Oddly though, at the same time I have really felt like God was drawing me back to some basic truths -- basic truths that I want to share with you now. They are the kinds of truths that, like faith, hope and love, remain when all of the clutter of church is swept away. See 1 Corinthians 13:13. When we get passed the production, politics and complexities of church, and focus on what it really means to be a disciple of Jesus, these three priorities may be all that really matters in life.
Before going further though, I need to make three quick observations. First, as you will see, there is nothing particularly obscure or complex about the three priorities I want to write about today. However, please don't let the simplicity and obviousness of these priorities distract you from their power or importance.
Second, when thinking about these priorities keep in mind that discipleship has both an internal and an external dimension. What I mean by that is that discipleship is both about "heart change" (internal) and our outward actions (external). At the end of the day, the kinds of things God really calls us to are only possible when our hearts are altered and convicted by the Holy Spirit -- when we walk the Christian walk through internal desire rather than simply through physical discipline. Responding to God's call out of love and "legalism" can at times look similar from the outside -- but, there is a vast difference.
Finally, I am convinced that most of the time when we find ourselves worried or stressed in life, most of the time when we find ourselves in conflict with others, it is because we have failed to view our circumstances with an eternal perspective. An eternal perspective means taking these three priorities seriously. And, to do so requires both humility and a great deal of help from the Holy Spirit. See James 1:1-27; James 4:4-12.
1. Put God First.
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. Matthew 22:37-38.
I know, I know ... pretty obvious. The greatest commandment, after all, is to love the Lord God with all of our heart, all of our mind, all of our soul and all of our strength. Luke 10:25-28; Matthew 22:36-37. In fact, at the end of the day I would argue that there is only one priority -- and this is it. The other two priorities I will talk about flow from the first. In fact, I believe that God gave us these other two priorities so that we could understand better what it actually means to love the Him.
2. Love People.
39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:39-40.
From this scripture alone it should be fairly obvious that "love" is extremely important to God. In fact, the Bible is crystal clear that if you do not love others you do not love God. It is just that simple. If you have never really studied 1 John 4:7-21, you might want to.
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. 1 John 4:7-21
If we cannot love God without loving others, it necessarily follows that it is extremely important that we understand what God means by "love." When I was reading through my "Application Study Bible" some time ago I was struck by a footnote that said: "Real love is an action, not a feeling." As I began to research what Bible scholars and pastors had to say on this subject, I found that some agreed with that statement, but that others did not. In fact, while I found these same scholars and pastors struggling to dissect and understand the exact meaning of the two Greek words for love commonly used in the Bible -- "agape" and "phileo" -- I found little consensus on an exact definition for Christian love.
To me, the Bible could not be more clear in its instruction that true love is both a feeling and an action. For that matter, true love is an attitude. What I am suggesting is that the Holy Spirit seeks to instill in us an emotional desire -- a desire at the heart level -- to serve others; to see others succeed and grow even when there is no benefit to ourselves. How do I reach the conclusion that real Christian love is both feelings (or emotions) and actions? Again, because the Bible tells me so.
I could point to various places in the Bible to support this point, but for now let's just look at Romans 12. First, we are told that our love must be "sincere" or "genuine". And, to me, actions are actions -- they are neither sincere nor insincere. The same verses tell me that I am to rejoice with those who rejoice and to mourn with those who mourn. And, I just don't see how you can either rejoice with someone or mourn with them without feelings!
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:9-16
This is not to say that there are not times when we have to love despite our emotions or feelings, and not because of them. Let's face it, there are certain people who are just not that lovable. And, there are times and circumstances that make it hard to love people on a heart level.
But I do believe with all of my heart that God makes it possible for us to have a general love for people -- a heart level kind of love for others. I think that idea scares some pastors and scholars because emotional love is fickle and inconsistent. And that is certainly true.
I also think, though, that love is a lot like faith. Love is like faith first because both are fickle and inconsistent. For most of us, our faith is challenged on a regular basis. We have days when we feel like our faith can move mountains, and we have days when our faith is really tested. But, if we work at it, in time our faith gets stronger and stronger. I think our ability to love our neighbors as ourselves works the same way.
Second, you have heard it said that "faith without works is dead." Again, I think that love works the same way. Sometimes love starts with feelings or emotions. We may feel a sting in our heart when we encounter someone who is hurting, broken or in great need. The question is "what do we do from there?" Like faith, love does not mean very much if there is no action to go along with the feeling. Love without action is, indeed, dead.
There is so much more to be said about love. We are really just scratching the surface. But let me end with this. I really think that love -- or more accurately the absence of love -- is at the heart of the decline in church attendance in the United States. I just don't think that buildings full of people who are just trying to do the right things, as noble as that might be, are very compelling. But sincere love -- real caring, a genuine desire to share both your joys and your heartaches ... well, I think that kind of love can move mountains.
We are called to radically love others. And, this desire to love must guide our thoughts, priorities and actions.
3. Advance the Gospel.
We obviously live in a culture that puts an emphasis on individual happiness, individual fulfillment and individual rights. Unfortunately for us, the Bible does not place the same kind of emphasis on these priorities. For one thing, loving others means putting their interests ahead of our own. See Philippians 2:3-4 ("3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.").
More to the point, true discipleship means putting our testimony -- putting the Gospel -- ahead of our own interests as well. And, this can be a very difficult thing to do.
If you read through chapter nine of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, you will find a discussion which sounds like Paul whining about the fact that he is not treated equally with the other apostles or the Lord's brothers. It seems that the others were taken care of financially by the early church, and were even permitted to take their believing wives on missionary trips. But, Paul and Barnabas are treated differently -- they had to have day jobs to support themselves.
Paul skillfully presents the argument that he too as an apostle has the "right" to be taken care of financially. But, he then changes course, and offers this insight into his heart and priorities: "12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ." 1 Corinthians 9:12. You see, Paul was far more concerned about the integrity of his testimony than he was about his rights. If he had to preach for free so that the church in Corinth would know that his motives were pure, then that was a sacrifice he was more than willing to make. He would "put up with anything" to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
You see, being a true disciple of Christ often means giving up our rights, our comfort and our own worldly priorities in order to preserve our testimony and/or advance the Gospel. It means, as Paul said, becoming all things to all people. It means, at times, refraining from doing things we ourselves may think to be perfectly appropriate so as not to offend a brother -- or even better, a non-believer. It means that sometimes we need to refrain from showing anger -- although we might have every right to be angry in a particular circumstance.
19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.
Interestingly, when these three priorities really begin to guide our lives our perspective begins to change dramatically. We are offended less easily -- because we are less concerned about our own feelings than we are about what God is doing through us. We are less worried about the things that all people struggle with in life -- because we are more concerned about the eternal implications of our actions than our current comfort. We are less concerned about our "rights" -- because we are more concerned about the Gospel. Our priority is to see as many as possible come to know Jesus -- regardless of personal cost.
