Stumbling Block part 2
It's really just about putting others first. And by "it" I mean "love." Love is never about getting. Because love is giving. Giving everything you have and everything you are. Esteeming others higher than yourself. And I know this is something of a lost art these days. Because we seem to have adopted the mindset of "I've got to do what I've got to do for me... even if it is at your expense." The Bible, however, tells a different tale. "We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fauilt with our ministry" (2 Corinthians 6:3 NLT). But I do need to point something out--you've got to stand for something, or you'll fall for anything. And as soon as you stand for something, SOMEONE will find fault with it. That's why Romans 12:18 is so important, "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." Or, in the NLT, "Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone." Talking about majoring on the majors and minoring on the minors. Talking about not making others stumble. If what you're doing--even though it makes YOU happy--hurts someone else... maybe don't do it. Or, at the very least, don't do it around them? If you're hurting someone, that's not love. Period. Love is not about getting what you want. It is about giving others what they need. We've gotten so used to having our needs met that we have started to focus almost soley and completely on our wants. But let's put that in context too. "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires" (Psalm 37:4 NLT). Which, by the way, is NOT an "if-then" statement. It's not IF you delight yourself in the Lord THEN He will give you what you desire. Because, think about it: The desire of your heart. What could that be? I'll tell you. In a Word, it is love. Your heart desires love. The only thing your heart is truly concerned with is love. And GOD is love! So delighting yourself in the Lord IS delighting yourself in love... which is the desire of your heart! This isn't telling us WHAT to do, it's telling us HOW to do it! I'm telling you, when the Bible says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35)... that's the real deal. The happiest times I've ever had in my life were when I was making someone else happy. We don't believe it, because we find it so hard to look past ourselves most of the time, but we really were created as givers. Created in the image and likeness of our heavenly Father. The God who so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son. And I'll say this about it to, the times I've been given something in my life pale in comparision to the times I've given something. I remember the reaction to a gift of love so much better than how I reacted to be given that gift. It's receiving and releasing. And, listen, you have to receive before you can release. You have to have something to give before you can give it. But we receive SO THAT we can release. We know and believe that God has given us the gift of His abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of love... and we experience that gift that we've been given by giving it away. We live our lives in a way that we don't cause others to stumble... because we are invested in them. Because we don't WANT them to stumble. We want to make sure people are ok. And that, in reality, is how we make sure WE'RE ok. Because we're all in this together. Because the tides raises all ships. When I love you, you experience love... and so do I! It's a perfect situation, and it is life as it is supposed to be!