LET THEM KNOW… TRY UNDERSTANDING?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
1 Kings 3:9 (ESV) Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” 10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
WHAT IS LOVE? MY OPINION LOVE CAN NOT BE DEFINED… ONLY ILLUSTRATED/DEMONSTRATED!
Jude 1:20 (ESV) But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
In 1968 I received my driver’s license. We lived in Springfield, Illinois. I got a job at THE FLAMING PIT, a steak house. I was driving to work when a beautiful white poodle ran out in front of me. I tried to miss it. It broke my heart, I hit the dog. I knew it was someone’s pet. But there were many houses around. I parked my car and got the dog in my lap. I held it and cried. I knew the dog was dying. So I held the dog and petted it. The dog tried to bite me. In it’s brokenness the dog thought I was hurting it. The dog growled and then tried to bite. I UNDERSTOOD IT WAS NOT A BAD DOG, THE DOG WAS IN PAIN AND THOUGHT I WAS HURTING IT. The attacks were not personal, the attacks was pain.
IN THE 50 PLUS YEARS SINCE THAT EXPERIENCE I HAVE OFTEN SEEN PEOPLE STRIKE OUT IN PAIN, HURT AND DISAPPOINTMENT BECAUSE THEY FELT THE NEED TO STRIKE BACK. OF THE PERSON THEY ARE MEAN OR CRUEL TO HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SITUATION.
We lash out at whoever is there. They don’t understand. We don’t understand. So the problems ESCALATE. We react to the situation instead of ACT BY FAITH.
1 John 4:7 (ESV) Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
WE TEND TO WEAR MASK TO HIDE OUR PAIN AND HURT.
One of my basic theories of life is HURT PEOPLE HURT PEOPLE. This can be a deep seated problem that appears on the surface as unhappiness.
TODAY MANY PEOPLE FEEL THEY ARE UNHAPPY. THIS ATTITUDE OF UNHAPPINESS WILL EXPRESS ITSELF IN MEAN WORDS AND BEHAVIOR THAT IS NOT HEALTHY.
It is easy to fall into relationship traps that are not easily identified. There are red flags we need to be aware of…
AT FIRST DIFFERENCES ATTRACT… WHEN WE MOVE INTO A NEW PHASE WHAT WAS CUTE, BECOMES VERY ANNOYING TO THE POINT THEY BECOME IRRITATING HOW SOON IS THE HONEYMOON PERIOD SHIFT FORGETTING TO BE KIND AND GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS GO DOWN THE DRAIN.
SELF-DOUBT WILL CAUSE US TO ATTRACT OTHERS. LIFE HAS A TENDENCY OF LOSING OUR CONFIDENCE AND OUR SECURITY FALTERS.
I was in my office at church. An old lady came in my office. She had been crying. She said You know I have been married over 50 years and I want to know how to get a divorce! I was stunned. She cried some more. She said I can’t remember when my husband has said: I LOVE YOU!
I walked her home and her husband was in the swing on the porch. He could tell she been crying and he asked her what’s wrong? She broke down in many tears and looked him in the eyes and said: YOU NEVER TELL ME I LOVE YOU! HE instantly replied, I TOLD YOU OVER 50 YEARS I LOVED YOU AND I TOLD YOU I WOULD TELL YOU IF THEAT EVER CHANGED.
He went on to say in anger: FOR MANY YEARS YOU ONLY GIVE ME $5.00 A MONTH ALLOWANCE. I THINK I DESERVE MY ALLOWANCE TO AT LEAST BE DOUBLED. MAYBE, JUST MAYBE IF YOU GIVE ME A RAISE, I MIGHT THINK ABOUT TELLING YOU: I LOVE YOU.
Could we possibility brighten someone’s day? Have you ever tried cheering up another person? By wisely investing you could become someone’s happy place!
THE LONE RANGER… WITHDRAWN? COULD BE A COPING SKILL GONE BAD. THE LACK OF EXPRESSING OUR LOVE CAN TAKE THE FORM OF ISOLATION… STRAIGHT ARMING AND KEEPING A DISTANCE TO TRY TO AVOID MORE PAIN AND MORE HURT. THEN WE RUN AWAY WHILE WE ARE DYING INSIDE…
Proverbs 18:1 (ESV) Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.
WE OFTEN ARE LACKING IN CONTENTMENT… CONTENTMENT IS A LEARNED BEHAVIOR NOT AN INSTINCT. LEARN TO BE THANKFUL AND REJOICE --- WE MUS CELEBRATE LIFE NOT FIND FAULTS.
Philippians 4:11 (ESV) Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
DO YOU GRIPE, RAISE YOUR VOICE, FIND FAULTS TO THE POINT YOU ARE ALWAYS LIVING IN IRRITABILITY. TAKE CARE LIFE DOES NOT CONSIST OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THINGS.
I ONCE WAS YOUNG… LIFE SURE LOOKS DIFFERENT AS I NEAR THE END OF MY JOURNEY.
**MAKES ME THINK
BY WADE MARTIN HUGHES, JR.
ON 12/12/1990 MY OLDEST SON WAS 14 AND A FRESHMAN AT WARREN EAST.
FOR AN ENGLISH ASSIGNMENT HE HAD TO WRITE A POEM.
I FOUND THIS POEM IN A GARBAGE CAN IN HIS ROOM.
DEATH IS SOMETHING THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BE, NOW OR LATER FOR YOU AND ME.
I WONDER HOW? AND I WONDER WHY? ACCIDENTALLY OR NATURALLY? HOW WILL I DIE?
MAKES ME THING ABOUT HOW I WILL LIVE? LIFE IS NOT ONLY TAKE, BUT ALSO A TIME TO GIVE.
WITHOUT LOVE AND WITHOUT FRIENDS, LIFE WOULD BE USELESS TO ALL ENDS.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOUR LAST BREATH? THERE ARE MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT
THE SUBJECT OF DEATH. IS IT WITH EASE? IS IT WITH PAIN? IS IT ALL LOSS OR IS IT WITH GREAT GAIN?
LIFE IS SHORT, DO WHAT YOU CAN. DO SOMETHING SPECIAL TO HELP YOUR FELLOWMAN.
DEATH MAY COME WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT! SO PLEASE TREAT LIFE WITH GREAT RESPECT!
DEATH IS NOT YOUR ENEMY, IT IS YOUR DESTINY.
CONCLUSION: BUILD AN ARK… BUILD AN FOR THE STORM IS COMING. BUILD AN ARK FOR OUR FAMILIES. LET US GATHER PEOPLE TO UNDER THE SAFETY OF THE ARK. WE ARE SO TIRED OF THE CRUELTY AND MEANNESS OF THIS WORLD. WE ARE TIRED OF THE HURT, PAIN AND DISAPPOINTMENT IN DAILY LIFE… THE IS A PROMISE---BUILD AN ARK.
Let us make Jesus smile. Let us practice understanding and love. Thank you for loving me. I promise to LOVE.
*LET US PRACTICE THE LOVE OF 1 Corinthians 13… GIVE, SUFFERS LONG, ENVIES NOT, IS NOT PUFFED UP, BEHAVES ITSELF, SEEKS NOT HER OWN, REJOICES NOT INIQUITY, REJOICES IN TRUTH, , BEARS ALL THINGS, BELIEVES ALL THINGS, HOPES IN ALL THINGS, ENDURES ALL THINGS, LOVE NEVER FAILS. WE JUST UNDERSTAND IN PART --- BUT LOVE WILL CONQUER.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
