Live in Love, John 15:13

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13).

Over the next few weeks social media is going to be inundated with eulogies lamenting the loss of a great man. I ardently hope that these are posted with sincerity and lead those who know little of the man to read up on the transformative power of his passive resistance. The world I was born into was a world post-segregation, post-apartheid, post-women’s suffrage. This is only due to the work of countless men and women that laid their lives down that the future may be one of greater justice, peace and opportunity.

We must do more than recollect. We must be be willing to act and sacrifice for those around us, to illustrate true love which covers a multitude of sins (1Peter 4:8). Mandiba had a great calling on his life, people often note how long he spent in prison. But I don’t think we give the gravity of that sufficient consideration. He was separated from his wife for almost thirty years, he didn’t get to see his children grow up, his will for equality saw him isolated and continually threatened with death. It is unlikely that our lives will bring us into such similar predicaments, because our predecessors have paved the way. But do not make the mistake of lamenting the world’s loss and not being changed and empowered by it.

A common Christian prayer is for God to give us the ability to see people as He sees them. What greater contemporary example than the man we mourn tonight? After almost twenty seven years of imprisonment, he looked his persecutors in the face and forgave them with a sincere heart. He saw them for members of the same human race and appealed to shared interests, love and humanity. May we strive to follow the evident example of a life lived in applied scripture.

In Mandiba, in the members of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, in the suffragettes we have seen what it is to love through sacrifice; to face persecution and give up comforts that others may flourish. This may manifest itself in a number of ways in your life, please do not shy away from it. We are called to live in love. Always be willing to stand for what is right, to listen to the will of your Father and love with your whole heart.

God bless and keep you always and we just pray for comfort for the many families around the world dealing with loss at this time x

Trust Him, Isaiah 40:31

“But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

(Isaiah 40:31)

I go to bed around 1/2am most nights and get up no later than 6.30am…every morning…not excluding the weekend! I know tired very intimately. Further, I’ve noted a number of times where there are opportunities to discuss my faith or do something a little bit out there, when I’m feeling knackered (in all fairness not many others are up at 7am when I’m full of beans for Jesus). When I’m a bit irritated or just running low on energy opportunities always seem to pop up. In these moments were I only dependent on myself things would probably snowball from here. But they don’t.

Because I learnt one of the simplest but hardest lessons from the Bible: “trust in The Lord”. For some of us we want to understand things and control them, consciously or otherwise, it can feel really hard to let go of thinking like that. The New King James bible translates Isaiah 40:31 as “those that wait on The Lord”. In both verses then there is the conscious emphasis on the boundless possibilities we can achieve through trusting; through asking in faith and seeing the fruits; through placing our confidence in God’s providence.

Like the imagery of the ever-renewing spring, depending on God brings about continual revival and renewal in us. We can “soar high” like eagles and “run and not grow weary”. When’s the last time you watched a nature show and thought “that bird of prey looks a bit bleary eyed”? Or saw the professional athletes in the 200m look like they were just popping out to the shop, not a few paces from death’s door? Pause your tv at the moment athletes cross the finish line…you know what I mean…you’ve seen those facial expressions. To soar like an eagle, just as to run and not grow weary is powerful imagery when we actually consider it. God isn’t saying He’ll be your inhaler when you inevitably need to stop and fight off cramp/an asthma attack because you’re unfit/asthmatic/both, but that He will sustain you always if you just trust in Him.

Sometimes the world can feel really on top of us. This can strike us off guard or we can have been feeling like this for a long time. Close family and friends may be completely unaware but God is not. “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength”. When you can’t cope alone, when loneliness and despair have taken you, the renewing power of The Lord your God will give you new strength to face and conquer those feelings.

So when I have to drag my crusty eyed self to that bathroom I remind myself that I am not self-reliant, but fully, joyfully, dependent on my Father. Likewise, in those situations where I feel I just don’t have the energy or capability to talk with a person, I call on the Holy Spirit. I sit Him down and tell Him “Lord I am not up to this, this person is antagonistic, I don’t have the patience today. But that doesn’t matter because in all things I am reliant on your Holy Spirit, alone I can’t do this, it is plain unfeasible. But work through me Lord”. I know I need not word things perfectly because when I consciously ask the Spirit for help He gives it tenfold, in such situations He has definitely been the sole reason for successes in my experience.

Trust in The Lord. When you feel fear or anxiety He will take it from you. When all logic ought to point to your exhaustion you’ll be shakkin out and singing to praise and worship (this may just be me but I doubt it). As fallible creatures we can’t always run on 100%, but we don’t have to. We have someone doing that for us.

He is enough, He is everything, praise The Lord!

God bless and keep you always x

Lord god it is by us and not you that we experience dysfunctional relationships in our life. That by our own shortcomings we experience the pain of dejection, frustration and oftentimes disbelief at the behaviour of others. But your love and your ways are perfect God. You made us in your image but oftentimes we fall so short of that. We pray Lord that you open the eyes, ears and hearts of the world that they may focus more on loving Your creation than themselves, than by falling into old habits that can come across as hurtful or thoughtless. By prayer in the name of your son and our advocate Jesus Christ we can bring these products of human frailty to you and by your goodness, love and mercy you can free us of such things. Through you all things are possible. Through you prostitutes, corrupt officials, thiefs are all brought to everlasting life. You are mighty Lord. You transform our lives and hear our prayers. Lord God at the same time help us to not expect too much from people. Not in every relationship will it feel balanced, because people will be at varying places in their life. Help us Lord to be content with loving your creation. Help us not to look at others changing their behaviour so much as what we can do in ourselves, how we can better the life experiences of others. Lord God you grant us new mercies every day, let us go about our daily life extending those to the people we come to interact with. Our weaknesses are powerful because through them your works can be shown, through them the hearts of those in darkness and peril can be changed, they can be brought to light. Let us not shy away from these amazing opportunities but live as truly loving children of god willing to do all he wants to please him and hear his name on the lips of those across the nations.

In the name of your son Jesus Christ, amen