| Begin Again to Love God |
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(New Beginnings for God's Friends Series) Bro. Lito Dawa Jan. 13, 2010 Scripture Inspiration: Deuteronomy 6:1-9: Love the Lord Your God. Jesus grew and became an adult with a life fully lived and a short three-year ministry that gave some radical and amazing teaching. This teaching includes instructions to live humbly, love others (especially the suffering and less fortunate), pursue the path through non-violence, and to be blessed by recognizing our shortcomings and knowing that even so God loves us unconditionally. We can resolve all we want to change our bad habits and to do things that are good for others and us, but it is impossible to do it successfully without God's help. This is why community and fellowship are so important. God works in, with and through us. When we make resolutions at the beginning if a year, no matter how genuine our resolve, we must change. Asking God for the willingness to change us for the better is an essential part of the surrender process. Surrender is the beginning of becoming something new. The old you, must die and the new you, rises to live in union with God. Daily prayer and meditation are important. We all need quiet time when our own concerns can be laid asided and God can speak to us in the stillness of our being. This contemplative practice is not enough, however. We must go forth into action and more action. The best action we can take each day that most helps us in our process of becoming the new being - the whole and holy being - is in our involvement with others. How we treat others, especially those who are hurting and in need of our help, our forgiveness, our mercy and our love, is the visible demonstration of who we are. People will know Christians by their love. No one of us can be perfect in our actions. All of us fall short of that perfection, but we still strive towards the goal of perfect love. God's love is perfect and Jesus Christ lived that love as a model and example. But Jesus is also fully human and if you look closely at the way Jesus interacted with others, you will see that He didn't spend a lot of time condemning sinners. He looked for the willingness of people todiscover and admit their shortcomings, forgave them and then instructed them "to go and sin no more." Begin again in 2010 1. Love God and love others Loving God and loving others ought to be a normal process, since God's great command, as said by Jesus, is to "Love the Lord your God will all your heart, soul, mind and strength,mand yourneighbor as yourself." 2. Create value and happiness Our purpose is to give life-changing answers to meaning-hungry people. When people have solutions to the taxing problems of life, they gain joy, which is deeper than temporary happiness. 3. Keeep in touch It's hard to leve on people from a distance. Instead, practice hospitality. Keep in touch, Write letters - meaningful notes. We value friendship, insights and dependability. 4. Resolve disagreements One of the biggest problems before us is unresolved disagreement between members of the family and community, and the worst solution is for one to leave over the matter, taking their spiritual gifts away. Help in the resolution of any and all outstanding issues and to do so in love. "So whoever is in Christ is a new creation; the old things have passed away, behold new things have come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). As God changes our own hearts this year, let's not shy away from sharing that change with others. By changing us, we can change the world.
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