Charity From The Heart & Soul

Today I decided to read my old favorite scripture passage, I Corin 13. I think it is one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible. It opens like a great play or an outstanding opera, a magnificent pronouncement that swiftly reprimands and then immediately elevates. I can't read it without feeling lofty and so uplifted and inspired, with a new desire to feel and exude God's type of love towards self and others.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I give all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing.

Charity suffers long, and is kind; charity envies not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up, does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil; rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes in all things, endures all things. Charity never fails: but where there are prophecies, they shall fail; where there are tongues, they shall cease; where there is knowledge, it shall vanish away.

We think of charity as the cutesy little song "Have faith, hope and charity. That's the way you live successfully. How do I know the Bible tells me so, the Bible tells me so!" Then we learn that charity means love. Maybe that is why organizations that help those in need are called charities. How can you reach out and give to others of yourself, your time and your money without having love for the recipients?


The Merriam-Webster online dictionary  shows the well-known meanings of charity:

• generosity and helpfulness especially toward the needy or suffering,
• aid given to those in need,
• benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity.

The definition shown there that I think is most significant, and upon which the others are able to operate, is this:

• lenient judgment of others.

In order to reach out and give to others we begin by choosing to think favorably upon their situations, their behaviors and their lives. We develop a considerate and forgiving spirit towards any offenses from them. We choose to believe that no matter who they are, what they are or how they arrived at where they are, they are worthy of our ministrations. They may not have taken our routes in life or think and believe like us, but they are worthy of our charity.

We should do better at remembering ourselves, as well. Often we strive to learn to love others unconditionally, but forget about ourselves. We should remember that true, pure, God-centered love is an outpouring of what is inside and a reflection of how we feel about ourselves. That other well-known saying that most of us have grown up on is charity begins at home.

Our first home is our heart and soul, that inner dwelling from which all thoughts and actions originate. We are worthy of our own charity, first of all. When we work with God to turn charity inwards, what we give will be untainted by unreliable, fleshly origins. It will be pure, true and long-lasting, and overflow and spill over to all in our paths, like rivers of living waters.

If you would like to give to yourself the greatest charity that exists, which is to be sure that you are Saved, say this simple prayer:

Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God, and the only Savior. Come into my heart, and save me. I was born in sin and you died for me so that I can know God and not be blamed anymore. Thank you for my new life. Show me the way to understand and turn away from bad things. I don't have to fear death anymore, and thank you for Eternal Life. Amen 

Sources:
Bible scriptures: KJV paraphrased (old English endings on words have been dropped)
Word definitions:  Merriam-Webster online dictionary

POEM: Happy Birthday Jesus by Georgette Johnson

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS 

by

Georgette Johnson

Today is your birthday.

Thank you for coming into our hearts.

Thank you for forgiving us of our sins.

We honor you on this day, come what may.

Help us to remember that this is your day.

You were there for us and we didn't know.

You gave us help when we were slow.

Thank you for helping us grow.

When you surround us we have a glow.

You lift us up when we are low.

The best present we could have on earth,

Is you coming to us by a virgin birth.

I want to remember you on this day,

No matter what comes throughout this day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!

On Christmas Day, remembering the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of those who choose to believe God's Word.

Dear Father Morning Prayer I

Dear Father, who lives in heavenly places that we can't yet see.
May we respect your name continuously.
May your inner glory fill us,
And your outer glory consume the world in due time.
We embrace your daily plans in our lives,
And all around us,
And throughout the world,
Just as your plans are carried out in the heavenly places.
Amen.

 

Poetry: The Paths You Give Me

Dear Lord, your mercy is wonderful,

So everlasting and true.

You fill me with soaring thankfulness

For all that you for me do.

I never want to desert you,

No matter how hard the way.

Your loving arms do surround me.

I seek you every day.

The paths of others do wander.

The paths of others do stray

Away from your loving kindness,

As they would seek their way.

But never again will I do it,

Consider that you don’t care.

I’ll hold to the paths you give me.

Your love will keep me there.

~ SJ Holland ~

Poetry: He Will Turn It Into Good

He Will Turn It Into Good

I heard a man on TV today,
Who spoke about suffering and trials to allay,
The feeling that struggles are really for nothing,
The often unfairness and our life's contorting.

He said if we could not determine a cause,
That we can be certain and give this applause,
That we will come out of it richer inside,
The strength that we get will show on the outside.

Some trials are too heavy, some burdens beyond,
What we think is fair, way too much put upon.
But, there is not anything God cannot use,
To make our lives better, to help us improve.

That does not support that our pain is ordained,
That God must make sorrow for blessings to rain.
He does not need trouble and horror and woe.
He needs not the evil from that pit below.

We live in a world that is set on a course.
The fault is not ours so we feel no remorse.
We know we can't change Satan's evil world reign.
The Blood of Our Savior we use as a bane.

Don't think about quitting or turning on God.
To God be the glory and give him a nod.
He will make it right, this old world has to go,
And all of the pain and the suffering and woe.

So what can't be changed will be taken for you,
And made as a blessing, to help others too.
Just keep holding on and don't dare you forget,
That you will come out of it richer and blessed.

 

~ SJ Holland~

"He Will Turn It Into Good" poem ©Holland Writing & Publishing
Image: Pixabay.com

I Prayed And It's Getting Worse! Why?

Often, when we are believing God for big changes, and praying and standing on his promises, the opposite will seem to happen. When we think things should be getting better, some things may seem to get worse. Some areas in our lives may need to collapse, so that God can build upon a stronger foundation that which we desire.

This is not pertaining to the foundation of the life of a Christian, for that main foundation is already built upon the Rock of Jesus Christ. The foundations that I'm speaking about are the areas of our lives that are a hinderance to obtaining what we want. They are superflous things, people and circumstances that need to go, that usually were not introduced by God into our lives to remain in the first place.

Some definitions of superflous include unnecessary; uncalled-for; wasteful. The best definition, though, is obsolete, which means no longer produced or used; out of date. They may have been useful at the time, according to God's plan, but are no longer so. We don't realize that many advancements, relationships and situations that we encounter are not meant to continue along the road with us.

God rarely reveals to us that what is a blessing at one time will become dispensible at his appointed time. These invited-turned-uninvited blessings must be wrenched from our lives in ways that we don't expect, because we don't understand that we must let them go. While God is permanent, the circumstances that he allows or places in our lives are not always so.

How do we handle these potentially upsetting and distressing developments? We continue to stand on the original promise of God. While doing so, we also do what is best at any given time, facing the challenges that God places before us. We determine to continue to have faith in him, while doing our part to fearlessly manage our daily lives, fearing no thing.

We go with the flow and recommit to God daily, loving and praising him with every fiber in our being. The course may veer off along the path at times, but if we are sure of what God is doing in our lives, then the path is the same. It is time to move upwards and onwards to what we asked God for.

Definitions: dictionary.com , Google 
Image: pixabay.com