called Safely Home by Randy Alcorn. it's about the persecuted church in China and i've heard tons of good stuff about it. i'm about 20 pages in and it has already challenged me in terms of my faithfulness to God.

so if i were to answer that question again, i would say, "staying faithful to Jesus is most important to me."

Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?
~Proverbs 20:6~

...when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?
~Luke 18:8~

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

took this weekend to relax and recuperate after a frenetic month of non-stop craziness. feeling much refreshed and readier to face the next frenetic month of non-stop craziness. ;p

anyway, here's a thought for ya: we know that in the garden of Gethsemane, before being betrayed and crucified, Jesus prayed that God's will, rather than his own would be done. somehow, i think he would have prayed the same prayer the night before he chose his disciples and was told to choose Judas as one of the twelve. as a Christian, i am to emulate the example of Christ... so i must ask myself, do i have the humility and faith to choose to live by God's will even when it seems foolish to common sense?

Jesus prayed, "Father, remove this cup from me. But please, not what I want. What do you want?"
~Luke 22:42 [the Message]~

I'M ADDICTED

little-known fact of the day: the root word for addiction comes from the latin word addicine, meaning to surrender. so if my life is surrendered to Christ, can i say i'm addicted to God?

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
~Galatians 2:20~