Basics part 5
We just get distracted. I think that's one of the biggest Spiritual problems in the world. We know the truth, and the truth has set us free, and made us free. But we don't act like we're free. We let things that don't have any power at all... have power over us. We get so caught up in what's going on around us, that we forget what (WHO) lives inside us. And then, because we're focused on what's without, we try to get things FROM without. Which is a problem because, as I always say, love is never about getting. Because love IS giving. And that's about as basic as it gets. Love is giving everything you have and everything you are. Love is giving your life for your friends. And as we approach the Christmas season, its so important that we have our priorties straight. Not getting. Giving. 'Tis the season of love. And by "season" I mean all of the time. Loving all people all of the time. That's what makes us truly alive. Because to live is to love and to love is to live. Love is what makes the abundant life of God abundant. So when we talk about living out of our abundance--if you have two coats, and you see someone without a coat, give them one of yours. See a need and meet it--when we talk about living out of our abundance, we are talking about living out of love. Giving what we've got instead of always trying to get something we haven't got. And isn't it ironic that we try to get what we (think we) haven't got by being someone that we're not? That's such a receipe for disaster. Because you are who you are. When the chips are down you do what its in your nature to do. We live from the inside out, whether we know it or not. What we believe is inside comes out. If we are hurt... we hurt people. If we are loved... we love people. But my point for today, as I wrap up this Rant series, is that its very important--vitally important--that we get back to basics. That we focus on what's really important. That we don't let ourselves get distracted. I'll do one memory verse to try to bring this thing home. "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2). And I think one of the most important words in that verse is "set." Its a conscious decision to major on the majors and minor on the minors. To make sure that we give importance to the right things. Because things are only important if you make them important. And, like I said at the beginning of this Rant, its easy to get distracted. To make mountains out of molehills. To give power to things that have no power. Because God is all powerful. Which means love is all powerful. Which doesn't mean "most" powerful. It means love has all of the power. Love IS all of the power. And nothing else matters. But don't get me wrong: What you love is what matters. Because by loving it you MAKE it matter. And I've always said there are only two important things in the world: God and people. Loving God and loving people. Loving God BY loving people. Letting God love us until that love overflows out of us like a river of living water. And that river quenches the thirst of anybody it comes close to. Because we all need love. And love is all we need. That's about as basic as it gets. We are loved. We can love. We ought to love. We ARE love! Focus on that, and everything else falls into place.