To continue the conversation regarding loving others on purpose (LOOP), I want to share three thoughts that will give us immediate feedback on our motives and intentions.
While we looked at living with COURAGOSITY last week, and considered acting with generous courage for the sake of another, we didn’t stray too far from the typical definition of love. This week, however, I want to look at an element of the same cloth but through a different lens. It is still denying self, but it is a lot less heroic than a single act of courage and self-sacrifice. And these stories don’t get told with the same celebratory notoriety.
And to help us understand the gravity of them, I want to tell you a story.
Joseph had a very difficult family situation. He was the second youngest of twelve brothers and was put in position early on to earnt he disdain of his brothers. He spoke carelessly the things he was hearing from God to his brothers and they couldn’t stand it. They abused him and left him for dead, selling him to slavery. Then they told Jacob, their dad, that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.
In the decades that followed, Joseph rose to position in the Egyptian household and leadership. But then he was wrongfully accused and thrown in jail. Then, once again rose from the depths to power. He was elevated to the top, second to only the King. Because of the famine present in his homeland, his brothers came to him (without recognizing him at first) for food and government assistance. Joseph could have had them killed but chose to extend grace. He had a different attitude than anyone could have expected. How? Why? For what?
(Read full story in Genesis 37-50)
Eckhart Tolle, a German author, speaker, and spiritual teacher, once said, “The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation, but your thoughts about it.” Jospeh said to his wary brothers that what they meant for evil, God used for good. The word in the Hebrew is chasab (khaw-shab’) which literally means to weave into fabric. So, then, we must think that MINDSET is the MASTER of our MOVEMENT; meaning that our mentality determines where we go, how we live, and the quality of our lives.
Here are 3 thoughts about Love from our story for us that are not written in any Hallmark cards or typical poetry lyrics:
Love is NEVER using our power, position, or privilege to belittle or breakdown others. Galatians 5 tells us not to use our freedom to do whatever pleases our self. But serve each other in love.
Love is RELEASING our right to avenge the injustice, get revenge on our offender, or come unhinged towards the responsible party. Am I in the place of God? This was the question Joseph posed as his brothers fully anticipated to receive his wrath. In this rhetorical question we simply need to remember that we are NOT God. The very fact that we were born, require sleep while we live, and will die are indicators and reminders of this very thing! Therefore, we can trust God to exact justice. Plus the Avengers are already full and the Justice League doesn’t need our help.
Love is SEEKING the good of others. There’s not more to that sentence or qualifications that we need in order live into that. Philippians 2 tells us to “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourself. We should have the same attitude as Christ.”
As we wrap up the second week of this series, I think its appropriate to not only consider these three truths about love and how they apply to our lives, but also ask ourselves this question in whatever situation we’re currently facing or wrestling with.
Is this something I would want – either done to me, given to me, or have happen to me? Scripture is clear that we should do to others as we would have them do to us and we are to Love our neighbor as ourselves. (Matt 7:12; 22:39)
#LoveIsNotGlamorous
#HappinessIsMental
#FruitOfTheLOOP
#RestoringWholenessOfLife
Brett
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