There's a big difference between being childish and being childlike. I've Ranted and preached on it before. But I want to touch on it here before I quote my Scripture for today. Being childish is demanding to have things your own way. And throwing a fit when you don't get things your own way. Being childlike is depending completely on your parents (or in this case your heavenly Father). So one of these is counter-productive and the other one is exactly what God wants from us. Look at Matthew 18:3-4, "And he said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." You can't "adult" your way into the Kingdom. And by that I mean, you can't do it with your own wisdom, understanding, and effort. You have to simply accept--receive and release--who God is and what He has done for you. Like a child. Children don't have to earn their food, or their clothes, or their living space. Their parents provide everything for them. We need to get to a point where we depend on our heavenly Father for everything. And, listen, as an adult with responsibilites and bills, I have a job. Paul said, basically, "If you don't work you don't eat." Because when you grow out of childhood you put away childish things. Maturity. Taking care of business. But that's different than being Spiritually dependent--or humble. Knowing tha I can't do it myself and knowing that I need a Savior. I have been saved, but even in a moment I need to BE saved. Thinking I know it all, or can do it all, is pride. And as Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." When we try to walk by ourselves we stumble and fall. Its not good for man to be alone. We need each other. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of wisdom. Humbling ourselves as a child--being childlike--is the greatest thing we can do. Kingdom of God-wise. The best thing we can do is stop trying so hard and rest. Sit on Father God's lap and let things flow. We can't live Jesus' life. Nobody can live Jesus' life except Jesus. So the key is to let Him live His own life in us, and through us, and as us. The key is to stop trying and start resting. To, again, receive and release. To let what's already inside us flow out of us by knowing and believing that its in there. By doing our part, and not worrying about all the other stuff. A child doesn't try to do too much. A child just does what he's told. So let the Holy Spirit lead you and guide you. Do what's in your heart to do. And do THAT to the best of your ability. But don't be loud about it. Don't brag about it. Don't say, "Look at me!" Just go about your business and know that God exalts the humble. The more you try to get something, the harder it will be to get. But when your focus is giving what you've got... when you seek first the Kingdom... all the rest will be added unto you. Not because you're trying to get something, but because it is more blessed to give than to receive. Not because you're trying to get something, but because you already HAVE something. Something to give. Something everybody needs. Love!

Just go about your business quietly. I think that's the best way to be humble. Don't brag about it. And don't whine about it either. Just do what you can do. Don't draw attention to yourself. And, listen, its easy for me to say this as someone who doesn't like to have the spotlight on them. But I think its a sound principle regardless. Proverbs 17:28 says, "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of undertstanding." Basically, no answer is better than a wrong answer. Right? Being loud and barreling ahead often hurts more than it helps. Thinking you have all the answers just shows that you probably don't even know what the question is. But if you can just do as 1 Thessalonians 4:11 says, "And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you." Or in the Message Bible, "Stay calm; mind your own business; do your own job. You've heard all this from us before, but a reminder never hurts." Just stay in your lane. Just do what you can do. Live a quiet life where you don't HAVE to be the center of attention. Don't try to do too much. Don't try to be someone you're not. There's a line from TV show that says, "If you have to tell someone you're a king... you're not." If you have to shout it from the rooftops... who are you trying to convince? Other people... or yourself? Think about the greatest athletes. They don't go around telling people how great they are. Because they know that their performance speaks for itself. Everybody else says it about them. Those athletes that DO toot their own horns... even if they are amazing... it diminishes it. "Look at me!" Well, we already were. But now we don't want to. As much. Nobody likes to be told what to do. Nobody likes to have things forced down their throats. They'll end up choking on it and throwing it up. But a soft word of encouragement goes a long way. Little things that mean a lot. But quiet things, sometimes. Things that done to accomplish something OTHER than drawing attention. Things that are done to accomplish things that need to be done. Just taking care of business. And not expecting applause for it. Its nice to get a pat on the back. Yes. I understand that. But if that's the goal... its a bad goal. I'm sorry. If you're in it for what you can get out of it... you've missed the point. Love is never about getting. Because love IS giving. You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving. And remember that old saying, "If someone bless you, never forget it. If you bless someone, never remember it." Just do what you can do and leave it at that. Don't try to be someone you're not. Don't try to do more than you can do. Stay calm. Mind your own business. Do you own job. Secrets of life. Be humble. Don't draw attention to yourself. Live out of your abundance. See a need and meet it. But don't do it for the applause. Don't do it to get something. Do it because you have something. Give what you've got. Its what everybody needs. But be cool about it.

You were created for a purpose. And, I mean, that purpose is to be loved and to love other with that love. That's as simple as I can put it. But the way in which we love each other is unique. I love people by writing, in large part. By sharing my words on a page. Because that's who I am. I'm a writer. So if I was to say, "I'm not good enough to do what I was born to do," that's not me being humble. Being humble is not thinking less of yourself. Its simply thinking of yourself less. Its knowing that you can, and should, do that thing that makes you... you. Some people are teachers. Like... my wife, and my mom, and my other mom. And teachers need to teach. Some people are encouragers. Cheer leaders. Those people that you can go to when you are feeling down about yourself, who can pick you up. And cheer leaders need to cheer. I'm a writer. I need to write. What I'm trying to say is, once you identify that part of you that makes you you, that thing that sets you on fire and lights you up, do that thing. Not doing what you can do is not being humble. Its being... scared, probably. And there is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out fear. And being YOU, doing what you were born and created to do, is the best way for you to love people. Love is our new (true) nature. Its not something that needs to be forced. Its not something that we should be "fake it until you make it" about. Its our nature. Its natural. Its not just what we do, its who we are. So be who you are. Do what you can do. And don't worry about what you can't do. Even if people are trying to define you, or trying to tell you what you can and can't do... just do what's in your heart. Your heart will never lie to you. Your heart will never lead you astray. When the Bible says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105), that Word is Jesus. That Word is love. Love lights our path. Love tells us where to go. I always talk about doing things heartily. Doing them to the best of your ability, and doing them because they are in your heart to do them. To me, that's being humble. Staying in your lane. Doing what you can do so that GOD can elevate and exalt you. But remember, being exalted shouldn't be the goal. Loving people should. I'm convinced that loving people should be our main focus in this life. That's what life is all about. To live is to love and to love is to live. You can't have one without the other because they are the same thing. Its not hand in glove. Its the hand of love. Being humble is loving people. And you can love people in ways that maybe no one else can. Because no one else can do what you can do in the way that you can do it. To the people that God has specifically put in your life. I can't reach everybody. But maybe you can reach some of those people I can't. In ways that I can't. So don't think you're not good enough. Just make sure you're staying in your lane and doing what you were called to do. Loving in the way that you were created to love. Being who you are and doing what you can do. That's being humble. That's living to your fullest potential. That's getting the most out of life. Don't be afraid to be... you! Because you are loved. And that means you CAN love. Because that means you ARE love!

To be fair, I think the best definition of being humble is... well... "Being humble isn't about thinking less of yourself. Its just thinking about yourself less." Because you don't have to go around with the attitude of, "I'm a worm." Its ok to have self confidence--in the sense of knowing that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Look at 1 Peter 5:6-7, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." And before we even get into this, I want to say that humbling yourself in order to be exalted isn't really humbling yourself. If you have an ulterior motive then what you're doing isn't pure. This isn't a shortcut to getting exalted. If your strategy is to do something--anything!--to be exalted then you need to look at what's really going on. If you care so much about getting to the top that you're willing to step on people then you really need to cast your cares on Him. Let the Lord--let LOVE--recalibrate you. Love is never about getting. Because love IS giving. The most humble thing you can do is love someone. The most holy thing you can do... is love someone. Its all about love. And since love is giving--giving everything you have and everything you are--being humble means doing what you can do. Not having that "I'm not good enough" mindset that we're so fond of. But instead just going about your business quietly. I heard this a while back and I really liked it: "If someone blesses you, never forget it. If you bless someone, never remember it." Which is to say, be grateful. And don't hold things over people's heads. "Remember when I did blah blah blah?" Yeah, I remember. So what? So, like, I owe you now? So that wasn't a gift from the kindness of your heart? I don't think we should do things out of obligation. I think we should do things heartily--to the best of our ability and because they are in our hearts to do them. So rather than thinking less of ourselves, just make sure we aren't focused on ourselves. If we cast our cares on the Lord, because we know He cares for us, that's when we can really focus on taking care of others. Look at Philippians 2:4, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." Do you have to take care of business? Yes. Of course you do. But if you can help others... that IS taking care of business. If you're not worried--or full of care... because you've cast those cares on the Lord--about yourself, then you can see past yourself and you can look on the things of others. It is more blessed to give than to receive. Again, because love IS giving. And there is nothing more blessed than loving people. Being humble is simply esteeming others higher than yourself. Making sure others are covered. And, I'm telling you, if I'm taking care of you and you're taking care of me... neither one of us has to worry about ourselves. We're both covered! So let me end with this: Meekness (which is associated with humbleness) is not weakness. It is strength under control. And love is that strength. That power. Being humble isn't being weak. It is being secure enough to give people what you've got, because you know what you've got, and you know its worth sharing!

Love is the only thing that can truly knit us together. Love is the tie that binds. We're all in this together. Because of love. Look at John 6:44 in the Message Bible, "You're not in charge here. The Father who sent me is in charge. He draws people to me--that's the only way you'll ever come. Only then do I do my work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End." And, listen, as you know I'm not going to get into "End Time" theology. I generally claim to be a "pan millenialist." Because I believe everything will pan out in the end. I believe things work out in the end. If it hasn't worked out yet, that just means it isn't the end yet. So keep that head up and keep on keeping on. What I want to talk about tonight is Jesus doing HIS work of putting us together. Which makes sense to me when you understand that God is love. That Jesus is God in the flesh. Love in a body. Love binds us together. Jesus put us together. When He was lifted up from the earth on the cross He drew all men into Himself. And He planted Himself into all men. He is the glue that holds us together. God the Father drew us to Himself. LOVE draws us to Himself. Think about it: We run FROM God because we think He's mad at us. But we run TO things that we think will make us, or keep us, safe. That's why the revelation, the understanding, that God isn't mad AT us, He's mad ABOUT us, head over heels in love with us, is so important. It allows us to run TO Him because we know that HE (LOVE) is our safe place. And guess what: If you and I are running to the same place... we're all in this together. We can even, believe it or not, run hand in hand. Now let me say this--we don't have to. We can all go at our own pace and we shouldn't expect anybody else to be right where we are right when we're there. But at the same time, we can help each other along. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. We can help each other. We can work together to get where we're all going. Remember what I said about the quilt? One patch by itself can't cover everything. But when you knit all those patches together to make a giant quilt... let me say it like this, "And above all things have fervent chairty among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). Notice that the Bible doesn't say "a" multitude of sins. It says THE multitude of sins. All of them. Because sin is unbelief. Believing the lie that says you have to do in order to be. The lie that says you have to earn God's love. Whereas love IS the truth. The ultimate truth of the universe that says, "God is love and He loves you." God draws us to Him so that He can give Himself, express Himself, to us. He drew us all into Himself and planted Himself into all of us. He did it because He loves us. Because He wants us to be able to experience His abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life. And in order to experience that life of love... we need to know that we are loved, and we need to have something (someONE) to love. Love is an expression of God. So we need Him to express Himself to us, and in us, and through us, and as us... and we need each other to express that love to!

We're all in this together. That's the drum I keep trying to bang. We're all in this together. Knit together in love. Now look at this: "Christ brought us together through his death on the Cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility" (Ephesians 2:16 MSG). Because knowing THAT we are knit together is not as powerful as knowing HOW we got knit together. Its easy to say, "Well, we're all human." And that should be enough. But I would say its "human" nature to build walls between one human and the next. To say, "I'm this and you're that." To focus on the differences. To draw lines in the sand. So we need something to connect us. That's what I'm trying to say. We need a reason to embrace each other. And that was the cross. That was Jesus wrapping all of humanity up in Himself. Bringing us all together in Him. And then dying. Getting rid of everything that COULD separate us. And then coming back to life. But not just life... HIS life. The abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of God. The life of love that the God who IS love always wanted for us. He wanted us to experience it... so He gave it to us. That's why this idea of us having to earn things from God doesn't hold any water for me--He wanted us to have it so He gave it to us. Period. Jesus didn't just give His life FOR us... He gave it TO us. And He gave us all the same life. So that we wouldn't have to be jealous of each other, or anything like that. Everything Jesus has, everything Jesus IS, is available to us. The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His (our) hands. And knowing what we have (knowing it and believing it) is what equips and empowers us to enjoy the gift we've been given. We can share what we've got. We can give it away. And by giving it away... we knit ourselves together with love. We strengthen that bond, that connection. Not by trying to get something from each other... but by giving what we've got TO each other. Love is giving. Simple as that. You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving. A three-fold cord is not easily broken. You... me... God. Three. You... me... love. Look at Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them." Where there are at least two of us, gathered in the name of love, making that connection... that's where God is. He dwells in love because He IS love. But it takes (at least) two to tango. Someone to love, and someone to be loved. Love is an expression and you have to have someone to express yourself to. We're all in this together. Because of the cross. The reconciliation. We CAN embrace each other, because the hostility has ended. We don't have to fight WITH each other... we can fight FOR each other. We don't have to draw lines in the sand and say, "I'm on this side and you're on that said." We can all be on the same side. We can all help each other and share what we have with each other. We can truly BE in this together. Going the same way. Helping each other. Loving each other. Knit together in love. Love is that connection. Love is what binds us together. Its all about love!

A quilt isn't much of anything until all of the pieces are knit together. It takes a village to raise a child, right? Working together we can do more than if we try to go solo. We need each other. We're all in this together. Look at Colossians 2:19, "And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God." The body flows down from the Head. He is our nourishment, and our supply. Every good and perfect gift comes down form the Father of lights. God is the Father of lights... because we are the light of the world. He is our heavenly Father. He HAS supplied all our need. So instead of trying to get things from each other, we can give things to each other. When we see a need in someone else, we can fill that need. It always comes back to Luke 3:10-11, "And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise." See a need and meet it. Live out of your abundance. Because if you notice, it doesn't say, "Give someone your only coat and freeze to death." It says, "If you have two coats..." If you have more than you need... give it to someone who has need. Take care of people. Help people. But don't wreck or ruin yourself in the process. This is important. But equally important is understanding that God has given us everything we need in order to be able to help people. He has blessed us to be a blessing. We CAN help each other, because He has helped us. Look at Ephesians 4:15-16, "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." Our supply comes from the head. But we are joints of supply. We supply what we've been supplied to each other. We make increase and edify "itself," the body of Christ, in love. By loving each other we are loving ourselves. By taking care of each other we are taking care of ourselves. We can't do it all by ourselves, but if I do my part and you do your part it will all get done. Like that famous coach said, "Just do your job." I don't have to do everything. I'm not the whole quilt. I'm part of a greater whole. I may only have one coat. But I may have a grip of food. So I can share what I do have. I can live out of my abundance. Love is giving everything you have and everything you are, right? You can't give more than you have or more than you are. That's a recipe for disaster. Wearing yourself slap out isn't going to help you OR anybody else. So I guess my message tonight is: Don't try to be the whole quilt. Understand that you are knit together with others. Supply what you can supply--what you have been supplied by God. Give what you've got. Do what you can do. And don't worry about the rest of it. Don't worry about what you can't do. Just do your best and forget the rest!

We're all in this together. So we might as well try to be on the same side. The same page. And I'm not saying we need to be robots, or clones, and agree on every single thing. I'm saying we can major on the majors and minor on the minors. I'm saying we can celebrate each others' differences. We can BE different, and still have fellowship. Look at Ecclesiastes 4:12, "And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken." In the Message Bible it reads, "By yourself you're unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped." Now listen, I can see the threefold cord being the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. That's an easy one. But I can also see how we're better together. Me by myself? Pretty ok most of the time. But me knit together with you? Now we're talking. And then adding a third cord... One friend is good. Can you round up a third? I think if you're standing back to back with someone... that's powerful. But many hands make light work, right? The more the merrier. The more cords in the rope, the stronger it is. And I want to say here: Quality is more important than quantity. One good--really good--friend is worth more than a whole grip of acquaintances. Someone you can trust. Depend on. Someone you are tied to. And not tied to by guilt, or obligation. But tied to by love. Someone you're willing to give your life for, and is willing to give their life for you. That's such a rare and a precious thing. Those are the people who you really want to knit yourself to. Love everybody. Yes. Absolutely. Give what you've got. Yes. Of course. See a need and meet it. That's what love is. But I'm talking about the people that you let into your inner circle. I'm talking about the people that choose to share yourself with. All of yourself. Because a relationship can't work... listen, I know they say marraige is supposed to be 50-50. But its not. It has to be 100-100. If you're going to do something, you need to do it heartily. From the heart. Because its in your heart to do it, and to the best of your ability. Go big or go home. I guess... I think what I'm trying to say is... with this idea of knitting ourselves together in love... you still need to use some wisdom. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners." Or in the Message, "But don't fool yourselves. Don't let yourselves be poisoned by this anti-resurrection loose talk. "Bad company ruins good manners."" You CAN pull people up. I believe that. But you have to be careful to not let yourself get pulled down. So give it all you've got. But let that either be enough... or not. You can't make people do things they don't want to do. And its not your job to do so. Just get in where you fit in. Find the people that you can connect with. Find your tribe. And bind yourself to them. Knit yourself together with love. That's the strongest bond there is. That's the bond that will last. The friendships, the connections, the relationships that will last!

We're like a quilt, really. Lots of different pieces and patches that are knit together to make a blanket. Colossians 2:2, "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ." We HAVE the Comforter--the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth that leads and guides us into all truth, the truth that God is love and He loves you--and because we HAVE Him, we ARE Him. We can BE the Comforter. We can comfort each other. Because we're knit together... in love. And the part of this verse that I really like is "...the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God..." Because love, in a real sense, is a mystery. It doesn't make sense, from a natural point of view. But we have the full assurance of understanding the mystery. Which is to say: We know God loves us, and we can spend our entire everlasting, eternal, abundant, Resurrection Life letting Him show us what it means for Him to love us. Its a journey into the heart of the matter. And the heart of the matter is God's heart beating in our chests. Saying, "I love you" with every beat of His heart. Love is what knits us together. Love is what binds us together. Love is what connects us. God's love inside of us coming out of us as we know and believe that its in there. We love Him (by loving each other) because He first loved us. In order to love God we HAVE to love people. Because whatsoever we do unto the least of them we do unto Him, right? How we treat people is how we treat God. How we relate to people is how we relate to God. You can't have horrible relationships with the people in your life and think you have an amazing relationship with God. It doesn't work that way. God is love. Love is expressed to people. That's why I always say I think the only two things in life that are important--or at least that are MOST important--are God and people. Loving God and loving people. Loving God BY loving people. Using LOVE to knit ourselves together. I can't stress how important relationship is. That's the whole point of the whole thing. Its not good for man to be alone. We're all in this together. So rather than thinking "I have it all figured out, and I know more than you, so that makes me better than you," we can acknowledge the mystery. Together. We can go through this journey... together. We can take what I know, what I understand, and we can take what you know, what you understand, and we can put them together to grow together in a bigger and better understanding. And in coming together to grow in our understanding of the mystery... we strengthen that bond. Things work out better when we work together. I can't do it all alone. And I'm not supposed to. You can't do it all alone. And you're not supposed to. But together, great things can happen. A patch can't cover everything. But a quilt can cover it all. Love can cover the multitude of sins!

This is a big passage of Scripture. Not in length, but in depth. So we might roll this idea right into the next Rant series. Ready? Let's go. Romans 8:9-10, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness." In life. In death. Where you dwell. What you believe. And it all comes down to the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit. The love receptor. Because its all about love. No love... no life. Know love... know life! Love is the difference between life and death. Period. If Christ be in you the body is dead because sin is death. But sin is dead because Jesus died and rose again. There is no room in life for death. Just as 1 John 1:5 says, "This then is the message we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." How could there be darkness in light? How could there be death in life? And most people would take this idea to contrast love and hate. But when the Bible speaks about something not being in love... it speaks of fear. Love and fear. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). I think that's important. And, listen, I think in some ways hate and fear are very much the same thing. But I think what we're really talking about here is not being afraid to love. Not being afraid to put yourself out there. Not being afraid to lose what we've got by giving it away--because we know that we are connected to the unlimited source. We know, in fact and in truth, that the more we give what we've got, the more we experience what we've got. The more we have it. The love is in the giving. Because love IS giving. Its not about getting anything. Its not about losing anything. Its about sharing what we have. Sharing who we are. And we can't do that unless and until we know who we are. Unless and until we know what we've got. And let me just lay it out for you: Who we are... is Jesus. God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in our flesh. Love in our body. What we've got... is everything. God has blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in the heavenly Christ. He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. We are who we need to be. We have what we need to have. We are not in the flesh. We are in Christ. In the Spirit. Because the Spirit is in us. Because Christ is in us. We are in love, because love is in us. And because love is in us... love can come out of us. You can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. We love because God first loved us. He gave us what we needed so that we could experience His abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of love. He gave us Himself. He lives His own life in us, and through us, and as us. Christ is in us. The body is dead. The Spirit lives!