What's Valuable?

"the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." gal. 5:6

whoppers. all this week in class we have had one of the most amazing, kind, compassionate, saoked in truth and God's presence men speaking. he has been given a revelation of God and His love and it has honestly saturated everything this man is. he's talking to us all this week about God's true character and His actions & love towards us.
and it's already changing my life.

the essence of all relationships: friendship
marriage should be the closest friendship possible on this planet. (how exciting and fun is that!)
a relationship will never get any closer than it is pure in motive.
it's not always about how our actions are perceived but it IS always about the heart's motivation behind it.
Why are you significant?

really, think about this.
whay are you significant?

because of your ability? - what if you jack up royally and don't perform well some days, does God still love you? you betcha.

because you are a child of God? - what about all the other millions upon millions of humans walking this planet who are not covered in Chrsit's blood yet? does God still love them and did He still lay Himself on the alter for them? yeppers. yes He did.

because you are made in the image of God and He has placed value on you and said you are good and pleasing to Him from the first day His eyes saw you being stitched together in your mom's stomach? - ding ding ding! that's the answer my pals. it is first and foremost based on the fact that i am valuable to God. period. all human beings are worth something b/c they are valuable to their Maker.
we are commanded to love.
hebrew for command = "divine prescription" it heals, frees, and soothes like nothing else- they don't weigh down they release into deeper freedom to the extent you follow them (no american pharmacist can hook ya up with what the Good Doc can, ey?)
love is a choice.
love is connected to value.
we will always choose the most highly valuable to us.
so what we spend the hours of each of our days on = what is most valuable. period. even if you think you hate what you do with your life, you have made a choice to value your activities or relationships, your time alone with God or your television or drugs.
love is a special way of choosing.
love is not a special way of feeling.
emotions are easy to get. they are simply a reaction to a perception of a person and a perception of being in a relationship with them.
love is based on trust - will you trust God to give your life value, purpose, and joy? or will you trust yourself more? others more?
b/c you're believing either God, satan, yourself or others. it's that cut & dry folks. someone is pleased with who you believe and trust.
i have to value myself b/c when i don't i am saying God is a liar and when He tells me i'm valuable i am believing what i "feel", a lie, over Him.
sex is not unholy within God's confines. the bible is not shy nor does it tiptoe around the fact that this is one of the greatest pleasures God's beautiful mind conjured up. satan has trashed its beauty and worth. this is such a shame, esp. within Christ's Body. seriously, who is satan to give advice on sex? he is a fallen angel and the letter to the corinthians is plain about the fact that angels are nuetered beings who haven't the first idea about sex anyway! (from the book "Relationships"- one of our 5 required readings...i highly recommend it ya'll!)
in order to love others properly i must love myself: whatever i want for me, i will want for my neighbor, whether judgemental, perfection-striving and scrutinizingly harsh, or prosperous accepted, and valued.

if you are insecure and worried about looking perfect to other faulty, insecure human beings, chances are you will judge and despise your neighbor as well.
instead, make a pact with your heart to focus primarilly on God's grace, His kindness that leads us to repentence... not some false view of Him as a slave-driver instead of loving Friend, Husband, and Sheperd.

love = a commitment to follow the highest good.
i will not own happiness knowingly @ the expense of God or my neighbor.
i will believe God has placed value on me and every single human because He, as the Ultimate in Value has stated each of us as valuable.


"After making us, God said 'it is good' and that is good enough for me." C.S. Lewis

=)