Called to Love

So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I Corinthians 13:13

Love bears all things.

I Corinthians 13:7

Love bears all things. (I Corinthians 13:7) Think about the hardest things you’ve had to do in your life. And think about how you’ve endured those things. The support system around you probably played a large part in this. In Galatians 6:1-2, St. Paul writes Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Look to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. In this instance, St. Paul is referring to a burden a person has caused for himself/herself, a decision to do something wrong. St. Paul says that we should bear that burden with the person who has fallen in a spirit of gentleness. So if the hardest thing that has happened to you was a mistake of your own doing, hopefully you were helped by a loving support system. And when you make a mistake, and we all do, hopefully we helped through our difficult times by a loving support system that bears all things, even our mistakes, flaws and setbacks.

There are things that happen to us that are not of our own doing. An illness or an injury are two things that come to mind. There are times when we hurt so bad we wonder if there will ever be a better tomorrow. In these moments, when one is looking for inspiration and even a loving support system doesn’t seem adequate in providing them, one can look to the example of Jesus Christ bearing His cross to the crucifixion. I have images of that scene in my mind, and in the moments I have felt most alone, I try to think of Jesus, having been abandoned by His disciples, and having been severely beaten and tortured by the Romans, struggling to take one step carrying a heavy cross to Golgotha. I think of Jesus summoning whatever strength He had left just to take one more step. I see Jesus, the Son of God, stumbling, falling and somehow getting back up and continuing on. Jesus, who is the embodiment of love, was able to bear all things, including the cross. Jesus, whose social support system collapsed as He was abandoned by His friends and rejected by His people, still had the support of God the Father, and strengthening by angels. In our moments when we feel alone and even abandoned, we are never abandoned by God.

One of my favorite Bible verses is Philippians 4:13, which reads (In the New King James Translation), I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. When I am really struggling to bear a burden, I think of the scene of Christ carrying His cross, and I mediate on this verse from Philippians. I say it over and over in my head. Each time I say it, I put emphasis on one word.

I

Who am I? I am created in the image and likeness of God. I have the Light of Christ in me. I have gifts and talents that will allow me to make a positive contribution to Society as well as to make a positive witness for Christ I am unique and special because God made me that way. I was not created with flaws but I have flaws because I live in a flawed world My flaws contribute to my being a sinful person. I am not a lost cause. I can find my way to Paradise through faith, works, repentance and God’s grace.

Can

Can is a positive word. It focuses on what is possible, not impossible. With God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26) Every good and perfect gift is from Above. (James 1: 17) Apart from God we can do nothing. (John 15:5) Christ, faith, hope, salvation-these are all positive things, All things that we CAN have. This is a mindset we must create-a positive mindset that see the good in things, sees the glass half-full, finds Joy and Christ in all things.

Do

There is a difference between “hearing” and “doing”. Being a Christian, having faith is not only a state of “being”, and is not only based on what we “hear” but on what we do. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22

All

The Holy Spirit is everywhere and fills all things. There isn’t a good work that we undertake where Christ can’t be involved. Nor is Christianity something that we should compartmentalize-it is something that should be ever-present in our lives.

Things

What are the things that Christ helps us do? He helps us achieve the positive things that St. Paul speaks about-the things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, the praiseworthy things that glorify God. He helps us overcome things that challenge-being abased, being hungry, being in need.

Through

With the assistance of, in tandem with, in union with, with Christ as the head of Our lives. Christ is with us, in us, and we should allow Him to lead us.

Christ

Our Lord, God, Savior, our Hope, our Rock, our Salvation.

Who

Christ is fully God and became fully man. He is at the same time our Creator and our redeemer. He has the strength of God but understands the weakness of man. He experienced also the need for God.

Strengthens

Christ gives the strength to overcome challenges that can be overcome, He gives Strength to be patient with the challenges that cannot be overcome, He gives us wisdom to know when surrender and when to fight. He is the Comforting Father who consoles His children when they are sad. He is an encouraging Father who directs His children when they have lost their way.

Me

I am in the middle of God’s grand plan. I have already been born. I have yet to Die. I’m working my way through life, in the hope of everlasting life. I have constant challenges and obstacles in my path. I can’t make it by myself. I need His help, which comes both directly from Him, and through other people. This is why I am part of the church-to be around other people who can help me through life, to commune with Christ while on my journey. My relationship with Christ is at the same time communal- I belong to a community of people, enjoined with the saints and angels. But at the same time, faith is personal to me. I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Thank You Lord, for the gift of another day. This day will bring some challenges, some of which will be known, and some of which will not be known. Please give me the strength to endure whatever will come my way, and the confidence to know that I can do all things through the strength that You so generously provide. Amen.

If God is love, and love holds us up, then in our most challenging moments, we can count on God to hold us up, even when we can’t hold ourselves and it seems like there is no one else who can. Love bear all things. God helps us to bear all things.