What Do They Know About You?

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn! Love, mercy & grace are new each morning...hope, opportunity & promise abound...let's live fully in these truths TODAY!

Earlier this week as I was driving to work and listening to the radio, the hosts had a young man on as a guest who is a survivor from the shooting in Las Vegas. The man stated that before the shooting he was an agnostic. According to a quick Google Search, an agnostic is "a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or anything beyond material phenomena; a person who claims neither faith or disbelief in God." The young man, whose name is Taylor, then told the story of what happened when the shooting started. He said his sister threw him on the ground and then laid her body on top of his and started yelling, "I love you Taylor! I love you Taylor! I love you Taylor!" Over and over again, as bullets rained down all around them and chaos ensued his sister, protecting his body with hers, continued yelling "I love you Taylor!" Taylor got extremely emotional as he told this story and he said that in that moment he knew that there was something greater.

One of the radio hosts then noted that what we are all really called to do is to love one another. That perhaps the real answer to all the craziness, perhaps I should say hate, that is happening in this world is simply to love one another. It is actually Biblical you know...

Mark 12: 30 - 31 says, "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." And, John 13: 35 says, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." It brings to mind, as the radio host I was listening to noted, the song "They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love." There are a few lyrics I want to share with you quickly. It goes like this, "We will work with each other, we will work side by side/And we'll guard each man's dignity and save each man's pride/And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love/Yeah, they'll know we are Christians by our love."

So my question for you, me and everyone else - what do they know about us? Please note, neither the scriptures nor the lyrics say they will know we are Christians because we are so smart, have all the answers, are perfect, etc. We are called to love and Jesus himself noted that people will know whose you & I are, who we serve, "if we love one another."

What does this look like? I found what I think is an excellent explanation of the love that we are called to at compellingtruth.org. It says:

"Agape, and its verb form agapao, is one of the several Greek words for love. The Bible also mentions phileo, or brotherly love, and refers to eros, erotic love. The Greeks also spoke of storge, which is a love between family members.

Agape love is a little different. It is not a feeling; it's a motivation for action that we are free to choose or reject. Agape is a sacrificial love that voluntarily suffers inconvenience, discomfort, and even death for the benefit of another without expecting anything in return. We are called to agape love through Christ's example: 'Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5: 1 - 2)

We are to agapao God (Matthew 22:37), our neighbor (Matthew 22:39), and even our enemies (Matthew 5:43-46). We are not to agapao money (Matthew 6:24), darkness (John 3:19), or men's approval (John 12:43)."

Anybody besides me a little uncomfortable right about now?! "Not a feeling","choose or reject", "sacrificial love", "voluntarily suffers inconvenience, discomfort, and even death"... We wanna change the world, make a difference, then we must love. Just as Jesus did for you & I. Just as Jesus called you & I to do. Giving us the opportunity to either choose to do or reject.

As I have thought a lot about this all week, I thought of all the things that we currently see play out amongst, well, most everyone. From politicians to athletes to "leaders" the same thing over and over again. Telling others what they should or should not be doing. Passing judgement, not only on the actions but also the hearts, of others. Not listening to anyone else's thoughts, feeling or concerns. Having all the answers. Blah! Blah! Blah! It! Is! Not! Working! Someone is gonna have to put on their Big Boy or Big Girl pants and start living the life we were all called & created to live. I don't have all the answers however I know the One who does. I am going to make a very concerted effort to do what He told me to do, every day.

If this has you shaking your head, let me try to give you a little help. I literally Googled "actions that show you love others." I found this at wikihow.com (I know, crazy right?!?! Not only that one might have to Google something like this but also that there is an answer!!!) :)

1. Spend time bonding. One of the most important ways to love people is to spend time with them. The time you spend together will help you understand each other more and be more comfortable around each other. This will create a trusting bond that reinforces your love.

2. Accept your people for who they are. The people in your life may have values and habits that are similar to your own. Whether this is the case or not, you have to accept them for who they really are. Avoid criticizing or trying to change them. Instead, agree to disagree on some things, but continue to love them.

3. Overlook minor offenses. The more time you spend with anyone, the more chances they have to upset you. If someone does something that bothers you, take some time to decide if it is worth a confrontation. If you decide that it's a minor blunder, just let it pass. If the incident really bothers you, you should talk it over with the other person.

4. Appreciate others for what they do. If you have people in your life who love you, help you, and support you, try to express to them how grateful you are for their presence in your life. By doing so, they may return the appreciation, building a mutually beneficial relationship of trust and respect.

Bottom line Friend; the lives you & I are living tells others a lot about us. The questions is, what do they know about you & I by the way we live?

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.

Kev