“Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.” -1 Samuel 18:1 (NIV)

Moths are notorious for devouring clothing. Certain species of them are known to eat anything made out of materials such as wool or silk. Should an entire swarm of moths enter a closet stacked with clothes or a room full of textiles, they will feast with devastating results. Beautiful silk garments and intricately woven clothes of wool will become riddled with holes, if not completely eaten. Carpets and rugs of flawless design can become unravelled within minutes under the swarm’s voracious appetite. That is why we place mothballs in our clothes to prevent them from causing destruction as a result of their hunger. Producing a vapour that is lethal to moths, these mothballs do not allow any opportunity for a hungry moth to feast; thereby safeguarding the clothes and keeping them intact.

The King James Version beautifully renders 1 Samuel 18:1. Describing the friendship between Jonathan and David it states that “…the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” When we form friendships, we have not only allowed our lives to intersect with each other, but our very souls have become tied together like how threads are woven together in a garment. That is why it is so tragic when relationships fall apart because those threads of closeness once shared between friends have been abruptly severed. Like moths, sin will destroy the very fabric of our relationships if we have allowed it to wreak havoc in our lives. The only way we can prevent sin from causing our relationships to crumble is when we have allowed the love of Christ to transform our hearts. When His Spirit comes to dwell within us and we submit ourselves to Him, He will work out His love and righteousness within us. His presence will act like mothballs for when we choose to remain in Him there can be no room for sin to rear its head; protecting our relationships from destruction so that He may use us to pour life into the people we come in contact with.

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.

“He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who builds a high gate invites destruction.” –Proverbs 17:19 (NIV)

It seems to be a universal fact that little boys are fascinated with bugs. I was no exception to this rule. One day as I was playing outside on a bright summer’s day, I came across an ant colony and a small stick. As I saw the ants hard at work, my inquisitive mind asked what would happen if I placed the stick inside the hole. I grabbed the stick and plunged it down into the ant colony. Nothing happened. It must be noted that my inquisitive mind was also a mischievous one, and I thought it would be a good idea to keep ramming the stick down the hole. To my horror I found a swarm of angry ants, and quite a few with wings, pouring up out from the hole wanting to know who was destroying their home. Terrified I dropped the stick and ran, my lesson duly learnt.

While we may know that it is probably not a good idea to agitate insects, or any other wildlife for that matter, sometimes it seems that this lesson does not apply in our interactions with others. Too often we use our words and actions to provoke others and cause unnecessary arguments. Why do we do this? The answer is found deep in our flawed human nature. Our pride loves opportunities where we can bring glory to ourselves. That is why pride is often what sparks arguments, because in quarrels we have the chance to prove to others that we are somehow superior or better than them. But if such an attitude has taken root in our minds, we will only reap destruction and misery as our stubborn pride tears cherished relationships apart. Our only hope to be spared from such a fate is when we have allowed Christ to be at the centre of our lives. When His Spirit has infiltrated every area of our being and we have submitted ourselves wholly to Him, He will teach us to be humble so that His love may overflow from within us; bringing life to our relationships and healing to the broken.

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.

“A friend loves at all times,”- Proverbs 17:17a (NIV)

The beautiful thing about friendship is that it is timeless. Even if close friends have been separated by time and distance, the love and bond between them still remains. God has blessed me with such friendships and my prayer is that I will be a good friend to the ones He has given me. But friendships can often be fragile, and it is tragic when friends part under unpleasant circumstances. When harmful attitudes such as anger, jealousy, or impatience seep into the minds of friends even the most trivial of offences can separate the strongest of bonds. The consequences of allowing these attitudes to infiltrate our minds are painful and as we look back on the memories of broken friendships we are filled with regret wondering if things could have been different if we had simply not taken the steps we took.

All of us are but humans and as such we have been tainted by sin. Due to our fallen state, it is easy for us to give into harmful and destructive attitudes. Sin tells us that we must always glorify ourselves and insist on having our way at all costs. But in reality when we place ourselves before others, we have actually bowed our knee to sin and allowed it to sever our relationship with God and with those we care about. How then can we make sure that sin does not get in the way of our relationships?  The truth is that we can do nothing about it by ourselves, but only by the power of Christ working within us. When we have allowed His Spirit to enter our hearts and seek to conform ourselves to Him in our attitudes and actions, He will carry out his restorative work in our lives. As we turn our face to Him and away from ourselves, He will train us in His love so that His love will overflow from our hearts and into the lives of others. Bearing with one another in love is something that only Christ can help us accomplish and when we choose to abide in Christ, He will order our friendships so that life may abound and hearts be turned to Him.

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.

“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” –John 13:35 (NIV)

Studying church history is quite fascinating. Yet it is also interesting to learn just how many times the church had to overcome factionalism in its history. Even from its early days the church had to deal with discord and schisms which erupted within its ranks on more than one occasion. Some of these disagreements even turned violent, and were in most cases motivated by personal or political reasons. As I read through the annals of church history I sometimes wonder whether I am reading about the same people who have been called by Christ Himself to love one another just as how He has loved us. It is no wonder that the disparity between the example of Christ and the behaviour of His children at times has become a source of confusion for many; prompting us to ask the question why does this happen?

If one thing can be said of the church it is that it has not survived for over two millennia because of the efforts of man. On the contrary it is because of the love of Christ and the grace which He shows to His church that it still stands strong today. The truth of the matter is that every single human being on this Earth is fallen. It is our pride embedded within us which leads us into sin and compels us to become embittered and fight against our fellow man. However, Christ came so that through Him our fallen nature will be cast aside and we will be restored to the people which He intended us to be. To this end He has given us a new nature through His resurrection characterized by His love and righteousness. But because we were slaves to our old nature for so long, we need to allow Christ’s Spirit residing within us to train us in our new nature and perfect His love in us. This means desiring to know Him and to know His heart by spending time reading His Word and being in His presence. Disagreements will happen, but if we choose to not keep in step with the Spirit of Christ, then factions and sin will be the result. It is only when we constantly submit ourselves in humility to Christ and allow Him to work out our His love through us that we are able to love others and maintain unity. The choice is ours. Will we allow sin to taint our witness for Christ, or will we allow Him to use us so that we may be His lights in a world which needs hope?

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.

“Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?”-Proverbs 20:6 (NIV)

Have you ever bought something that soon proved its faultiness? I know that I have on more than one occasion. Initially we are drawn to the advertisements for the product. Such endorsements attempt to convince us about how the product is perhaps the latest in cutting-edge technology, or has undergone tests which have proven its reliability when compared with other brands. However, when we have bought the product for ourselves and tried it out, it fails on us when we need it the most. We soon find that those assurances of its quality were nothing more than empty words and we lament over the fact that we have wasted our resources on something that would bound to shatter our expectations.  It is no wonder then that we are wary of advertising and take their messages with a grain of salt.

Humans, flawed through sin, prove to be untrustworthy more than they like to give themselves credit. They may advertise themselves as being faithful and claim to have that unfailing love which we seek. Thinking that we can place our trust in them, we now depend that they will put their words into action. Yet when we need them the most, we find that they have failed to deliver on their assurances in our critical hour. Like one who has found out the flaws in a product advertised to be flawless, we mourn over the fact that we have been deceived and wonder if there is anyone out there who is steadfast in his love. Before we give into despair, the truth is that there is such a person. Christ has shown His unfailing love for us through His death on the cross for our sins and assures us that He will always remain faithful when we call upon Him. He is God and thus He is perfect in His love and faithfulness. When we have allowed Christ’s Spirit to reign in our hearts and surrender every area of our lives to Him, we will experience His love and be strengthened in Him as He uses our lives to prove that His promise to be faithful to us are more than just words. Allowing His Spirit to perfect his restorative work in us, He will train us to act in perfect love and steadfastness. Through Him we will be refreshing to others and pour life into them; drawing those around us to the hope which is only available through Christ.

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.

“In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.” –Exodus 15:13 (NIV)

Children are immensely carefree. I remember my childhood being full of wonderful memories where I would be running and playing without a care in the world. Worry is almost absent from a child in large part because of total dependence on their parents. This also makes them extremely trusting. A child does not question where his next meal comes from, nor does he have any doubts when he goes out with his parents. He knows that because his mother and father care for him deeply that they will watch over him and provide for his needs. With the assurance of knowing that the loving gaze of his parents will always be behind him, the child is able to walk confidently and without fear unquestioning in his parent’s love to guide and protect him without fail.

There is a reason as to why Jesus said that we much approach Him with the faith of a child. It means to completely surrender ourselves to Him and trust in His love. However, too often we are afraid to give ourselves entirely to Him. Perhaps we have been let down by man many times before and we equate God with that same fallibility. But if we allow our experiences with fallen man to cloud our perception of God’s love and faithfulness, we deprive ourselves from experiencing the blessings which come from abiding in Christ. We can trust God for He is perfect in His love and goodness. In Him there is no evil and He therefore can never break His word. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and carry out His work in our lives, we will know how great His love is for us. Constantly choosing to entrust every area of our lives to Him, we will be able to walk with the carefree attitude of a child as we bask in the joy knowing that God in His never-failing love will always prove Himself faithful according to His perfect will and timing.

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.

“Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away.” –Song of Solomon 8:7a (NIV)

The concept of an eternal flame has found its place in many countries around the world. Placed before memorial sites it is supposed to be a symbol honouring the legacy of fallen soldiers or representative of the nation’s commitment to remember a significant event in their history. In Japan for example, an eternal flame burns in a memorial park in Hiroshima. Being the first city to experience the horrors of nuclear warfare when it was bombed in August 1945, the eternal flame is to be extinguished only until the complete abolition of nuclear weapons has been achieved. No amount of water can put out this fire for it is constantly maintained and fuelled by propane or natural gas; thereby signifying the unwavering resolve of the people to never forget no matter the cost and work towards the goal it represents.

Is our love for others like an eternal flame? If we are truly honest, we can think of times when our love has been extinguished by the waters of anger and frustration. We allow situations to take control of our minds and snuff out our love, instead allowing our anger to rear its head. An extinguished fire cannot provide warmth and hope to other. Likewise when we have allowed our circumstances to overwhelm our love, we become cold and unable to provide that warmth which people need. It is only when Christ dwells within us that the fire of our love will keep burning despite what we face. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts, His love will overflow from within us. Nothing, neither situations nor people, will be able to prevent the love of Christ from shining forth from our lives when we seek to abide in Him. With our security rooted in Christ, He will enable His love to radiate from us regardless of what we face, bringing hope and life to others.

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.