Remember your first love daily

As Joyce Meyer writes, ‘Stir up love in your life – towards your spouse and towards your family, friends, neighbours and co-workers. Reach out to others who are hurting and in need. Pray for people and bless them. Grow to the point that one of your first thoughts each morning in your heart is about how you can bless someone else that day.’

7 characteristics of good influencer

Jesus’ ‘Seven Woes’ challenge us to aspire to seven characteristics of a good influencer: Integrity Jesus attacks the hypocrisy of the religious leaders (vv.3–4). He says, ‘They do not practise what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them’ (vv.3b–4). Integrity is the opposite of this, it means practising what you preach and making sure that your words lift people up, rather than weighing them down with guilt or other burdens. Authenticity Jesus attacks their superficiality (vv.5–7). He says to them, ‘Everything they do is done for others to see’ (v.5a). But what matters is who you are when nobody is looking. Jesus speaks about your ‘secret’ life with God. Seek to develop an authentic private life with God. Humility Jesus warns against loving titles and recognition (vv.8–11). Be on your guard so that you are not enticed by ‘prominent positions’, ‘public flattery’, and being given titles of one sort or another (vv.6–7, MSG). Jesus warns, ‘Don’t let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that’ (v.8, MSG). This is such a temptation but Jesus says, ‘For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted’ (v.12). Always seek to exalt Jesus, rather than yourself. Compassion Jesus attacks the religious leaders for putting stumbling blocks in the way of others (vv.13–15). He says, ‘You shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to’ (v.13). Leaders need to have the opposite spirit – one that is open and welcoming to everybody. Jesus himself sets an example of compassion. He says, ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings’ (v.37). Vision Leaders should have big vision. Jesus attacks the small-mindedness and pettiness of the religious leaders (vv.16–22). The ‘ridiculous hairsplitting!’ (v.19, MSG). They could not see the wood for the trees. You need to concentrate on the important issues, pray for God’s vision, and don’t be sidetracked. Ask God to give you a vision that is so big that without him it is impossible. Focus Focus on what really matters (vv.23–24). Avoid getting caught up with minor details and becoming legalistic. Jesus says, ‘You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel’ (v.24). Rather we are to focus on, ‘The more important matters… justice, mercy and faithfulness’ (v.23). Fight against injustice and poverty; and demonstrate ‘faithfulness’ in your relationships with your family and others. Generosity This is the opposite of the greed and self-indulgence, which Jesus decries (vv.25–28). Their inner life is so different from the outer life. Jesus calls you to be yourself – for the inside to be like the outside (vv.27–28).

Greatest commandment

Jesus replied: ‘ “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37 NIVUK http://bible.com/113/mat.22.37.NIVUK
And the second is like it: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” Matthew 22:39 NIVUK http://bible.com/113/mat.22.39.NIVUK

Job's life

Job’s life was an example, an inspiration and a challenge. This is a wonderful picture of holy and righteous living. Keep yourself pure He said, ‘I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl’ (v.1). He was not enticed (v.9) in his heart into adultery. He realised that ‘adultery is a fire that burns the house down’ (v.12, MSG). Avoid materialism He did not put his trust in riches (v.24) in spite of the great wealth he had. Nor did he put his hope in pure gold by saying, ‘You are my security’ (v.24). Again, his heart had not been ‘secretly enticed’ (v.27). Love your enemy He had resisted the temptation to hate his enemies. He didn’t gloat when his enemies were in trouble (v.29b) – which is such a powerful temptation. There is a great temptation to speak words of anger, but Job did not allow his ‘mouth to sin by invoking a curse’ (v.30) against his enemies. Be generous It was not just in his personal life that he avoided sin. He was fair to his employees (v.13). He did not deny ‘the desires of the poor’ (v.16a). His ‘door was always open to the traveller’ (v.32).

Wisdom changes you

Job describes the immense value of this wisdom: ‘Where can wisdom be found?… It cannot be bought with the finest gold, nor can its price be weighed in silver… God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells… “The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding”’ (28:12,15–28). What kind of life does this lead to? It will lead to shunning evil (v.28) and serving the poor (29:12). Job describes a truly righteous life as helping ‘the poor… the fatherless… [the] dying… the widow… the blind… the lame… the needy… the stranger’ (vv.12–16). Job was concerned not only with poverty but also with justice: ‘I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban… I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth’ (vv.14,17). As you draw close to God in intimate friendship, his concerns become your concerns. Like Job, you will desire to help the poor, the fatherless, the homeless and the widows. You want to rescue victims of injustice. You will seek to look after the blind, the lame, the needy and the refugees in your land.

Anger and love

If we look at human trafficking, the abuse of children, institutional torture or some other terrible injustice without feeling any anger, we are failing to love. Indignation against evil is an essential

Transcendence and immanence

‘Transcendence’ and ‘immanence’ describe the almost paradoxical nature of our relationship with God. The transcendence of God means that God exists apart from, and is not subject to the limitations of, the material universe. He is above and beyond, surpassing and excelling, greatly superior to us. On the other hand, the immanence of God means that it is possible to experience his immediate friendship. In our Old Testament passage for today, Job speaks of ‘God’s intimate friendship’ (Job 29:4). It is only when you understand the transcendence of God that you see how amazing his immanence is, and what a huge privilege it is to be able to enjoy God’s intimate friendship.