Why NOT Love?

I submit to you fear and greed are two of the most insidious elements gasping for breath against God's genuine love -both toward us as individuals and with respect to how we treat others we are commanded by Jesus to love. I believe this to be true outside of and within the church.

We fear sacrifice, pain, debilitating illness. We fear people we don't know, those who don't look like we do, of a different color or perhaps from a different country. Sometimes it's simply the way they dress. We judge and perceive a possible danger. Further, women in particular -and with good reason- often fear men. Believe me, as a man and a follower of Jesus in faith, I myself deal with these. Who can you trust? Would you be a fool to risk being around this or that person?

Yet if one does even a quick, thin Bible study as to what Jesus Himself said about fear, faith and trust in the four Gospels the concept of fear being given the power to squelch or bury love (even for one's enemies no less!) isn't in agreement with what we're instructed about living our lives as His followers on planet earth.

If you do further study in God's Word with regard to both greed and sharing you begin to realize most scriptural "sin lists" (note, what GOD says, not always what the church may say) will bring you to the conclusion that greed is surely massive ground of most sin.

MY money, MY time, MY land, MY control, MY will, MY personal satisfaction over yours -thus God and His very will and commands take a back seat to the gut-level greed in all this.

Lust for people, uncontrolled desire for someone else's spouse, jealousy, envy, self-pity when seeing what they've got when compared to what we do... on it goes in a stream of greediness deep within our thoughts, attitudes and corresponding behavior -especially toward those we don't like. "WE earned the good stuff, NOT THEM!" is a classic judgment that often greed itself foments toward people.

Greed for other's land, wealth, the never-ending demand for ever-more money and power robs, kills and destroys not only the greed-driven but those about to suffer and even die because of it.

When Jesus tells the story of the vineyard owner paying the exact same amount to ALL his hired workers though some worked hard all day while others only put in one hour, that owner was judged harshly. I mean, why should God apparently bless those -that- undeserving? Ha... that's exactly what GRACE is!!! I would argue greed, often related to what I've already listed here as a link to the grumbler's thinking.

Things worth considering and likely repenting for? I expect we could all benefit from it... even those you and I may conclude are or are not worthy.

If we err (we do and will...) let us err in love.

As always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn