When I was a child living in Alaska, I remember hiking through the woods and across snowy fields as the endless blue skies towered above me. I remember thinking about how pure, pristine, and peaceful the world looked and felt. There was so much beauty to take in. My heart would beat fast and my mind would race as I felt somewhat overwhelmed by the grandeur of nature’s majesty, sounds and colors.
Just about the time I’m mentally seeing that stream full of migrating salmon, without fail, I’m yanked back to the present. The 60+ years of life yank me back to reality. Things aren’t always like the beauty of God’s creations. All of life isn’t like good childhood memories. As the tears started to form in my eyes after asking myself “is this really the same world,” I realized The Holy Spirit has gently slipped his arm around me to settle my spirit. Yes, it was God’s hand that fashioned creation’s beauty but it was the selfish decisions we all make that created the chaos, pain and suffering.
As I look at this New Year, my objectives are tempered with the harsh reality of my ego, quirky temperament, as well as multiple imperfections and failures. My goals are not as ambitious and self-serving. I’ve learned that I will actually achieve more if the goals are focused on people and based in love. God will take care of the coordination, control, bills and essentials if I just love the ones around me.
When I was a kid, I thought John’s three epistles were fluffy and rhetorical. All he ever talked about was love. Isn’t there something else to talk about? Aren’t there so many other things that matter, like being a college professor, the President, or playing in the World Series? Then one day I ran upon this scripture in 1 Corinthians 8: While knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens others. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. Now that I am older I realize just how profound John’s epistles are. He, in his old age, had discovered the truth – what really matters in life. He figured out that there could never be the joy we all so desperately desire without love. And, without that joy we would not be different this year than in the past. We would be just like the rest of the world. He said simply in 1 John 3:10 that the world “. . . can tell who are children of God . . . Anyone who . . . does not love others does not belong to God. Love became our identifying factor – it sets us apart.
I know each of you love me and try to please me. However, no matter how good you are you will not be able to be an upstanding citizen, positively impact your world, or come close to keeping the Ten Commandments if you don’t love those God brings into your life. No matter what you accumulate, it won’t matter unless you can share it with someone else in love. In 1 Corinthians 13:13 Paul tells us that only a very few things last and have eternal perspective. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. So make your plans around others and their needs. Make a resolution to love them more deeply this year than ever before.
Love Dad.