Supporting Scripture
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have
John 3:16
eternal life.
Is this not the ultimate display of kindness, love in action?
PS… I just love all the little things God’s enables. For example, when I went to grab this verse, which I know by heart but want to make sure it’s perfect, my Bible was already open to it.
PSS… It’s a beautiful fall day here in Indiana. As the sun rises on this Sunday morning with wind rustling through the this seasons glorious fall foliage, you can feel God’s love and can’t but help see a glimpse of His glory.
PSSS…Yet, all is not perfect. Life is hard, the trees are slowly dropping their majestic leaves, winter is coming, dark is earlier…yet God is good and Spring is around the corner!
For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will certainly not spare you either. Take notice, therefore, of the kindness and severity of God: severity to those who fell, but kindness to you, if you continue in His kindness.
Romans 11:22
Otherwise you also will be cut off.
God is both kind in love and severe in justice. He can do that because He is God of all. He is omniscient, we of course are not.
3We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no one can discredit our ministry.
2nd Corinthians 6:3-10
4Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and calamities; 5in beatings, imprisonments, and riots; in labor, sleepless nights, and hunger; 6in purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7in truthful speech and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8through glory and dishonor, slander and praise; viewed as imposters, yet genuine; 9as unknown, yet well-known; dying, and yet we live on; punished, yet not killed; 10sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
Paul knows very well and shares his inspired insight here on how we are to live in love. What an amazing dichotomy the Christian life is.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.
Romans 12:17-18
If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone.
In our flesh, this command is impossible but in the Spirit, all possible. It starts with striving to have a full perspective of the situation – from God’s, the other person’s and yourself.
My Pondering
We are called not to ‘judge’ a person’s motivations, their salvation, their issues, their manifest but we are called to ‘discern’. They are similar but different. What we are always called to do is LOVE. Sometimes love is soft as a rose pedal and sometimes hard as a granite but it always looks out for God’s and the other person’s best interest and kind and peaceful as possible.
What say you? Please share your pondering here.
Pondering Life : Pursuing God 