Easter: The Aftermath

Easter is over.  The chocolate bunnies are eaten.  The leftovers from Easter dinner are gone.  The new outfits have been dry cleaned and tucked away in the closet.  It's back to business as usual.  But if we celebrate the resurrection then go back to status quo then we've missed the point.   Easter is a new beginning.  For the Jewish people Passover was a significant time.  While the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt the last plague was the Passover.  Everyone who Read more

Passions Need People

Last time we looked at how Nehemiah's passion led him to complete the tremendous undertaking of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days, but he didn't do it alone.....   How often have you had an idea, a vision, a passion you wanted to pursue, but it never went beyond an idea in your head because you had no idea how you would make it happen?  Yeah, its sounded like a good idea, but that thought of trying to accomplish Read more

The Power of Passion

Often when we hear the word passion, we think of it in the context of love and romance.  Most people can relate to that feeling of being in love.  You fall for that special someone and they become your obsession.  That special person is all you think about.  You'd do almost anything for them.   You can also get passionate about a goal. Something you feel driven to accomplish.  Something that you're willing to put your all into, make sacrifices for.  Read more

Spring Break the Hunger....A Child's Spark

Last time, I asked for your help in raising money for my church’s current initiative: buy 300 Food Packets to send home with kids over spring break.  Essentially, the food pack is enough stuff for the kids to make themselves a peanut butter and jelly sandwich everyday.   So we’re sitting in church last Sunday, listening to the man explain the initiative and my son (whose 9) leans over to me and says “Mom, that’s all they get?    They should Read more
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Are You Christian Enough?

Posted on May 19, 2012 by ML Smith Posted in Insights | Leave a comment

I identify myself as a “wimp” because I often don’t feel Christian enough.  I don’t think I’m alone in feeling that way. We aren’t able to quote scripture on the fly.  We don’t know the bible cover-to-cover; when the pastor says “Turn to Galatians” we turn to the Table of Contents.  Politically we aren’t conservative enough to be true Republicans and we aren’t socially compassionate enough to be true Democrats (whatever “true” means in either of those cases).  We shy away from praying aloud.  We don’t have the stomach to tell someone they are going to hell (which is probably a good thing since we aren’t really sure about that ourselves).

There’s good news, none of those things are necessary in order to be a good Christian.  If we look at what the Bible has to say about being a “good” Christian, political affiliation, Bible thumping, and public displays aren’t at the top of the list.

What seems to top the list?  Love.

  1. “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this… ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29 – 31)
  2. “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)
  3. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4 – 7)
  4. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love,joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”(Galatians 5:22)
  5. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)

There are many other skills and talents that could help you be a better Christian or a more effective Christian.  But we could spend a lifetime just getting the love thing right.