Authentic Love

Authentic love does not have to do with performance, it just is! That does not mean we will be accepting sin, but the love creates in us a desire to help the one we love to see the flaws to be able to confess them and be cleansed of them.

1 John 1:9

"9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

There is nothing more agonizing than when we love someone, see them going down a road that will harm them, and they will not listen to reason or pray to be given wisdom from God.

Feelings Trumping Facts: A Disordered Socitey

The "self esteem" teachings of the schools and churches have taught people to be hypersensitive to everything. Everything is about "feelings", in fact feelings trump facts in our culture, it's very strange.

The Immaturing of America

I saw a title to an article, that I did not read, that said; "30 is the new 20", regarding the maturity level of the next generation. This amused me because of what I have been observing in those who are in their 30's today.

This resonated with me because it is exactly what I have been noticing. The next generation is far less mature than "30 somethings" were 70 years ago.

Reactions to things are based more on feelings than facts or rational evaluation of things. They do not let anything roll off, allowing others to have their own personalities, but expect others to act and speak they way THEY want them to in order to feel acceptable. Their personal identity is deeply connected to what others think of them.

When someone's mentality is based on being elevated or validated by others, they lack maturity. There was a day when most people did what was right because it was right, it didn't matter if anyone else accepted or approved of them for it. This is maturity, our decisions are made rationally and based on good evidence rather than on feelings.

When we are comfortable in our own skin, we have no sense of needing to be acceptable to others. We choose to treat others with respect based on our desire to be a loving and kind person, not on whether or not we think they deserve it according to our own idea of good.

Believers who walk with Christ intimately have no need of being accepted by the world, because they are accepted by Christ, He lives in them and their value comes from His love, not our own performance.

Galatians 2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.:"

1 John 4:19
"We love because he first loved us."

When we love Christ His love flows from us to others without our own effort, it comes naturally because of Who He is in us.

John 13:35 "35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”