Everything that happened, happened exactly as God has intended. Nothing less or nothing more.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Eye of the lamp
Matthew 6:22-23
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
What does the eye of the lamp refer to? It simply refers to our eyes.. Our opinion of those around us.
I don't know how to emphasize this strong enough... but a good opinion of someone is really the most valuable gift you can give anyone... It is love that gives us a good opinion of people.. and God is love... Therefore, even the ability to think well of someone is given to you by God... but more than that.. a good opinion of others is really also the most valuable gift you can recieve from God.
Have you ever met a person that is so filled with malace and cruelty in his words and actions.. that you find it almost impossible to develop a good opinion of him, as hard as you try? I have definitely been in such a position and after struggling alot.. I still fail..
It all boils down to another important concept. Is God working? Or are you struggling to achieve God's work with your own power?
You can struggle... you can pray really long and emotional prayers.. you can scream and shout... you can bitch and complain to every living being you see... but at the end of the day... the thing that is going to make a difference.. the thing that will eventually help you see the good in that 'difficult' person will not be your own effort. It will be God. It will be love.
And do you know how important this good opinion of people is to you? As opposed to popular belief... your good opinion of someone isn't just a gift to the other party... Based on this passage from the bible, your good opinion of people is indeed what sets you apart from all others in this world... Your good eyes.. are what makes you the light of this world...
Therefore, in your daily walk with God.. do remember to pray for good eyes.. to be able to see the good in all people.. not only in those who are kind and likeable... but those who constantly persecute us, offend us, belittle us and dehumanise us... Ask for a pair of good eyes.. to always see the good in them and love them as God would love them.
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
What does the eye of the lamp refer to? It simply refers to our eyes.. Our opinion of those around us.
I don't know how to emphasize this strong enough... but a good opinion of someone is really the most valuable gift you can give anyone... It is love that gives us a good opinion of people.. and God is love... Therefore, even the ability to think well of someone is given to you by God... but more than that.. a good opinion of others is really also the most valuable gift you can recieve from God.
Have you ever met a person that is so filled with malace and cruelty in his words and actions.. that you find it almost impossible to develop a good opinion of him, as hard as you try? I have definitely been in such a position and after struggling alot.. I still fail..
It all boils down to another important concept. Is God working? Or are you struggling to achieve God's work with your own power?
You can struggle... you can pray really long and emotional prayers.. you can scream and shout... you can bitch and complain to every living being you see... but at the end of the day... the thing that is going to make a difference.. the thing that will eventually help you see the good in that 'difficult' person will not be your own effort. It will be God. It will be love.
And do you know how important this good opinion of people is to you? As opposed to popular belief... your good opinion of someone isn't just a gift to the other party... Based on this passage from the bible, your good opinion of people is indeed what sets you apart from all others in this world... Your good eyes.. are what makes you the light of this world...
Therefore, in your daily walk with God.. do remember to pray for good eyes.. to be able to see the good in all people.. not only in those who are kind and likeable... but those who constantly persecute us, offend us, belittle us and dehumanise us... Ask for a pair of good eyes.. to always see the good in them and love them as God would love them.
Matthew
Treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-24)
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoed to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
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Do Not Worry (Matthew 6:25-34)
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tommororow is thrown in the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'what shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoed to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do Not Worry (Matthew 6:25-34)
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tommororow is thrown in the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'what shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
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