The Greatest Love and Self-image

The Greek language had three words for "Love"  First there was "eros," from which we get "erotic..  This was, of course a purely selfish love.  Then there was "Phileo" (Philadelphia), or "brotherly love"  This is the love of one family member for another.  But the Bible added a new one--"agape"   "Agape is a giving love, entirely unselfish. 

By way of both illustration and practical application, let me quote the following note from  Mary Ellen Grisham, publisher of "Eternal Link:"
After counseling young couples for years, a minister I know suggested that "love is what you do."  Young couples frequently have adjustments to make to the differences in romantic courtship and the realities of day-to-day living with the rigorous requirements of work, children, house and yard keeping, and all the many tasks required to maintain a good home and marriage.

Young wives in particular, experiencing the stress of many new responsibilities, worried that their feelings for their husbands were not always so tender and romantic as they had been during dating.  Even with a basis of sincere love, rushed schedules and economic necessities dimmed the glamour of marriage. 

With the advice that "love is what you do," the women could concentrate less on romantic feelings and more on positive doing--showing their love in practical and effective ways.  The active elements of good will and faith helped the marriages to retain the "zip and spice" of a well-balanced interaction in the homes--what old-time couples used to call "give and take."

That selfless love called agape that causes each of us to focus on the needs of others with no thought of return for ourselves is a high ideal of Christian love.  While it takes all kinds of love and loving to make a good home and marriage, the common element of "what you do" runs through all the forms that love takes.  From romantic love to brotherly and family love, the outer evidence shows in "what you do."

This last Greek word, agape,  is the word used to describe the love God has for us. As the song' "The Love of God" says:

O love of God, how rich, how pure,
How measureless and strong
It shall forevermore endure
The saints and angels' song

And were with ink the oceans filled
And were the skies of parchment made
And every blade of grass a quill
And every man a scribe by trade
To write the love
of God above
Would drain the ocean dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky.

We are of great value both because of our creation and also because of the price paid for our redemption.  There is an old story which illustrates this perfectly.
A Young boy made a beautiful toy sailboat and took it to a lake to sail, but a gust of wind blew the boat out into the lake. The boat was lost. Several weeks later, the boy saw his sailboat in the window of a toy store. When he asked for his boat, the store owner said, "I own the sailboat now. If you want it you will have to buy it back."

The boy sold all he had to buy back his boat. After paying the store owner, the boy took his boat to his heart and said, "Little boat, you are twice mine, I made you, and now I brought you." Like that little boat, we are twice the Lord's - He made us, and Christ bought us back by paying the price for our sin with his own blood. It is the desire of my heart that you would know how great God's love is for you, and that you would receive His unspeakable gift by asking Him to be your Savior and Lord.

The Bible says in Romans 5:8 that "God commended His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."  And in John 3:16, Jesus says "for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes on Him might not perish but have everlasting life."  That's life which begins here and now, and is also what He referred to in the 10th chapter of John as "life more abundant."  Once we accept God's great gift of salvation through His Son, He accepts us and we become His dear children (John 1:12). That should do something for the old self image.  Think of it--to be a son of the Most High God.  And this is where the road to real success begins.  (To find out more, write me at:inspirasucestips@aol.com with the word "life" in the subject.)

But it doesn't mean that our self image will then automatically be right or that non-Christians cannot have a decent self-image.  Other steps in developing a proper self image are as follows:

2) Understand the source of your self-image The image you have today exists because of the experiences of the past. The experiences of the past have not made you the way you are, but have made you believe you are the way you are and it is the believing that made you indeed the way you are.  (By 14 years old most of us have a well developed sense of inferiority.

3) Believe your self image can be changed.  You are not locked in.

4) Decide what kind of person you want to be and write it down.  Here are 3 ways to decide:
   a)Observe and emulate the characteristics of people
     you admire. Observe and avoid characteristics that
     are not attractive to you.
   b)Look at the virtues of great people of the past
     and make those characteristics part of your life.
   c)Study the life of Jesus.  How did He react in
      certain situations?  What was His attitude?

5)Write out a description of the kind of person you want to be in present positive statements.

6)Invest time with the person you want to be every day. (Read the description over and over again.)a

7)Be patient with yourself. (You did not become like you are overnight.)

By following these 7 steps we should begin to see a steady improvement in our self image.

Article written by James M. Becher, Bible teacher, author of "OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM, A Novel of Biblical Times," (http://www.publishedauthors.net/jamesmbecher/index.html), and publisher of  the bi-weekly Ezine, "Inspirational Success Tips" (mailto:inspirationalsuccesstips@Freeautobot.com)

The Saginaw News - MLive.com

Obama and the contraception mandate Christian Science Monitor The Obama administration plans to exempt only certain types of religious institutions from the health-care law's mandate for coverage of birth control. But in doing so, it redefines religion, which not only steps on a basic liberty but an basic ... Religion's role in society and the Obama contraception mandateAlaska Dispatch Protecting our Catholic conscience in the public squareWashington Post Cardinal Wuerl: Health Care Mandate Really About Religious FreedomNewsMax.com Canton Repository -Courthouse News Service -The Saginaw News - MLive.com all 1,182 news articles »

Deutsche Welle

The religious pragmatist who might be Egypt's next president CNN Abol Fotoh's message on religious freedom was consistent with his views five years earlier. "Citizenship is the base of rights and duties. Any citizen in our country, whatever he is, Muslim, Christian, Communist, Hindu, any religion, we should not ... Egypt elections: religion first, economy second for votersTelegraph.co.uk Economy trumps religion in Egypt's electionDeutsche Welle 22.05.2012Elections in EgyptEconomy Trumps ReligionQantara.de The Associated Press -Washington Post (blog) all 4,427 news articles »

Plain Dealer

Romney, Religion, and Rights New Yorker (blog) But, as I write over at Daily Comment, where I can be found on Wednesdays, being a Mormon and running for President introduces certain complications (for Romney) and opportunities (for the rest of us), in terms of a wider discourse on religion, ... Mormon effect: Romney faces 'stained glass ceiling' with votersSalt Lake Tribune Stained-glass ceiling: Study says religion can hurt Romney if Mormons don't ...Deseret News Will concerns about Mitt Romney's religion hurt him this time?Plain Dealer New York Times -The Christian Century all 274 news articles »

NewsNet5.com

Religion news in brief Fox News It provides exemptions for religious organizations. Omaha city attorney Paul Kratz has said the city's legal team disagrees with the attorney general office's opinion, and he doesn't think it will have any effect on the new ordinance. Vatican denies bid to keep Boston Catholic churches openThe Christian Century Greater transparency will evolve the ChurchEureka Street all 64 news articles »

Religion Study Suggests Faithful Less Likely To Punish Others For Breaking Rules Huffington Post Religion study shows nonbelievers and people who believe in god differ in their attitudes about punishment. Believing in an involved, morally active God makes people less likely to punish others for rule-breaking, new research finds.

Telegraph.co.uk

GI accused in Fort Hood bomb plot tells mom in jail visit that motive was ... Washington Post Abdo is heard telling his mother that “it's all true” and “the reason is religion. There is no other reason.” He says what he did was selfless because he was trying to avenge the United States' wrongful treatment of people he considers his family, ... Jurors hear from witnesses, recordings in Abdo caseYNN, Your News Now all 1,044 news articles »

Religion Calendar: May 23 Opelika Auburn News Southern gospel group The Jordan River Boys will perform on the first Friday of every month at Paces Pointe Fire Station on County Road 34 in Dadeville. If you have an event you'd like to submit for inclusion in the religion calendar, email the event ... and more »

Politics, religion and the struggles of a small-town atheist San Antonio Express That's especially true when the discussions of politics, government and religion intersect. You can say what you want, but you suffer the consequences. Your neighbors can like it or lump it or lash out at it. These days, there's a lot more lashing than ... and more »

Religious Space for Crowded Schools: Godsend or Trouble? New York Times By Fred Mogul While the city tries to exorcise the influence of religion from the public school system by evicting churches that rent school space for worship services, it's sending thousands of children to spaces rented from parochial institutions, ... and more »

The Media's Religion Deficit Town Hall Evidence of big media's bias against religion that doesn't advance the secular and liberal agenda of the Democratic Party is beyond dispute. Any faith attached to a conservative agenda is to be ridiculed, stereotyped and misrepresented. and more »