The Discipline of Love

God’s word tells us He is love and that love hardly even notices when others do it wrong. It’s what keeps us from the stumbling block of offense. So, it nearly escapes my notice as I’m shaking it off and counting my blessings that four of the five new reviews for my book ranked it with 5 stars.

My email was courteous. Is there something I could have done to earn 5 stars for the fifth review? The reply was, “No. It was fine,” followed by a brief explanation. “I only give five-star ratings to those books that will end up in my personal library, to be read again and again.”

For a minute or ten, I contemplated a polite return email stating that I would probably not be adding the book I’d read in exchange to my personal library, to be read again and again, since it was a book for fourth graders, yet I gave it 5 stars because it was a good book. 

I decided to give place to the life of Christ in me instead. My expectation is from Him and He will be my supply. So, moving on to Facebook, a post on a timeline caught my attention: an article renouncing two high profile ‘false gospel of prosperity’ ministries. Being familiar with one of the two ministries in question, I looked for some Biblical principle to support what was being said. Even though the author claimed to be well versed in the Bible as well as proficient in Hebrew and Greek translation, there was no such support. 

It seemed a bit ironic to find on the same timeline, first a prayer request, then a hopeful comment about the prayer, then, finally, a sarcastic remark about the prayer not being answered yet.

Make no mistake; I’ve been in a lot of tight spots, on a very strict budget, round the mountain a time or two. No shame in needing a miracle. But if you don’t believe that God wants to bless you or prosper you (3 John 1:2), what is there to pray for? It seems a little conflicted. Kind of reminds me of what James, the Lord’s brother, wrote: “…ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind;  for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:6-8).

I shook off the first of these two challenges. It was personal. 

But the second was enough to prompt me to write this long overdue blog. This was an internationally published report by one Christian about another Christian. How can that be? We are supposed to be in this thing together, loving one another as one body. We are supposed to be encouraging one another day after day. To do what? To love and good works. To walk by faith in the covenant Jesus shed His blood to inaugurate.

I’m no match for a Bible scholar with a seminary degree, in fact, I have my own ‘marks’ from the religious leaders of my day, but I do know the love of God.  A world of lost and hurting people is waiting for us to get our act together and to start doing what Jesus told us to do, and it’s not go out and preach to them about repenting from sin. It’s loving one another as He loved us, and by this all people will know WE are His disciples. If, in fact, we are.

When We Pray...

Many years ago I used to paint plaster for fun and to give as inexpensive gifts. One of my favorites had a tacky bas relief image of praying hands, but the words are still planted in my heart: "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of!"

Perhaps I'm a slow learner, but I'm learning about learning all the time and I'd have to say there are levels of learning. Habits are formed by doing things consistently over time - good ones or bad.

Bad ones, for example, seem to grow incrementally. You bend the rules once and before you know it, the fences are down. Texting while driving comes to mind. Good ones, it seems, take more effort.
Taking time to pray, to ask our Father for the thing we so desperately desire is a good example. We do everything we can to try to obtain what we want, even believing it's what we need, or, we try to do without it, thinking it's not important or we can handle things on our own.

But, when we really just stop and ask our Father for the things we want or need, things begin to happen. Especially when we learn the lesson of asking and trusting that He will do what is best, give us our hearts desires, at the very best time.

It's like planting, I guess. When I was a kid, I planted some flower seeds. I thought it would be really neat to watch them grow. But they never came up. I looked for them day after day. Now I know there is a time for planting (Ecclesiastes), that the ground should be prepared and fertile instead of dry and destitute of nutrition, and that, most of all, I need to supply water. Then, I need to supply more water. and then, more, especially in the summer when it's really hot and dry!

So, back to asking the Father... Even when we do ask, if we don't really believe He will answer, we might as well toss the seed in the desert. There's no faith in it and we really shouldn't expect anything to happen when we do it. And, when we do ask believing that He can do it, it's like planting a seed in a freshly cultivated fertile pot of soil. Still, without water and some good old fashioned sunshine, nothing will happen. My deeply shaded backyard is all the evidence I need for this one. "You want grass, lady? Cut down the trees." Easier said than done when they are tall oaks within a few feet of the house...

Anyway, bury that seed in a continually watered, pot of rich soil set out in the morning sun and 'Presto!' Magic happens! Uhm, well, almost. There's still one more thing we have to do. Wait.

But then, what a joy it is knowing we have done all these things, when along comes our answer, or the thing we have hoped for! This is one of the joys Jesus promised: "Ask and you will receive so that you will be filled with joy" (John 16:24 The Voice).

Are we praying like that? It's a good habit! Believe me! 

"You do not have because you have chosen not to ask" (James 4:2 The Voice). Just sayin!

An Appealing Appeal

If you've been following me for awhile, I want to take this opportunity to thank you. You may already know about or may have even read my book, Cafeteria Covenant: the Voice, the Choice, and the Challenge. It's a little book that can have a great impact on the world. But I need your help to do that.

If you have read it, it may have challenged or ministered to you. You may have thought of someone else who would be blessed and encouraged by it as you were reading. In either case, you can do something very simple that won't cost you anything but a few minutes, to put the book in the hands
of others.

Click here to add
your review!

Marketing a book like Cafeteria Covenant could be a very costly and fruitless endeavor, but it doesn't have to be. Here's why: When a book sold on Amazon gets reviews, it gets attention. The more attention it gets, the more demand is created. So, the very simple way you can help others get this book is to tell them about it by writing an Amazon review, letting them know what the book did for you and what it can do for them.

If you haven't read Cafeteria Covenant, I'm offering you the opportunity to get a FREE pdf e-book if you will write a review so others will know about it. And to make my appeal more appealing to you, if you write a review and let me know you have posted it (http://www.livwellseedco.com/contact), I will send you a little thank you gift. I will send you your choice of one of the original songs mentioned in the book, as a FREE MP3 download. You can listen to sample tracks by going to: http://www.reverbnation.com/deeemeigh. But, remember, not all of the songs there are mentioned in the book!


Post your review under the Paperback or Kindle version of Cafeteria Covenant by clicking on the book cover above! You can read what others have said there too!

This offer will expire October 31, 2013, or when the book receives 25 reviews, whichever comes first, so spread the word!