“Make room in your hearts for us.” -2 Corinthians 7:2 (ESV)

My desk is the epitome of clutter. If it is messy on normal days, it looks three times as worse on days when I have to write papers and exams. With open books scattered everywhere and pages of articles jutting out from every possible nook and corner, it is as if a tornado tore right through my desk and left devastation in its wake. Sometimes I do not realize it myself, and it is only when I come to find a place to set my plate and eat before I work again that I realize how messy my desk really is. As I sift through the sea of books and papers to make room, I find other things which I do not need and set them aside so that I may focus on what is really important; eating in order to gain the nourishment and strength to press on and do well.

We live in an age where busyness is almost a virtue. While we must all strive for diligence in whatever we do, too often we become engrossed in our work and make ourselves busy for the sake of being busy. When we do this however, our minds become terribly cluttered and stress begins to take sway; tainting our interactions with others. It can come to a point where we become so absorbed with ourselves and what we need to get done that we lose sight of God and the people around us. Relationships are strained not only by the harmful things we say, but also when we are not with the people we love both in presence and in our hearts. To have our priorities skewed by a false diligence is to deprive ourselves of joy and to submit ourselves to a slavery that will only serve to destroy us piece by piece. It is only when we have made room in our hearts for Christ and have made keeping in step with Him our top priority that we will find a lasting peace and joy which will never be taken away. As we allow Him to order our lives, He will expose what does not need to be there in our hearts and attitudes so that room will be made for His love. When this happens we will make room for others so that through His love Christ may reveal Himself and restore those who are broken and in need of His restorative work.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

“My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.” –Ezekiel 33:31 (NIV)

Why is it patronizing to pay lip-service to someone? Most would say that it is insincere to the point of being insulting. For example, when we say “I love you” to someone, yet act towards that same person in a way that is certainly not befitting of love, then our profession of love towards that person can be called into question. If we truly did love that person, we would ensure that it is made tangible through our actions and attitudes. It is like having a computer send a message to you every morning saying that “I love you”. Since a computer cannot do anything to prove its love to you, the phrase becomes hollow and superficial. Likewise our love expressed in words is meaningless if it is not expressed in action as well, and it is this lack of demonstrated love which frustrates others.

Often we can be like that with God. Though we may listen to His Word and speak of His love, our hearts can be far away from Him. While we might claim that we love God and love those around us, perhaps they have become just words to us which have not been translated into action. But it is this duplicity which can harm our witness for Christ, and cause ourselves and others to wonder whether if our love for Him is real and genuine. Like computers who have been programmed to say “I love you” our verbal expressions of love are empty and absent of meaning if our behaviour does not show it. How then can we escape this contradiction? The only way is to completely surrender ourselves to Christ and live in obedience to Him. When we have allowed His Spirit to enter our lives and restore every area of our being, we will want to live in accordance with Him by His enabling. The best way to show our love for Christ is to pursue His righteousness always; humbly allowing Him to perfect His love in us so that no one will be able to question who reigns in our lives.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly.” –Psalm 40:10 (NIV)

Does a volcano ever hold back when it erupts? We would be hard-pressed to convince ourselves that it does. I have seen footage of major volcanic eruptions and I do not believe it to be a stretch to say that volcanoes are not of the self-conscious sort. On the contrary, a volcano is not afraid to allow the magma it has stored beneath its rocky surface to be expelled into the sky and into the surrounding area. It does not say to itself that perhaps it should hold back a little and practice some self-control. Rather, it allows its lava to overflow from within and to freely pour itself over the landscape. Granted a volcanic eruption is devastating and never pleasant. But there is much to learn from its boldness.

We as humans are so unlike volcanoes. Too often we keep things to ourselves and shy away from expressing what God has done and is doing in our lives. Perhaps we fear of becoming an eyesore to others if we show His love and tell of his righteousness, and thus we resign ourselves to going with the crowd; making sure that no one knows of the work which Christ is doing within us. But when we do this, we deprive ourselves of the chance to grow in our faith and see God at work in the lives of others. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and seek to abide with Him, He will cause His love and righteousness to overflow from within us. As Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7 “…God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love…”  His Spirit will embolden us to show His love to others, tell them of His righteousness with our lives, and speak of His faithfulness to us. Unlike a volcano, the overflow that will come from within us when we allow Christ’s Spirit to carry out His work will not destroy. Instead, it will only bring healing and life to all as He is made manifest in our words and actions.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,” –Matthew 24:12 (NIV)

Frostbite is not a pleasant thing to have. It occurs when one has had prolonged exposure to subzero temperatures without adequate protection. As a result of this exposure to the cold, the blood vessels in the body begin to constrict; preventing the heart from pumping blood to the exposed areas. If not treated in time the affected areas can develop gangrene or even fall off as the skin tissue deteriorates. Frostbite has claimed the fingers, toes, and even limbs of soldiers fighting in freezing temperatures, scientists working in the frigid polar regions of the globe, and ordinary people who simply did not prepare for the cold. That is why we dress warmly before going out into winter’s chill; so that we are protected from the consequences of frostbite.

Sin is like frostbite to our souls. It slowly creeps into our being and in the process causes love to be cut off from our lives. While it may seem tantalizing at first, Satan uses sin to deceive us into thinking that bringing glory and pleasure to ourselves is the highest good. However, while we are being deceived, our wickedness will enslave us to destructive habits which will only bring pain and misery to ourselves and to others. Just as how frostbite causes limbs to fall off, sin will make sure that love is absent from our hearts as it directs us to the worship of ourselves. But as we see ourselves crumbling piece by piece through sin’s vicious work, we wonder if there is any way we can regain what was lost. Yet the great assurance is that there is healing and restoration through Christ. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts and carry out His redemptive work in our lives, He will purge evil from our lives and clothe us in His righteousness. Through His death His blood has washed of our sin and through His resurrection we are given a new nature marked by His love. By being clothed with His Spirit and keeping in step with Him, sin will not gain a foothold and will thereby allow His love to shine brightly for all to see.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.” 2 Corinthians 12:15a (NIV)

Most people would have looked at Paul’s dedication to the Corinthian church and thought he had lost his mind. Corinth was a city mired in sexual perversions of all stripes and it earned a reputation amongst Christians and non-Christians alike as a place where deviancy thrived. Sadly, even the church of Corinth found itself entangled in the sinful and destructive pleasures of their city. Yet Paul wrote to them saying that he was willing to spend everything on them, both his resources and himself if need be. We might ask why did Paul waste his time and what little wealth he had on these depraved people. But Paul was driven by the love of God which seeks to bring restoration and life through Christ to even the vilest of sinners no matter the cost.

All of us have people in our lives we would prefer to ignore. They are like the Corinthians to us; unlovable in their unwholesome attitudes and degenerate lifestyles. Contempt, perhaps even hatred, fills our hearts whenever they come to our minds and we do not want to have anything to do with them. But if such attitudes are entrenched in our hearts, the love of God is absent from us and we are not contributing to the solution. Being resentful and scornful towards them will not help them along the path to healing. Only the love of Christ can bring hope and renewal to the lives of others. When we have allowed Christ’s Spirit to enter our hearts and transform us by His love, we will want to invest everything we have into those we have deemed unlovable. While we were covered by sin and therefore repulsive in the eyes of a holy God, in His love He reached down to us so that by His blood we are washed clean of our sins and have new life through His resurrection. Compelled by the same love through Christ’s enabling, we will sacrifice all that we have for others knowing that our Saviour did the same for us.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” –Ephesians 4:15 (NIV)

We do not like confrontation. It is messy, uncomfortable, and often creates conflicts that we would rather avoid. When faced with the destructive lifestyle or erroneous thoughts of a loved one, we may know deep down that something is amiss and want to speak up. Yet we refrain from doing so out of fear that we will create unnecessary tension and end up hurting the other person. We try to justify our silence by saying that it is an act of love; that refusing to say anything about the behaviour of the person we love is proof of our concern and sympathy for them. However, in truth it is the exact opposite. It is not an act of love to remain silent for we will simply be letting them go down a road that will bring them pain and misery.

True love will warn someone when they are going in a direction that will end with regret and despair. Such love goes beyond a simple concern for the other person’s feelings, and finds itself caring for their well-being. When driven by such love we will not cease to speak the truth to our loved ones, even if they ignore our words and find us annoying, because we do not want them to go down that path to total oblivion. However, if we try to do this on our own we will find ourselves lacking the courage to speak boldly and the wisdom to use our words well. It is only when we are enabled by Christ’s Spirit that we will find the wisdom and courage to act in love. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts and seek with humility to abide by His Spirit, we will be careful to walk according to His leading. Guided by Him we will find that He will give us the strength and tact to boldly speak the truth in love so that those who hear may find life abundant.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” -2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NIV)

When London was being bombarded by Nazi Germany during the Second World War, the city’s inhabitants would use the famous London Underground as a massive air raid shelter. As the sirens would ring throughout the city informing them that the planes of the Luftwaffe were near, the people of London would rush to the nearest subway stations for protection. There are pictures of entire families sleeping on the platforms as they waited for the bombs to stop. These underground sanctuaries kept them safe from the bombs pounding their city and they were able to rest knowing that as long as they took refuge in these subterranean shelters, they would not fear being killed. Outside the shelter death was waiting for them, but inside there was life.

Where do we turn to find protection and strength from temptation? Often to all the wrong places. If we do not willingly go forth into it, we try to seek refuge and strength in shelters that will not stand firm against the relentless assault of sin. It could be philosophies that claim to a strong moral foundation that will protect us from destroying ourselves in wickedness. Perhaps we think our own willpower will give us the strength to fight temptation and protect us from becoming ensnared. However, when temptation strikes, these shelters crumble like a building before a falling bomb. Where then can we turn to for sanctuary? It can only be found in Christ who has conquered sin and death. Through His blood the penalty for our sin is paid in full and by His resurrection we find shelter and hope in the promise of a life that is secure. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts, He will empower us by His Spirit to fight against temptation. As we walk closely with Him, rooting ourselves in His Word and allowing Christ to train us in His righteousness, we will be safe from sin and its consequences. Should we choose to remain outside Him, we will be led along the path to a death far worse than the physical. But when we choose to remain in Him, we will find life everlasting and a peace that will never be taken away.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.