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A True Type of Love

By: Emily Lehner

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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.

 

 

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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.

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Living Apart from the World

By: Emily Lehner

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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.

 

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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.

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The Importance of Being an Intentional Tree This Year

By: Emily Lehner

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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.

 

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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.

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Devotional: Why December 26th Brings Emptiness

By: Emily Lehner

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As I sit here, just days away from Christmas Day, I realize that I find myself reflecting more and more on the holiday season.

This time of year passes quickly, and the past few years, I have felt like I have not gotten a chance to really pause and bask in the season at all. I notice my wide-eyed, wondrous innocence slipping away. Christmas Day seems to arrive and leave so quickly, and on December 26th, I am just ready for Spring to bring warmth and green leaves. December 26th brings emptiness.

While there has been an abundance of decadent traditions that have appeared in the last few holiday seasons – Peppermint Mocha Lattes being a rather popular one- I can’t help but ask myself if these traditions compare to those of my youth, my parents’ youth and even my grandparents’ youth.

I’ve noticed myself relating these items to a successful Christmas holiday season. It is frustrating to me that when I do not experience all the Hallmark Christmas movie marathons or listen to enough Christmas music, I feel I have missed the entirety of the Christmas season.

After much reflection, I’ve concluded that the only way it is possible to feel as if you have gotten any true joy from the Christmas season is to realize that the true meaning of Christmas isn’t intended to be celebrated only in the month of December.

The true meaning of Christmas is not found within the scents of peppermint and pine, Christmas trees, presents or even Santa Claus, although these things do warm my heart. This day is a celebration of the birth of the Son of Most High, the birth of the most important person in the history of the world.

Because of the birth of Jesus, we have an opportunity to experience eternal life. This breath-taking gift brings an entirely different level of joy to the holiday season. It is a gift fit only for a king or queen, but is extended graciously and compassionately to us, the commoners.

Christmas for the Christian does not end when the radio stops playing Christmas songs or when all the presents have been opened. I challenge you to remember that God’s gift to us, the ultimate gift of his son, Jesus, is intended to be celebrated, viewed with awestruck eyes and cherished everyday of the year. After all, this gift did save our lives. His kingdom will never end (Luke 1:33), and our thankfulness shouldn’t either.

I encourage you to celebrate the wonder of Jesus every moment, not just this Christmas season!

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭2:11‬ )

Thank you, Lord, for a Christmas gift that never loses its worth and provides such an amazing example of sacrifice to us.

 

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Written by Emily Lehner, a 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.‭

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Devotional: Daniel & King Darius

By: Emily Lehner

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On Wednesdays, I volunteer at my junior high youth group. This week, we were discussing Daniel 6, or better known as Daniel in the Lion’s’ Den. I have truly realized how applicable the book of Daniel is to our country’s current situation. I want to shed some light and peace for the scenario at hand. In the midst of the recent political process, I am sure we can all benefit from this.

We see immediately that Daniel was favored by King Darius. The king placed Daniel as one of the three high officials (v. 2).

Verse 3 states, “Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.”

Daniel was a follower of Christ, placed under rule of a king who denied even the existence of Christ. Sound familiar? I think we can learn something from the way Daniel responds to King Darius.

Romans 13 says, “Let every person be subject to governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” Daniel understands the meaning of this verse. He realizes that, although he disagrees with King Darius, he is called to obey him until it relates to his faith. When King Darius signs a law that forbids worship to any god or man besides himself (v. 7-9), Daniel realizes that law is something he cannot follow.

So, Daniel went to his house, got down on his knees, prayed and gave thanks before God (v.10). When Daniel is found disobeying the new law, King Darius is distressed to hear about it. The king does everything in his power to overrule Daniel’s designated punishment, but there is nothing he can do (v. 14-15). The king found favor in Daniel. He was his highest official, soon to be appointed over the whole kingdom.

Later on, as Daniel survives the night in the lion’s den, we read of King Darius coming to know Christ. Verses 25 and 26 says, “Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: ‘Peace be multiplied to you. I make a degree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.’”

I believe we can take two key things away from Daniel’s example.

  1. Because Daniel respects, loves and serves King Darius, the king finds favor in him. This eventually leads to King Darius believing and following God. How great is that? Daniel’s actions and faithfulness to God act as examples for King Darius, and eventually, the king declares to everyone that it is worth it to follow God!
  2. We can’t change the hearts of people or our nation by ourselves. We see Daniel immediately goes into prayer. He seeks God and praises Him regardless of whether he believes the situation at hand is good. Without the miracle of surviving the lion’s den, King Darius wouldn’t have believed in God and His sovereignty.

Therefore, whether you agree with the election results or not, God is in control. He isn’t surprised by the winner, and He provides examples in Scripture that allow us to know how to respond as Christians. It is my prayer that many will come to know Christ over the course of the next four years. I pray that Donald Trump comes to know Christ. I trust that God is able to do immeasurably more than we can imagine for ourselves and for our country.

 

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Written by Emily Lehner, a 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.

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Devotional: Letting Go of Control

By: Emily Lehner

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As I am approaching the most unfamiliar season of my life thus far, marriage, I am realizing the number of decisions and choices that lie ahead for my fiancee and I are numerous. Not only does planning a wedding involve an overwhelming amount of detail that people don’t tell you about before you are engaged, but we also have to think about life after the period of engagement. We have to find a place to live, learn how to manage finances and I need to learn how to cook (cooking has never been one of my greatest skills).

On top of all of these things on my “to-do” list, I am a worrier. I worry about tomorrow, I worry about next week, and I most certainly worry about the distant future. To stop my worry-prone mind, I create a plan. I am notorious for outlining every aspect of my present and future life. On Monday, I have planned the events for the following weekend. My emotions rely solely on whether the plans I have made are accomplished, and if my intentions fail, I become rather disappointed.

Don’t get me wrong, it is good to have goals. However, the moment you stop relying on God for direction and guidance in your life, you need to reevaluate. When the goals and plans you make for your life are made without instruction from God, they are most likely going to fail. If anything, this entire season of my life has taught me that it is wrong for me to attempt to seek my own plan over God’s. It is human nature to believe that we can be successful in life apart from God.

I am recognizing that to live a joy-filled life following Christ, I must let go of control. Proverbs 3:5 states, “Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” It is important to recognize how powerful God truly is in our lives. He closes and opens doors for us according to His Will. It is important to seek Him. Seeking Him comes through prayer, reading Scripture and sometimes simply listening for Him to respond to us.

This season of life has taught me that I can’t do everything. I can’t control everything. Relying on Christ has given me so much peace and joy. It has eased my worries and allowed me to trust that whatever plan God has for me is much better than what I can create for us myself.

John 14:15 says, “If you love me, keep my commands.” So, today and everyday, I choose to love The Lord, and loving Him means seeking His plans for my life and following them. I encourage you to do the same.

 

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Written by Emily Lehner, a 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.