Nothing Matters More to God than People

First Commandment: Love God.
Second Commandment: Love Others.
Loving God is easy for me, because He's never given me a reason not to love Him. Loving others is not always so easy! We meet people who aren't like us and we immediately begin judging them from head to toe. Even if we don't intend to do this- it just happens. It's human nature. There are certain people we may not get along with (and never will)...BUT God calls us to love others. ALL others. I believe that we don't have to be friends with everyone we meet - but we can at least be cordial and nice to them.

I've also discovered that it's tempting to turn conversations "all about me!" I have started making a conscious effort not to do this! I am trying to be a better listener (without sticking my two-cents in everything.) I want to be more empathetic and understanding. When someone comes to me to pour out their feelings, then I need to take the time to stop whatever I'm doing and really listen. Doing this will help me deepen my relationships with others. I've found out the hard way that multi-tasking while "listening" just doesn't work. (Maybe for some people it does....but I'm just not the best multi-tasker!)

If nothing matters more to God than PEOPLE....then nothing should matter more to me than people! It is difficult to put others first in a world that preaches selfishness - where being a "material girl" is the thing to do. Don't get me wrong - I love new clothes, shoes, jewelry, and getting my hair done! But I don't want those things to get in the way of what matters most. There are times when I need a moment to REFOCUS on my purpose in life.

Love God and Fear God

I've always been taught to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul." In my Bible Fellowship class recently, we discussed the importance of Fearing God also. Is it weird if I don't fear God? I mean- I know that He is all powerful and there are major consequences if we deny Him.....but I try to live my life to serve Him and please Him. So should I still have that fear? I came to God as a new believer when I was very young, and it was His mercy and love that drew me close to Him- and that same mercy and love still draw me close to Him today!

Maybe different people are motivated differently. You see, I always hated getting in trouble. I am a people pleaser. My dad could just look at me with a stern face (and not say anything) and I would start crying. My husband, on the other hand, would dare his mom to keep spanking him when he got in trouble. He reminds me of some of my 6th grade students! How many buttons can I push before she REALLY goes off the deep end?! (Like that would be funny or something.) I guess there's a balance needed between LOVE and FEAR. Sometimes, love is not enough. Sometimes, there must be consequences for our actions. Sometimes, we just need to be reminded of Judgment Day!

This concept of balancing love and fear is also true for teaching and parenting. Our kids need us to love them unconditionally, believe in them, and encourage them. We can help them learn how to make good decisions for themselves...but sometimes this love is not enough. That's when discipline comes into play. I believe in giving natural consequences. I feel fortunate that my experience teaching has helped me learn (a little bit) about parenting.

About My Blog

This blog is intended to be a place where I can pour out my thoughts and share them with my closest friends and family members. I feel that I have been learning so much recently that I need an outlet of some sort. I hope that others find it intriguing, uplifting, and .... enlightening!

Please feel free to join in conversation any time!