I Love Who?

What are the two greatest commands given to Christians?


1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and;

2) Love your neighbor as yourself.


Now, until today, I thought I had those down pat. I mean, they're pretty simple commands. Easy to understand, but not quite as easy to apply.

As I began to meditate on these two truths, I realized something I had never realized before.

When I thought about loving my neighbor, I never thought about the second part of the command, namely, that I am commanded to love my neighbor as I love myself. At this moment it clicked, I could not love my neighbor if I did not first love myself.

My first response was to think that this was rather conceited, but then I understood. What I must love about myself, is not my sinful nature, but rather those unique characteristics that I possess as a born again Christian. I am called to bear Christ's image and therefore, must love me, not because of any thing I have done, but instead I must love myself because of the redemptive work that Christ has done in me.

After concluding this, I realized that not loving myself meant that I was not loving the image of God which I was called to bear. And not esteeming myself, as the image-bearer, meant that I did not value the image Himself. In rejecting who God created me to be, I am in essence rejecting those qualities which I am to represent for the sake of Christ.

These conclusions are not intended to cause any person, especially myself, to think too highly of themselves, but rather it is intended to shed light on an integral lesson to the Christian walk:

One cannot truly obey God if they are not grateful for who He created them to be.

Without recognizing my inherent worth in Christ's eyes, I can neither love me, love my neighbor, nor love my God above all things.

Run to Jesus

I never realized how important it was to simply be comforted. But it is a vital need from the moment life begins.


The care and comfort of a mother or father is simply immeasurable. When a baby cries, or a young child scrapes their knee, Mom or Dad are there to rescue the poor dear from their distress. When that child gets older, the problems grow, but when put in perspective, the trials of youth seem just as insurmountable as the perplexity of minor problems as a baby or young child. 

In both situations, regardless of age, people fall down.

Here's the difference: When we're young, we expect Mom or Dad to pick us up. But as we get older, we think that we don't need to be picked up. We fall, and we think that we are perfectly capable of picking ourselves up on our own.

The problem: Regardless of our age, we still need someone to pick us up.

In youth, the models of comfort are Mom and Dad, but as we get older, we realize that Mom or Dad always needed someone to pick them up, too. And in fact, the strength that our parents had to take care of us came from Someone far greater than ourselves.

This past week, I was overwhelmed with the complexities of life. After everyone had gone to sleep, I fled to a remote corner with only me, my tears, and my Bible. I couldn't figure out my future. In fact, I didn't even know all the details of the coming week, but I do know Someone who understands the ins and outs of the whole world.

My Bible fell open to a passage in Isaiah 66 which discussed the Lord's relationship with Israel. It read:

"For this is what the Lord says: I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you..."

Peace like a river

and

Comfort like a mother.

This is what the Lord promised the nation of Israel. And this was what He was promising me. Why? Because He, as my Creator, loves me as my mother loves me. He is my heavenly Father who will never leave me nor forsake me. 

So next time you are feeling lost, unsure, or overwhelmed, run to Jesus. 

Our earthly mothers and fathers are only mere reflections of our Heavenly Father. Our parents are far from perfect, but their role, to love, comfort and care for their children, are earthly symbols of the love the Lord has for us. 

See how much your parents love you, 

and imagine how much more 

a perfect, unchanging and loving 

 Father in Heaven 

loves 

you!

Miss Independent

Almost every girl wants to be independent. Motivated. Self-sufficient. Accomplished.

At the very least, this is the epitome of the modern woman. The ideal.

Since I was very young I have struggled with this ideal. Particularly since I have always been a dreamer; in possession of a mind that has a hard time limiting itself to small projects. Little side deals had very little appeal. Big dreams seemed like the life for me.

If I am totally honest with myself, I'd love to be the active, business-running, political campaigning, self-motivated woman walking down the streets of NYC, briefcase in hand, and the world at her feet.

We see the picture of this strutting woman in every magazine, she is the female protagonist in almost every story, she helps the male protagonist to save the day.

Yes. She is Miss Independent.

But this question remains: Is this ideal, city-slicker, world-conquering woman really the woman that we all identify with? Is she who we, if we as women really asked ourselves, the woman that we want to be?

I would contend that despite the idyllic peek we get of her in all the latest movies and T.V. shows, Miss Independent isn't all that she is made out to be.

In fact, I would argue that Miss Independent doesn't feel as in control, happy, or world-conquering as the media might portray her. Quite on the contrary, this character clings to her independence because it is the only thing that keeps her company when she is up late at night. When every day comes to a close, that very independence that has propelled her headlong into the world of business, law, or politics, is the very thing that keeps her lying awake at night.

My question is this: How many of us would actually want to be the modern woman if we knew her whole story? If we understood that her life isn't perfect? 

This question is not posed to discourage women from working. It's not intended to rebuke ambition or to cause women to question whether it is right for them to have a career. (I have strong career goals and aspirations myself.)

 But I simply ask it because I can't help but wonder if we have idolized this modern woman, Miss Independent.

I am asking for responses. What do you define as the modern woman? And how does this square with Biblical womanhood? 

Those are my questions. They are very simple...and I want to hear your story. So please write. I want to know what kind of woman you are. 

The Green Monster

He didn't used to be big. That green monster. He started out awfully small, in fact. Barely perceptible. But then, he grew, and grew, and grew. Until he was the big elephant in the room.

This green monster seemed to infiltrate every area of life. Putting up barriers and obstacles to greater emotional depth and understanding.

This green monster was jealousy.

Unfortunately, he had become all too familiar and had become a regular attender at meetings with those who were most important to me. Since I had not recognized his presence, he was neither welcomed nor shunned. And so, in our company he stayed.

It was not until about a week ago that he was banished from the room.

The conversation began, and tension rose as he and I began to have a chat.

"Why don't you have what he has?" said the green monster.

I couldn't answer. My typical response was to throw a pity party; an act that not only accepted the green monster as a guest, but actually celebrated his presence. But this could not go on. The party must come to an end.

I confronted the green monster for what he was. That green monster was not the root of the problem. In fact, he was only an unwelcomed side-effect of a deeper rooted issue: a lack of contentment.

Wishing for the talents of one friend, the grades of another, and the blessings of yet another, demonstrate that I am not comfortable with myself.

Essentially, I am saying: I don't want to be me. The me that God created me to be is not good enough.

This is both ungrateful and fails to recognize the special and unique gifts and talents that the Lord has given me.

The green monster is surreptitious. He creeps in unawares. But he is not more powerful than our God.

Surrendering our lives fully, embracing the talents that we have, and even recognizing that the Lord can use us despite our inadequacies should help us to be comfortable with the person that God created us to be.

Musings on Cookies and Creation

It is not every day that a girl is surrounded by the perfect ingredients for a beautiful day: Wonderful friends, beautiful sunshine, and an incredible God.

Yes, this was the day that I was blessed with. Not only this, but I had the opportunity to bake cookies.

Despite my age, this was one of the first times that I had ever baked from scratch. As I gazed at the seemingly endless list of ingredients, I was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by the recipe and the variety of ingredients required to go into the supposedly simple and easy chocolate chip butterscotch cookies.

After I had finished combining the ingredients, I put them in the oven.

To my surprise, I determined that I was perfectly capable of wrecking a perfectly good batch of cookies. 

The first batch: burnt. 

The second batch: semi-burnt.

But finally, on the third try: almost perfect.

Now, my less-than-perfect first attempt at baking was probably entirely normal. I am sure that plenty of girls before me have completely ruined their first batch of cookies. Plenty. But I was frustrated... my perfectionist tendencies arising in side of me.

And then I realized what my little baking endeavor was supposed to teach me:

When left up to humans,

 Creation goes horribly wrong,

 but when left up to God, it ran perfectly... 

THE FIRST TIME. 

My little baking creation took several tries and even on my final attempt, I could not attain perfection. But God created the whole earth in seven days and created it perfectly on His first try.

Amazing.

So those are a few thoughts from the aspiring, less-than-perfect little baker, who is very thankful that the Lord still calls her His daughter despite the fact that she might not be the perfect apron-wearing baker yet. Maybe some day.

But for now, the less-than-perfect baker is content with worshipping her more-than-perfect God.

Who Are You?

How many people do you "know"?

I mean... how many people do you really know?

As I began to reflect on this question, I realized just how few people I really, truly knew. Sure, I have many wonderful, amazing friends. I have a family who cares deeply for me. And many of the people whom I love the most I have known for quite a great length of time. But I had to ask myself: Do I really know them?

As I sit here in my room, my roommate on her bed, the other one fast asleep, I can't help but think how little I know of them. Don't get me wrong, our friendships are deep, but I cannot say that I know what thoughts run through their mind daily, or what struggles they are affected by right now. For some of my friends, I barely know their hopes and dreams for the future, much less every thought that crosses their mind as each new day passes.

I was utterly struck by my lack of depth and knowledge of the very beings who are around me most.

Soon, I began to reflect on my relationship with my family. The differences and the similarities in how we think are striking. And while my parents and I have a wonderful relationship, I am not in their being, experiencing their day-to-day feelings.

The best I can do is try to empathize from afar, using only my experiences and observances to guide my interactions with them.

Pretty soon, I began to think about myself. How much do I know of me? And while I ought to know an awfully lot about myself, for I am, after all, me, I was struck with the realization that not even I knew myself best!

It was after this series of reflections that I began to realize that there is one person in the whole universe who knows me, who knows the deepest thoughts of my friends, and the deepest feelings of my parents. That being knows the most about every single person on the face of this earth:

He is God.

He alone knows the depth of my thinking, the longings of my heart, and the plans for my future. He alone knows my motives for my actions. He alone knows me better than I know myself.

But God doesn't just know me, or my friends, or my family. He knows and interacts with over 6,966,774,759 people...all the people presently on earth...on a day-to-day basis! And knows them better than they know themselves.

What a mighty and powerful God we worship! He seeks to know me better and wants a relationship with me! This led me to conclude, that while it was certainly a valuable pursuit to seek understanding of those around me. And that it was important to know who I am. My identity, who I truly am, can only be found in Christ.

A relationship with Christ is a two-way street. The fact that He knows me so well, is not to be taken for granted. But I must seek His face even more eagerly than He desires to see mine. For He molded and shaped me before I was born. He knows my every shape, contour, and passion. But do I know His?

Children of God, how may we claim to have our identity in Christ if we do not truly know Him? We can only find our own identity if we know the One whom our own identity is rooted in!

Shedding Light on Burma

Burma’s Continued Deception

Zachary Enos

October 5, 2011 at 4:15 pm

Imagine a world where you constantly fear for your family’s survival. Yesterday, your 14-year-old son was kidnapped and forced into the army. Your 17-year-old daughter vanished last month, and you know she’s been raped, sold, and possibly killed. A knock hammers the front door, and you cringe as officers call out for your spouse, who’s guilty of criticizing the ruling regime. Welcome to Burma.

Stories like these are not isolated incidents. Burma’s oppressive military regime systematically prevents democratic reform, commits “severe human rights abuses,” and was again designated one of the State Department’s 2010 Countries of Particular Concern for its suppression of religious expression. Burma is an international hotspot for human trafficking, money laundering, and drug smuggling. In fact, in a September 15 memo to the State Department, President Barack Obama threatened to slap Burma with additional sanctions for its “demonstrable” failure to fight drugs.

The terror does not end there. The military government’s historic repression of democratic alternatives has led to a violent 20-year civil war, displaced hundreds of thousands of impoverished civilians, and effectually silenced all opposition. In short, Burma’s government is run by thugs “responsible for extrajudicial killings, custodial deaths, disappearances, rape, and torture.”

Two weeks ago, the U.S. Special Representative to Burma, Derek Mitchell, stepped into this quagmire. Ambassador Mitchell’s stated objectives were to engage, cultivate useful friendships, and consider “what would be required to change the parameters of the [Burmese–U.S.] relationship to date.” Fine-sounding goals, but the evidence is in: This is not the right time to change the nature of the relationship.

The U.S. must stand strong. Obama’s strategic emphasis on a very limited dialogue is reasonable. However, as Heritage has recently stated, sanctions should remain in place until the government takes more substantive action on human rights, releases all of its political prisoners, and actively fights internal corruption. Burma’s recent superficial reforms may fuel hope of progress, but the track record shows these are more likely the sort of calculated deceptions that have occurred before.

In recent months, the Burmese government has garnered much international attention for several token gestures. For example, the government supposedly created a human rights commission, released Noble Prize winner and iconic opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, and allowed her to meet briefly with President Thein Sein. These and other actions are the bare minimum. It is not the first time she has been released in the last 20 years and not even the first time she has met with the junta’s (now in civilian dress) highest officials.

Credible observes of last year’s national elections note that the elections were a sham and that Senior General Than Shwe, who directed the junta for the past two decades, still has considerable influence over the president of this democratically elected monstrosity.
Policymakers must remember that this Burmese regime is personally responsible for kidnapping hundreds of child soldiers, imprisoning countless reporters, encouraging the sex trade, and killing or displacing hundreds of thousands of citizens along its borders.

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice rightly identified Burma as one of six key “Outposts of Tyranny.” That has not changed. Is it wise to tell the world’s dictators that the United States relents without genuine change? Until Burma has genuinely changed, it is not wise to tell the world’s dictators that the United States relents simply because it is fatigued from a lack of progress.

Zachary Enos is currently a member of the Young Leaders Program at The Heritage Foundation. For more information on interning at Heritage, please visit: http://www.heritage.org/about/departments/ylp.cfm

The Gift of Peace

"The Lord giveth and He taketh away. 

While He may take away, He will always give you something that you can give back to the world."

These words were said by a friend of mine. In their simplicity, these two sentences sent a resounding message tearing through my heart and soul. 

Not only were these sentences humbling, but they also reminded me of several unbelievable truths. Perhaps the most important message communicated was one of contentment.

Thoughts of my own discontented spirit flooded my mind as I contemplated the deeper meaning of my friend's words. He reminded me that despite my inadequacies, the Lord could still use me for something greater. 

 

The Lord wants to use His children, if only we are willing to share those gifts that He has given us. 

Suddenly I began to realize how often I focus on my inadequacies. Those things that I struggle with, or that don't come naturally are there to teach me patience. To help me to understand the hardships of others and to encourage me to reach out to those in need. Rather than dwelling on my frustrations, I should be thanking God for my inadequacies. 

Instead of complaining about my failures, I should thank Him that He is willing to teach me--a sinner-- how to love, to care, and to feel for those, just like me, who are genuinely struggling.

Beyond this, I fail to thank God for the specific gifts that He has given me. My friend reminded me that God always gives people gifts that they can share with those around them. Whether it is intelligence, the gift of hospitality, or the gift of joy, we are to use them for His glory--offering our lives as a sacrifice to Him who knows all things.

But this is not all. The main takeaway here is not just that "every good and perfect gift is from the Lord." No, the main message is that regardless of our inadequacies, and regardless of our gifts and talents, we are called to a few important things:

Philippians 4 calls us to "Rejoice in the Lord always."  The joy that the Lord gives us is abounding and this joy is to be shared with those around us.

Beyond this, we are called to "Be anxious about nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to the Lord." If we constantly fear our inadequacies, our anxiety paralyzes us, making us closed to the will of the Lord as He works in us to fulfill the plans He has for us. 

However, if we are thankful for God's goodness in giving us a specific calling---to consider our life worth nothing to us unless we share the Gospel of God's grace with those around us--- we will be given, "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding." This alone will guide our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!

Philippians 4 continues as Paul tells us that He is content in all situations. Whether in trials or times of good cheer, Paul finds contentment. But this peace does not come from Paul himself. He says, " I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

This truth is not just for Paul, it is for all of us. We can do everything through 

Christ alone. 

When we submit to His will and are content that the gifts He blesses us with are for a purpose much greater than ourselves, 

we find

peace.