Get Lost! I don’t need you!

The company that owns the social network site called “Facebook” announced a stock offering yesterday.  When it happens,  California will have hundreds of new millionaires, people who made a fortune out of creating friendships in the 21^st century. I use the site that allows me to stay in contact with friends, new and old, near and far. Facebook is better than an occasional note or annual Christmas card.  On the ‘wall’ I see pictures of my friend’s kids and dogs, hear about their successes, and learn about disappointments. To be sure, sharing a meal, laughing together, and being physically in a person’s company is incomparably more fulfilling than a few lines on Facebook.

Why do we enjoy social connections? Because we need a place to belong. The circle of friends in our lives steady us, encourage us, and help us to avoid that sense of meaninglessness that so often accompanies anonymity!

If you want to be healthy, both spiritually  and emotionally, cultivate friendships by investing yourself in other people, hanging with them through the inevitable up’s and down’s.  We all struggle through misunderstandings or hurt feelings from time to time, but the love that comes from the Spirit, propels us past those things. Jesus said, "This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other." (John 13:35, The Message) The quality of that love means that our connection to one another is a priority above our convenience and our feelings! We are committed to one another.

“You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your "part" mean anything. ... But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, "Get lost; I don’t need you"? Or, Head telling Foot, "You’re fired; your job has been phased out"? ... I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together." ( from 1 Corinthians 12 The Message)

One of the major ways that the Devil destroys God’s work is by stirring up envy, suspicion, bitterness, or disappointment among Christians! If he is somehow able to deceive us about the motives or sincerity of our faith family, we all suffer. Perhaps more tragic than our personal pain is the disgrace that our infighting brings on the Lord of Love. A frequent reason for not attending a local church is a past experience of some ugly fight that tore Christians apart over some relatively trivial matter. Few things distract the Church from her mission more than internal strife.

Here’s the word from the Word.  "This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.

Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." (1 John 3:11-16, NIV)

Let's get connected. Go to http://www.facebook.com/ and create a profile. Once you're finished, bring up this link - https://www.facebook.com/jerscott and send me a friend request.

___________________

Heavenly Father, I thank you for the Church,
for calling me to know the joy of serving
with so many others who love You.
Help us, Lord, to stay connected.
Fill us with love; make us patient.

Give us a revival of authentic and deep love
for the family of faith.
Renew our desire for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
so that we will do the work of Your Kingdom
in a way that is complementary to one another,

Powerful in accomplishing eternal goals, and fulfilling.
We pray all of this in the Name of
Jesus Christ our Great and Wonderful Friend.

Amen!