Four weeks ago we began a journey of looking at the Ten Commandments through the eyes of grace which gives us the Ten Love Commands.
Again, I encourage you to go back to our blog dating March 22, 2012 where this journey begins of addressing one commandment a week (http://purejoyinternational.blogspot.com/2012/03/love-is-loyal.html).
As we begin to look at the last six commandments I would like to remind all of us that those first four commandments are how we demonstrate our love toward God. Those of you who are married, the first four Love Commands are really the way a woman should also demonstrate her love toward her husband.
Your love toward your spouse should be Loyal, Faithful, Reverent, and Intimate. Is it loyal in that you don’t put anything in front of him except God who positions you to put your husband before everything but God? Is it faithful in that you do not give your heart or emotions to another man, your children, a ministry, or anything else to meet the needs that your spouse is supposed to meet? Is it reverent in that you show honor toward him? Is it intimate in that you try to set aside time with him to share your heart (even though he isn’t sensitive to you sometimes)? These are powerful truths to consider.
As we look at our last six commandments may we be reminded they are about our Love toward others and ourselves. In the book of Mark chapter 12 we are reminded of Jesus’ response to the teachers of the law when questioned about the greatest commandment.
“The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall 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: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
So the sixth commandment is this:
6. You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:39).
Love Command: Love is respectful.
I wonder if your love toward others today is respectful. Can I be honest with you? It can be downright hard to respect some people. In fact, some people just flat out don’t deserve respect because of their behaviors. But, I have learned this over time: When I can’t respect the person out right, I can respect them as God’s creation. Another thing I want to share here that is important to ponder: This commandment says, “love your neighbor as yourself.” God actually tells us to love ourselves. But it is with the same unconditional love we are to love others with. It isn’t the love of self (flesh).
Think on that because truthfully until you have a healthy God-centered love of self you are not capable of loving others rightly! In fact, when our love toward self isn’t God-centered and healthy, we only are capable of loving others to ‘get.’ As I tell my clients, “you love to get something” instead of “loving to give something.” In fact, deeply unhealthy people are pure takers. Oops sorry, got into a counseling mode there for a second. Anyway, you get the picture. So please treat yourself with respect (yes, yourself) so you will be able to treat others in like fashion.
Dominican News…
Well, the fun is beginning for this trip. One of our ministry staff just shot us a picture of one of the fun things we will be taking to the women. Two of our DR team members just got back from a long weekend at the beach. I’m telling you, we have to do some major preparation to get ready for this time with our missionary women. Ha, ha, ha!
Continue to pray and give as you are led. We have 20. 6 missionaries sponsored as of this writing. That means 20 women and a little over half a body. Ha, ha! Still 29.4 to go.
I have asked the team members who are compelled to write me a short note of how they are seeing God at work in the preparation process for this trip. I will post that with the blog next week.
I am sending out an email to our missionary women who will be attending the conference next month. I try to email them at least 3 times from the point that we close registration and the actual retreat days. I am asking them to send me one really cool interesting fact about the Dominican Republic area and/or their life there and/or ministry. So keep a watchful eye as I post those in the weeks to come.
I love you all!
His,
Vickie
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