What is the Measure of Your Love?

I always thought a mite was some tiny bug that would bite me. In Scripture it is a tiny amount of money. Jesus said of the widow who gave the two mites, "she gave more than all the others."

What we give is relative to what we have. Giving out of our abundance is no sacrifice at all. giving out of our need is some sacrifice. But giving all that we have is total sacrifice.

Perhaps sacrifice is the true measure of our love. The widow loved God so much that she gave all she had. Abraham loved and honored God so much that he was willing to sacrifice his son. Then, of course, God did sacrifice his Son.

Guaranteed, His love for us is greater than our love for Him. About the time I feel pretty pious because of a good offering I have given or some way I have served God, I am reminded of this widow, who, perhaps sacrificed the food on her table to give an offering to God.

The Whole World

Typically I think that hard work is a virtue. We get paid for our labor and therefore can buy the things to survive and the things that make life a little nicer. And it really helps when we enjoy our work. Even Jesus said, "The laborer is worthy his hire."

But what is a healthy balance between working to have our needs and some of our wants met and working for excessive gain? What portion of our lives are we sacrificing to work for gain? We pass this way only once. What have we left undone so that we can work longer hours? Whose life should we have touched? What pond should we have fished in? Where should we have volunteered? What book should we have read? What path should we have walked down?

No, we were too busy working, acquiring gain that one day we will leave behind. We were building a mansion that one day the kids will auction off. We were acquiring things that one day will have no meaning to anyone. But work, work work! We must work ourselves to the bone. We must work until we are mentally and physically tired. All to acquire!

In the end will we hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant?" Will our lives really have reflected what God really intended us to be? Or have we really left the more important matters undone?

Luke 9:25 "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?"

Who is He?

Luke 9:20 "But what about you? Who do you say that I am?"

This could be the most important question we ever answer. Jesus asked the disciples who people said He was. They answered that some said he is John the Baptist risen from the dead, and others said the he is Elijah. Then Jesus cut to the chase. But who do you say that I am? This is where Peter came forth with his great confession.... "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." What a great answer!

But the question still needs to be asked of each one of us, who do we think Christ is? Who do you think Christ is? You answer and my answer will give direction to us for the rest of our lives. It will determine what we do with our lives, and how we conduct ourselves.

Just as important as our answer is whether or not we really believe our answer. Believing is faith and requires action on our part. It is one thing to say that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, but quite another to put our faith in Him as such.

Hymns

What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear,

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in Payer.

I serve a living Savior whose in the world today

I know that He is with me , whatever men may say

I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer.

Just the time I need Him, He's always near.

He lives! He lives!

Christ Jesus lives today!

I could go on with other hymns and gospel songs. To me it is truly sad that these songs with such great messages are seldom sung in our churches today. I have talked with many who dearly miss the gospels songs and hymns. They have encouraged us and ministered to our hearts.

No, I am not opposed to contemporary music, though it is not my favorite. There are some great choruses and other stuff that sound like African chants (nothing against the Africans). But I am definitely disappointed that we have totally abandoned some great songs, with great messages, with great melodies. Not all of these songs have a loud crescendo. Some are quiet and in the hush the Holy Spirit moves and ministers.

I know, I know! Now that I have said something from my heart I will be labeled as a trouble maker. But that's not it at all. There is just something I get from the old hymns that ministers to my soul in such a way that nothing modern has done for a long time.

I want to sing: Drinking From the Springs of Living Water, Such Love, What a Day that Will Be, and It is Well with my Soul. And, oh ya, This is the Day, Therefore the Redeemed, I Saw God, and Surely the Spirit. You know what I mean.

Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it.

Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb

Redeemed by His infinite mercy,

His Child and forever I am!

Redeemed, Redeemed, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

Redeemed, Redeemed, His child and forever I am.