Chapter 9, Walk in Love

 How would one imitate God, look like God?  What is the defining characteristic of God that would identify one as an imitator of God? 

Reading on in Ephesians 5 there is the answer, “And walk in Love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us.”

Love is the identifying characteristic.  Could this then be true then, that an absence of love is at the root of every sin that I commit?

Elyse says this in chapter 9 of Because He Loves Me   “Every sin we commit, either by omission or commission, is a failure to love as we have been loved.”
and this
“Covetousness is the belief that one hasn’t been fully loved in Christ”

Unbelief that I have been fully loved produces covetousness. A failure to love as I have been loved means my love has been misdirected.   My love has been focused wrongly, and my affections are given to an idol, leaving me empty, short tempered, self abosorbed.

Colossians 1:12  … giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

1 Timothy 2:1  Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,

Hebrews 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

To my current understanding, recognizing the love of God produces gratitude, which then enables a person to walk in love, becoming an imitator of God. 

Has anyone else noticed a constant theme of gratitude coming up in their life?

This month I’ve done a lot of reading.  Really.  But somehow only two books are completed, besides the second book of the Bible.  That was a surprise when I sat down to look at my list;

Exodus (as I’m working though a plan to read through the Bible this year)
Tales of the Defended Ones
Sweet Sanctuary

And I am still working on;
Because He Loves Me, you can read my thoughts here, here, here and here
The Peacemaker
Peacemaking for Families

And added to the list;
The Elements of Style by Strunk and White
The Last of the Mohicans

Hopefully in April I’ll wrap up a couple of those.  It will take some discipline to not add any more until a few of these are completed.

 

We started the week off strong, but I just didn’t get the things on this list completed.  Many other big and small things were accomplished though.  There is an interesting thing I have learned from posting these goals.  Having them written down here put my mind at rest.  While other must dos appeared, there was only a momentary wrestle with stress.  Remembering that I would just pick back up after the flurry of “this season” wrapped up. 

This next week looks like it might be a little more routine and I have hope that I’ll stay focused on my list.

Last Week’s Goals

Family/Mothering Goals

Memorize Psalm 91:14-16
Exercise 4 Times ~ Only made the time for 2 workouts, but during the first one I tied on High Green belt at Karate. 
10 More Lessons in Math Book, brushing up for College Algebra
Read and journal 1 chapter each of Peacemaking for Families and Because He Loves Me
Read Tales of the Defended Ones and  The Last of the Mohicans

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by Harmony Art Mom

for more information on providing clean water through child sponsorship, visit Compassion International

Chapter 8 is titled “Realizing How God’s Love Transforms Your Identity and Life.”  My thoughts this week come from this question;

Is every failure in sanctification a failure in worship?

Romans 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

This verse appears to say that the mercy of God motivates us to present ourselves for sanctification, to become holy and acceptable to Him.  And that this is worship. 

Worship isn’t something done on Sunday morning.  Worship is yielding one’s life, believing in the mercy of God.  Belief, faith, in a merciful God produces a grateful pursuit of holiness.

So in looking up at Him, we see mercy, motivated by  His love for us, and we in turn are motivated to worship, which is an act that produces sanctification.
 

Last week’s Goals

Memorize Psalm 91:12-16 ~ Made it through verse 13
Karate Belt Test
Swim 4 Mornings
10 Lessons in Math Book, brushing up for College Algebra
Finish reading Peacemaking for Families and Because He Loves Me

The best way to stop child labor

to stop child neglect

to stop child prostitution

is to PREVENT IT.

Compassion International is working with children in areas where they are at risk of being exploited.  You can take part by sponsoring a child, writing letters and speaking life into the child, and praying for the child.

Visit Compassion International for more information.

In Chapter 6 the focus was on setting our gaze upon Jesus, believing with whatever small measure of faith we possess, that HE IS.

In Chapter 7 the author, Elyse Fitzpatrick, introduces the concept of the indicative and imperative in Scripture, using Colossians 3:1-3.  Indicative is what has already been indicated or declared.  Imperative is a command or direction. 

Some of the indicatives, or declarations in Colossians 1:1-3 are:
You are raised with Christ
You are the elect of God
You are forgiven by Christ
You are holy, beloved.

A few of the imperatives are:
Seek the things that are above
Set your mind on things that are above
Put to death fleshly deeds
Put on tender mercy, kindness, humility, forgiving others as Christ has forgiven you.

Throughout the Bible the imperatives are usually paired with an indicative, and there seems to always be a “put on” for every “put off”.

Now before we jump straight to the imperatives and start making the “to do” list, adding “how to” books to the shelf or blog reader, STOP.

Look Up.   Go back up to the indicative/declaratives. 

What happens if we focus on the indicative?  What God in Christ has done, has given, has called?  And here, again, our eyes are taken off self and what self can and cannot do.  Instead attention can be focused on the Author and Finisher of our faith, our very salvation. 

Then in gratitude we can set out to obey, resting in the imperatives, knowing that it is God who is really at work in us.  “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10.

For Christ, by Christ, through Christ.

 

The Winners of the Dial Coconut Water Body Wash, Review and Giveaway are

#4 Donna
and
#27 Aunt Maggie

Thank you for participating.  Check back often, we have more reviews and giveaways to share later this month.