Hope Comes When Someone Cares: Love
Devotions this week based on the Message: “Hope Comes when Someone Cares”.
At the heart of all we’ve been contemplating this week is love. The bottom line is what leads me to care about someone is love…what leads me to feel cared for is love.
Not just an emotion, but an action. Love is a willingness to put another person before myself. Love is selflessness, not selfishness.
To bring one more psychology point into this week’s discussion…Maslov’s hierarchy of needs lists “Love & Belonging” as the third basic need after basic physical needs (food, water, clothing, shelter) and the need for safety.
People want to not just know, but feel loved. God created us not just as physical beings that need certain things to sustain life, he created us as emotional beings that need love and someone to love.
But our world has struggled to understand love. Much of love focuses on self…my needs…my satisfaction and little has to do with serving the needs of others. Love focuses on the physical and the sexual relationships, the emotional “highs” that we get when endorphins start flowing. Yet all of these definitions fail to define what true love is.
So what is love? Let’s start with God’s love.
We know God cares about us because he loved us.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John3:16).
We know God cares about because he gave up his life for us.
“Greater love has no one than this, that he gave up his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
We know God loves us because he makes us his children.
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1)
The opportunity we have is to take the way we have been loved by God and extend that to others. What does that look like? Consider 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Loving another person can be challenging. People make it hard to love them. Our hurts from past relationships get in the way of investing in current ones. Yet, the opportunity we have is to let the people around us not just know we care, but that Jesus cares. They matter…they have value…they are visible…they have a voice. How do we let them know Jesus cares? Show love to them.
John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Apply: Who is someone God brings to mind that needs to experience his love through you? What might you do to show love…to show you care…to show God cares?
Prayer: Thank you Lord for loving us first. Lead us to love others as you have loved us. Let us show people you care about them by showing how much we care about them. AMEN.
Hope Comes When Someone Cares: Voice
Devotions this week based on the Message: “Hope Comes when Someone Cares”.
Consider this piece of research:
To help promote peace in the Middle East, many organizations have established “peace camps” or similar conflict-resolution programs that bring Israelis and Palestinians together to foster greater understanding of the opposing group.
One common feature of such programs is the opportunity for members of each group to share stories about their lives with members of the other group. Now, a new study from MIT neuroscientists shows that the benefits from this exchange are much greater when members of the less empowered group share their stories with the traditionally dominant group than when the reverse occurs.
The finding, published online in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, supports the idea that for the disempowered group, the biggest barrier to reconciliation is the belief that their concerns are being ignored, says Rebecca Saxe, senior author of the study.
“If that sense of being neglected and disregarded and taken advantage of is the biggest obstacle to progress, from their perspective, then you can partly address that by providing an experience of being heard,” says Saxe, an associate professor of brain and cognitive sciences and associate member of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT. (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120315110151.htm)
“Peace camps” are hard to find in our culture today. Polarized view points are solidified in the echo chambers of logarithms of social media that continue to feed us like minded feeds. We move from a position of curiosity to a position of confidence. So my position is right and the other is wrong. What happens is I want people to listen to my voice, but I am unwilling to listen to their voice which keeps us at odds and the chasm widening.
So how can things be different? When we fail, we have to turn to Jesus in repentance and for redirection.
James 1:19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Here’s what James teaches my heart. When I fail to stop and listen, I am more interested in listening to my own message, my own story. When I fail to listen to others and become arrogant that I am unwilling to listen to another, it is more than likely I am also having trouble listening the voice of Jesus and his words. The law condemns my pride and Jesus calls it to be replaced with humility that is a) willing to listen first to the voice of Jesus and b) willing to listen to the voice of others.
Listening to the voice of Jesus is our orientation point. John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
When I take time to listen to Jesus’ voice, I begin to learn from him and see life from his perspective. Listening draws me closer to Jesus.
As my pride fades and I practice humility by first listening to Jesus, I can be “quick to listen” to others. Curiosity overcomes closed minds. Listening closes chasms. Being heard heals hearts.
And when we first take time to give another person a voice, you may be surprised that the voice you were so concerned everyone needed to hear…that other person might just give you a voice and listen to you.
Apply: Do you have someone who you keep at arm’s length because you disagree vehemently with them? Ask the Lord for courage to reach out and set up a time to connect and listen to their voice. How can God use you to create a “Peace Camp”?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for calling us to be slow to speak and quick to listen. Forgive us when we fail. Empower us to be good listeners to you and your Word and to others. Amen.
Hope Comes when Someone Cares…Visibility!
Devotions this week based on the Message: “Hope Comes when Someone Cares”.
Take a moment to read this article entitled “Why You Need to Be Seen.”
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-leaders-code/201409/why-you-need-be-seen
This intriguing study points out that what matters more than being paid money for work being done is being acknowledged for the work they are doing.
True confession. I can do better at this.
It’s so easy to work to enroll people to get a project done, but then fail to acknowledge and appreciate all the hard energy and effort and resources individuals contributed. We just move on, asking, “What’s next?” It happens at church as well. We expect people to be involved and give of their time, energy and resources, but then don’t do well to acknowledge and thank them. So, let me apologize for not acknowledging you, and say your gifts, your time, your contributions ARE appreciated!
Another reality…CoVID has given us an “excuse” to stay away from people. We haven’t been able to see their mouth. Our mask makes it easier to stay quiet and move on. We walk by people and move into the store, through the aisles, past the cashier, and back out to our car. We possibly walk past 10-20 people or more…but not one acknowledgement that any of them are there.
True confession. I can do better at this.
People want to be seen. We all want to be seen. We want to be acknowledged for who we are…or perhaps just acknowledged that we exist! A simple “Hello,” smile or “Good morning” can go along way to say, “I see you and you matter in this moment.”
We can all do better.
So why don’t we? It’s easy to get busy, be self-focused, or just so intent on getting the task done, that we fail to see the “human” side of people and just go through life as if they are part of the machine called life. Perhaps this isn’t your challenge, but I know we all need forgiveness for at some point or another failing just to “see” people and acknowledge them.
We have one who does…who forgives us, acknowledges us, and knows us.
Jesus.
John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.
Each of us matter to Jesus. He knows us – not just as a number or a cog in the wheel called life, but a person whom he loves and for whom he laid down his life. He also acknowledges those not yet part of his family…those are important to.
Some days it seems like no one sees us. Remember Jesus sees you and loves you dearly.
Some days Jesus may put a person in your life for you to “see” and let them know they matter…today might be the day.
Apply: Take time today to engage someone you don’t know with a “Hello,” “Good morning” or word of appreciation for what they are doing that is a blessing to you and the community around you.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the way you know us and see us. You know us personally and love us enough to lay down your life for us. Help us to “see” the people around us the same way you do, as people who matter. AMEN.
Hope Comes when Someone Cares: Valued!
Devotions this week based on the Message: “Hope Comes when Someone Cares”.
People want to be valued.
Most of the time it doesn’t have to be much. A small gift. A note of appreciation. Asking a person for help because they have a skill set that you don’t have. Referring a person’s work to another. Expressing a positive review.
But sometimes the ultimate test for how much we value another person is if we are willing to give up our life for that individual. At times we hear stories like this one:
It was winter time when I was 10; my father and I were walking across the ice covering the canal across from his house, I believe we were going for lunch. Before I realized what was going on, the ice broke from under us, and after some time of struggling to stay afloat, someone had finally noticed us in the water, encircled with ice. The guy threw an extension cord out to us, my dad told me to grab hold of it, and he pushed hard on me to get me up on the ice so the guy could pull me to shore. As he pushed up on me, I looked back to see his face disappear under the water. That was the last time I ever saw him.
The ultimate expression of value is a willingness to give up our life for another. That’s a big deal. That’s a big expression of love.
But that’s what separates Jesus from others. He was willing to give up his life for his sheep. No matter how big the danger was or how challenging it was to face, he doesn’t run but embraces death, even death on the cross.
John 10: 15 says, “…and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
Perhaps we take this statement for granted, especially if you have been a Christian for many years. It seems pretty “neutral” to say, “Jesus died for me.” We perhaps don’t have the same emotional and memory connection if you were the child who’s last memory of your father was seeing his face disappear under the frigid water not to appear again.
He died so I could live…eternally.
Many stories of survival at the cost of another’s life leads the one who was saved to dedicate their life to the one who saved him or her. In essence, they are so appreciative of the value they were given that someone was willing to give up their life, they in turn desire to show value to the one who died for them by living their life fully to honor them. Same is true for our relationship with Christ. Consider 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
If you are every wondering if someone cares, look no further than the cross. For Jesus’ death on the cross shows you personally how much God values you, he had his Son die for you. When we understand the value God has placed on us, we can in turn share that value with others.
Apply: Give someone hope today…let them know how valuable they are to you and to God!
Prayer: Lord thank you for caring so much for me that you would give up your life for me. AMEN.
Hope Comes when Someone Cares
Devotions this week based on the Message: “Hope Comes when Someone Cares”.
Rarely does someone say it.
Often they just show it.
And we can see it and feel it.
What are they communicating? They don’t care.
We all want to have someone care about us. It hurts when we feel like someone doesn’t care. It hurts even more when they show us they don’t care.
We want someone to care.
Jesus knew there would be people who didn’t care. He said this in John 10:12-13
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
The hired hand is only in it for a paycheck. When danger comes he thinks, “These sheep aren’t worth enough for me to put my life on the line for them.” Bottom line? The hired hand cares more about himself than he does about the sheep. We and everyone else wants to be cared for. Because we have that need we seek out someone who cares. But then we get burned because they were only caring long enough to get what they want.
We expect imperfect people to care for us in a perfect way. Some will come close, but now one will care like Jesus. That’s why we need the Good Shepherd. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
We’ll see this week how Jesus cares for us as the Good shepherd. But perhaps the question to start the week is this, “Who are the shepherds I am relying on to care for me?” I pray everyone of you has a special someone in your life that truly cares. But there may be someone or someone we think cares but is only setting us up to be used and disappointed. It’s these situations that Jesus reminds us that he is the Good Shepherd and he cares.
Apply: When it feels like “no one cares” remember to turn to Jesus. Perhaps this week every day read through Psalm 23.
Prayer: Jesus thank you for being my Good Shepherd and caring for me like no one else can. AMEN.