A True Type of Love

By: Emily Lehner

Ed Welch states in his book When People are Big and God is Small, “Our problem is that we need people for ourselves more than we love them for the glory of God.”

At the end of Matthew chapter 13, Jesus returns to His hometown to teach the people in the synagogue there. The crowds are first astonished by His “wisdom and mighty works” (v. 54). The people are amazed by Jesus, but then we read in verse 57 that the crowds became offended. This passage allows us to see a true definition of love that is displayed by Jesus.

Loving someone doesn’t include agreeing with their views or actions. The world tells us that we do not truly love others if we don’t agree with them. The loving Christian must find the route of true love. True love is not shy. True love is not cowardly. Loving someone means you desire for them to have a deeper relationship with Christ regardless of whether they favor you in the end or not. Like Welch said in the quote above, we cannot desire approval from humankind so much that we choose to remain quiet in moments where we are presented with the opportunity to share The Truth.

The people of Jesus’ hometown were offended by Jesus’ teaching of Scripture. The crowds included members of Jesus’ family. We see Jesus display this type of love that transcends what we know as love today. He cared more about their eternity in heaven than He did about their approval of Him, and because of His full humanness, it hurt Him as it would us. Jesus probably wanted His family and friends to favor Him, but He knew that telling them the truth of the kingdom was an action that outweighed His own desires.

Jesus chose to truly love these people. He selflessly dismissed the desire for affirmation and spoke truth instead. The world will tell you to remain quiet. It will tell you that being favored by the world is of supreme importance. Some churches are even sending this message too. This leads to selfish love that only gives to receive. Our mission on this earth is not to receive as much love as we can, but instead to show the world a love that transcends the worldly definition of love: a kind of love that leads back to The Father always.

As Christians, it is important to live as Jesus did: a life of showing love in grace AND truth. I encourage you to love those around you more than you need them.

 

This devotion was inspired by Pastor Mark Biehl of Upland Community Church.

 

 

Written by Emily Lehner, writer for the Alumni Center and a sophomore Writing major at IWU. She is active on the cross country and track teams. She is passionate about using her writing skills to share the good news of Christ with others and writes often on her personal blog at www.emilylehner.wordpress.com.

Living Apart from the World

By: Emily Lehner

I am not sure if the warm weather is here to stay, but it certainly is visiting for a few days. After braving the below freezing weather for the last week, it is relieving to be able to enjoy a walk across campus instead of sprinting from building to building. I am sure that we still can expect some cold weather again, but I try not to let that influence the joy I am experiencing now.

‭Philippians‬ ‭4:4‬ says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” This verse commands us to rejoice, and not only do we need to rejoice, but we must rejoice in The Lord, and we must do it always.

We cannot let the things happening in the world around us prevent us from rejoicing in The Lord. Joy in The Lord is what separates us from the world. To non-believers, it is a glimpse at what being a Christian means. It represents the hope and satisfaction we receive, knowing that Christ is solid ground for us in every moment.

Joy is difficult. It is contrary to our nature and rarely is it our first instinct. For these reasons, having joy is intentional and essential to our well-being and relationship with Christ. Joy gives us the ability to learn more about the character of Christ.

I encourage you to think about where in your life you could be more joyful. Think often about how joyful it is to have a Father who embodies the fruits of the spirit even when those around us here on Earth and we, ourselves, do not. Joy can lead to grace, peace, and hopefulness if you allow it.

Plant the seed of joy in your heart today, and give it water and sunlight to grow. Rejoice in The Lord, because there is nothing more joyful than the opportunity to be in relationship with The Savior of the Universe.

 

Written by Emily Lehner, writer for the Alumni Center and a sophomore Writing major at IWU. She is active on the cross country and track teams. She is passionate about using her writing skills to share the good news of Christ with others and writes often on her personal blog at www.emilylehner.wordpress.com.

The Importance of Being an Intentional Tree This Year

By: Emily Lehner

Happy New Year! I have seen and heard many of my friends discuss how they have chosen a certain word to represent their 2017 year. Words chosen include “thrive” or “seek.” With these examples in mind, I took some time to discuss what I possibly wanted my word for this year to be. I discussed the idea with my fiance, and he came up with the word “committed.” At the time, I did not think much about it. I agreed it was a good word for more than one reason. 2017 has the chance to be a whirlwind of change, and what better to balance this season than commitment.

Scripture talks about commitment. It says to commit our ways (Psalm 37:5) and our work (Proverbs 16:3) to the Lord. 2 Timothy 4 compares commitment to running a race and stresses the importance of finishing the race. It shares how important commitment is in a relationship with Christ. I don’t think I truly had taken the time to reflect on what being committed could look like in my life.

At the beginning of one of my writing classes, my professor, Dr. Mary Trent, read Psalm 1:1-3. Verse 3 says, “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruits in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” These verses talk about two things I want to highlight. The first is the importance of being planted. The second, however, is much more crucial. You not only need to be planted, but be planted near streams of water. You must be planted, or committed, to your relationship with Christ. He is the ever-flowing stream of water you need for survival.

Being committed to your relationship with Christ is like being a tree planted by water. Planting yourself by water is essential to strengthen you and help you grow closer to God. However, it isn’t always easy to live out a metaphor in your everyday life. We have to understand what it means to be committed, to give our ways and thoughts to God. Galatians 2:20 states, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Living a life for Christ looks different than living a life for the world. It is a life of seeking God’s wisdom and counsel daily.  It is disciplining your mind to recognize when you are straying and sinful and returning to God humbly in these moments. It is making time to spend with Christ in the midst of what seems to be eternal chaos and stress. This type of life is slow to speak, slow to anger, and quick to listen to what others and God have to say (James 1:19). A committed person recognizes their gifts and decides to use them faithfully to glorify Christ.

How committed are you? Are you a tree planted by water or struggling to root yourself deeply in all God has to offer for you? I encourage you to ask yourself this question. Examine your actions and behaviors and always be seeking ways to learn more about God and all of his wonderful characteristics.

 

Written by Emily Lehner, writer for the Alumni Center and a sophomore Writing major at IWU. She is active on the cross country and track teams. She is passionate about using her writing skills to share the good news of Christ with others and writes often on her personal blog at www.emilylehner.wordpress.com.