“So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” -Romans 12:5 (NIV)

Our bodies are like finely tuned machines, with each part dependant on one another. Though they are diverse in appearance and function, they work together in order to carry out the many tasks the body requires. If even one part of the body was rendered unusable, the entire body would be affected. For example, the brain can send signals to the legs to move and run, but if the legs are paralyzed or some other part of the body is preventing the legs to move, then the body will not go anywhere. Or suppose if the eyes see trouble brewing yet the mouth refuses to speak. How then will our voice be able to call out for help in that critical moment? That is why we seek treatment from doctors when something is wrong with our bodies, so that all its members will be able to work together in an effective manner.

Whether we like it or not we are all connected together in the same way as one body. Thus our attitudes and actions affect those around us. If we think that our anger and pride only affects the person that these are directed to, we are sadly mistaken for everyone will suffer in some form or another. Our selfishness and hatred can do devastating damage in our lives and just as how a spider’s web can fall apart if one thread is cut, so too will our relationships crumble. At the root of the problem is our innate sinful nature. This is what propels us to give into harmful attitudes that will only cause us to become mired in unnecessary conflict and misery. It is only when we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts that He will break the hold sin has over us so that He can begin His restorative work in our lives. When we abide in His Spirit and allow His love to shine from within us, there is no room for sin to taint our relationships with others. We will move forward together in unity as Christ propels us to love so that He may impart life to the people around 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.

“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.

“Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?” –Proverbs 24:11-12 (NIV)

As a result of the internet, we are fed with news from around the world instantly. Shocking news items pose that dilemmatic question, “what are we going to do about it?” One popular course of action has been through the website Facebook. During the 2009 Iranian protests or the recent earthquake in Japan, Facebook pages were set up dedicated to the events in order to bring awareness. People who were sympathetic to the cause had the option of pressing the “like” button and show their support. Some have criticized the practice of “liking” causes on Facebook on the basis that it really does not do anything for the people for whom these events are a tangible reality. However, while I think this is true to an extent, I also believe it is a great way for people who are limited by distance and resources to show their solidarity with people who are halfway around the world.

Yet how often are we unwilling to get involved when we have the means to do so! Perhaps it is more comfortable for us to love in theory rather than to love in action. Anyone can say that they would give of themselves in love and service regardless of the circumstances. But when the time comes to put our words to the test, we shy away and are content with loving from the sidelines. Why this hesitance? Maybe it is because we do not want to give up what we feel is rightfully ours. Our comforts, our resources, our reputations, all of these things will prevent us from practicing the love of Christ if we have turned them into idols. It is only when we have surrendered ourselves to Christ that His love will overflow from our hearts. When we have seated Him on the throne of our lives and have allowed ourselves to be guided by His Spirit within us, He will give us His love that is fearless and absent of pride. Through Him guiding us in His love, our words of compassion will not be just words, but actions backed by the desire to see God save the lost and heal 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.

“Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” –Luke 12:7b (NIV)

By their own merits sparrows are actually quite insignificant. They cannot boast of the size and strength of a mighty eagle for example because they are small and weak by comparison. Neither can the sparrow boast of being symbols of power and prestige because unlike the eagle, sparrows do not adorn the flags and emblems of nations. A sparrow can not even take pride in its own rarity because they are so numerous and common, and can be found in many parts of world.  Yet despite these qualities that the sparrow seemingly has going against it, God still loves and cares for them. Being His precious creations He sustains and provides for each and every one them; His eyes never leaving them for a moment in His unfailing love.

Sometimes we may feel like sparrows. Comparing ourselves to those who seem to have it all in terms of wealth and reputation, it is human tendency to become insecure. Seeing ourselves as begin merely ordinary and insignificant, we wonder if anyone cares about our joys and struggles. We long to be noticed and loved, and when we do not feel these things, loneliness and misery are the result. But the truth is no matter how small or inconsequential we feel, we are loved by the Creator of the Universe himself. We are not only God’s creations, but bearers of His image like how a child bears the imprints of his parents.  In the eyes of Christ we are worth far more than anything we can imagine and He wants to be in relationship with us so that He will fulfil the great plans He has in store for us. When we have allowed His Spirit to enter our hearts and redeem us from our sinful nature which separated us from Him, we will know what it means to rest in His love as we submit ourselves to Him. In doing this Christ will prove His love to us as He takes our lives and transforms them into testaments to His faithfulness; showing the world that no one is insignificant to Him and drawing others into the hope which only comes from knowing 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.

“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.