Just The Two Of Us

Sometimes we get a little lost in life with so many things happening around us.  All our thoughts and everything that comes along with it could be described as being like scrambled eggs.  Mixed up and even messy at times.

For those who have watched Greys Anatomy before, there is a scene where Danny, who was very sick in hospital, was going to either propose to Issie or marry her (can’t quite remember).  Issie was at home spending time to “get ready” when Danny unexpectedly passed away.  When she got to the hospital and found him there she felt “totally lost”.  All alone in the world.  It was truly a heart-felt sobbing moment!! 

They played a song by Snow Patrol called Chasing Cars. I have listened to this song so many times and always wondered about the fact that they say “we can do everything on our own and don’t need anything or anyone”, and thought, yeah right, we all need someone. 

A friend made me realise recently that there are times in life when we just need some time to “regroup”, “pull yourself together” instead of having “someone” in your life.

When I was listening to the song on my way home yesterday the meaning of the words had a whole different meaning.  Was stuck in traffic and simply had to make some notes on my phone.  Those wings in motion again J.  The words of the song follows below so you can better understand the rest of the article.

We'll do it all, Everything, On our own

We don't need, Anything, Or anyone

If I lay here, If I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world?

I don't quite know, How to say, How I feel

Those three words, Are said too much, They're not enough

If I lay here, If I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told, Before we get too old, Show me a garden that's bursting into life

Let's waste time, Chasing cars, Around our heads

I need your grace, To remind me, To find my own

If I lay here, If I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told, Before we get too old, Show me a garden that's bursting into life

All that I am, All that I ever was, Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see

I don't know where, Confused about how as well, Just know that these things will never change for us at all

If I lay here, If I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world?

A beautiful love song isn’t it?  Can now understand why it was used in a “heart-felt” moment.

Listening to the above words just made me realise that when we are feeling lost we can have tons and tons of people around us and the feel the same way or even worse.

Sometimes we just need to spend some time in God’s arms. Let Him be the only one to comfort us and make us feel like the special people we are.  Forget about the world and everything in it for a while.  He doesn’t expect us to say anything, just be still and be there.  Find ourselves in the process, remembering who we are in His eyes.

Asking Him to let it be:  “Just the two of us”.

May all of you find this kind of love and comfort in God’s arms when you need it the most J

Brace or Embrace

Simply have to share something before I carry on with the actual thought I want to share.  Earlier this week I sent out and e-mail titled “Taking Risks”.  Then an hour or so later the above mentioned thought popped into my mind.  Well let me put it this way, I have had the heading for a while but didn’t know what to write about it.  Then on that morning the words just started flowing.  When that happens I have to put it down on paper.  It was only after a few paragraphs that I realised that the two thoughts were exactly the opposite!!!!  One saying, take a risk the other one should I brace myself?  Had such a laugh about it.  Immediately stopped writing and carried on with something else.  Just goes to show how our thoughts jump around from one thing to another, depending on how we feel at that moment. To the men out there, I am sure changing your mind sometimes is not just a woman thing J.

It is amazing how grammar can give two words that are almost identical, adding or removing one or two letters, a totally different meaning. 

How do we know in life when to embrace something or brace yourself and hold back a bit?

Had to really think about this one for a bit on Monday morning.  After some recent events I now understand it much better.  On Monday I wouldn’t have been able to really say how experience led me to writing about the above subject.  Isn’t it interesting to realize when you go through things how it changes your perspective completely?  How you can actually relate to it?  Understand it a lot better.

I do know that it is something that each one of us should be asking ourselves.  It is not a question that anyone can give you the answer to or decide on your behalf.  There are certain things in life that we have to figure out ourselves.  Take some time to sit back and get perspective on it.  This is, as I have mentioned numerous times before, where discernment comes in.  There are definitely times when we “feel” we “want” to do something but we “know” that we “have” to go in the opposite direction. 

A friend once explained it to me this way.  The example of Abraham was used.  God asked him to sacrifice his son Isac.  While walking up the mountain he asked God time and time again if it was the right thing to do, and when God kept on saying yes, even though it was an extremely difficult thing for him to do, knowing that he will suffer a GREAT loss, he still obeyed God. Just when he was ready to sacrifice his son, God provided a way out!!!!

God knows what is in our hearts. If we stay loyal when He tells us to go in a specific direction (even if we feel that it might be at a tremendous loss on our side and we are scared) He will always stay true to His word.  He will ALWAYS step in at the right time.  Do what is best for us.  It sure takes a whole lot of faith when this happens.

Don’t underestimate the power of faith and loyalty. 

Today I would just like to wish all of you strength to always step into faith when things really get tough and you are not sure which direction to go in.  Ask God and trust that the answer He gives you is the right one.

Reprogramming Your Mind

How are we as Christians supposed to live our lives?

The other night I came across a card that I got at church some time ago.  I have read it before and put it on my nightstand.  Somehow it fell off and landed under my bed. I was looking for Missy (my kitty for those who don’t know yet J) and found the card.  The heading is “How do I live my Christian life?”.

There were loads of verses to read and I must admit the further I read the more I realised that I don’t always apply all the things in my life.  I thought “oh my goodness I am doomed!!!”  Scary thought. Towards the end there was a verse that said that it is a daily thing that we have to work on.  A constant reprogramming of the mind, body and soul.  It is impossible to be able to do all of this at once.  Things you might have worked through and overcome today might come back and be a new challenge again in your life at a later stage.  I took a deep sigh of relief J. 

The thing is that the closer we move to God the more we become aware of things that are not “quite right”.  That “gut feeling” is something we should listen to as it comes from the Holy Spirit. If you feel “no” then don’t.  Some of those things might not have bothered you as much before.  Must admit it feels like it makes life a lot harder sometimes even though I know it is a blessing and an honour to have such a close relationship with God.

So guys, hang in there and know that it is all worth it living the best life you possibly could as a child of God. 

Our Talents Our Responsibility

We have all received gifts/talents and with those gifts came a responsibility.

We are never too old or too young for God to use our gifts to expand His Kingdom.  Samuel was only 12 years old when God called him as a prophet in Israel.  Moses on the other hand was 80 years old when he was spoken to through the Burning Bush.

1Pe 4:10  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

I am not going to go into too much detail about the different kinds of gifts that God blessed each one of us with.  Only that there are gifts from the Holy Spirit, ministry gifts of Christ and motivational gifts from the Father.

The questions each of us should ask ourselves are:

1.       What am I doing with it?
2.       Am I increasing/multiplying it?
3.       If I am not using it, why not?

So, how do I start developing and growing the gifts within?  There is no need to go and look for something to do, just get involved with what is right in front of you.  What stirs your heart and energy.

There is never a better time to start than now

Too Extreme

Taking things from one extreme to the other is not always a good thing.  

For example. A person who hasn't had proper nutrition in the form of food for some time can't all of a sudden sit down and have a three course meal even though it seems like a good idea at the time. It will be too much of a shock to their system. Too extreme.

We should be very careful not to let things in life overwhelm us. Like I have mentioned countless times to some of my friends before: “When you get worked up your body experiences stress”. Whether it is excitement over something good or stress because of something bad, your body doesn't know the difference. Intense emotions equals stress to the body!

Even though extreme emotions can make you feel good, experience a sense of euphoria, experiencing it over and over again could be bad for you in the long run. There is an afrikaans saying "te veel van 'goeie ding is nie goed nie". It is true.

Our bodies are not designed to handle too much stress over a long period of time.

We all need balance in our lives.  Seek out things in life that calms our spirit and makes us feel at peace.

Silliness

There was another subject I started writing about yesterday that I wanted to send out, but simply had to change it to this message.  Couldn’t resist J.

Ever feel like acting a little silly?  Try being part of a family where it happens on a daily basis!!!  And boy does rub off after a while J. 

Growing up I use to think my Dad had a weird sense of humour.  They always say that Englishmen have a very “witty” and “dry” sense of humour.  Then when I learned to appreciate it, it became so refreshing and always made our whole family laugh.  Miss him a lot.  Fortunately my mom, two sisters, brother, brother in law, their two sons, and my aunts all have a healthy dose as well!!!  Plenty to go around.  We have a saying that could easily be misinterpreted if you still get to know the family.  It is normally said when someone says something very amusing. “There is something wrong with you and it ain’t no little thing.  One day a thought popped into my head and I replied to my mom saying: “Guess what, there is no cure for it so you are stuck with me”. J

There was a period in my life when this was missing.  Can’t imagine now how I managed without it.

Must admit that people don’t always know how to react to it.  It has landed me in some “awkward” situations.  Well not all that uncomfortable for me more for the other party involved.  Then on the other hand it has been an ice-breaker, stress releaser and just plain fun!!!!!!!

Even my boss plays along sometimes.  One day he did something very amusing.  He walked passed me and saw that I was looking for him. He picked up speed and hid behind his office door.  When I knocked on the door he knocked back and stayed there.  It was hilarious.  Other times he just shakes his head and smiles.

I am so blessed being surrounded by good people with a sense of fun.  It is something in life that I will never let go off.    

I wish all of you a little (or a lot) of silliness, craziness and entertaining people to share it with!!!

Taking Risks

How will we learn to live life if we never take risks? 

Don’t I stand a chance of failing you might ask??  Let’s be real. Of course you do!! But I would rather take a chance at loosing than miss out on not having lived. 

Think about it.  Has there ever been something in life that you really wanted to do but you were too scared to try?  Too afraid of not being successful.  Maybe something as small as going up to someone and start a conversation or something as big as buying a new house .  Let’s say for arguments sake you did approach that person. She might end up being your best friend one day, or she might not want to talk at all.  We don’t always know how things are going to turn out. Did you lose anything by trying? No. Well, maybe a little nerve if she brushed you off, but you will bounce back quickly J. 

Taking risks in life is all about growing as a person, moving towards success, reaching for greater heights. 

Don’t miss out on the possibility of a great future simply because you were too scared to take a leap of faith.

Be bold, live life!!!!

Different ....... But The Same

This morning someone at work shared something with me that they were going through.

It happened to be something very similar that I am going through myself right now and it was so comforting and an inspiration to realise that even though we are different that we all go through exactly the same things and we are not alone in any of this.

A situation that one person is facing and shares with someone else can unknowingly be a testimony.  A life raft at the right moment and might just have a huge impact on someone’s life.

Isn’t God just awesome!!!!  His timing is always perfect. 

Like I have stated so many times to a number of people (and will again), “even if I don’t always feel ok, I know I am going to be ok”.  God’s grace is always enough.

Grace-Filled?

Paul always starts and ends his letters with the word "Charis” meaning  -  May grace be sent to you.

His whole life was changed around because of God’s grace.  He never forgot that.

Are we grace filled people? If you are upset with someone, do you show grace? When you are disappointed in a person do you show grace?  Do you show grace even if you don’t feel like it but God specifically tells you to do so? 

First of all I would like to stress the fact that grace is not earned it is given.  We cannot ask people or God to show us grace because we do this and that and the other.  People show grace “in spite” of who we are. 

What does it mean to be grace-filled or a grace provider?  Why is it important to stay close to those who are called "grace providing" people?

We need some people who accepts us, welcome us, and love us, no matter what. Someone that rejoices when we rejoice, feels our sadness to the extent that we experience it. Someone who notices things about you, that pays attention to your heart and life, they speak truthfully to you, even tough love if necessary. Grace providers simply NEVER cease to love you, they see beneath the surface; they see the darkness as well as the goodness in your heart. But when they see the darkness they do not pull away. They are not repulsed. They move toward you. They focus on the holes in you and see God’s light shining through.  They are "no matter what" people. Grace filled people never let you forget that you might be a rag doll, but you are God's rag doll.

“Love that sustains us is love based on grace - quoted from "Love Beyond Reason" John Ortberg".

Another quote from "Love Beyond Reason".

You see, it was grace that was wrapped in swaddling rags and laid in a manger. It was grace that dwelt among us, grace that healed the sick, cured the blind, and raised the dead. It was grace that partied with ragged tax collectors, grace that was called friend of sinners, grace that would not cast the first stone. It was grace that was nailed to the cross along with our sin and guilt, grace that the tomb could not hold, grace that now sits on the right hand of the Father, grace that will one day come back for you and me.

God’s grace is always enough.  Enough for us when we need it for ourselves and enough when we need to give it to others.

Charis

Safe In My Arms

Ever been very scared for whatever reason? 

Maybe during thunder storms as a child or when watching a very scary movie J.

On a more serious note, we live in a dangerous world and there are some real and valid reasons to be scared.  Knowing someone is there to protect you is comforting. It makes you feel safe and give you a sense that you will be ok no matter what. 

Safety to me means that absolutely nothing on this earth can separate us from the love of God.

Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (KJV)

We will always experience “scary” moments in our lives.  That will never change. But God will never let us fall beyond the point where it is impossible for us to be caught before we hit rock bottom.  Even though we feel that we are already there sometimes.

It is natural and ok to be scared. We must just never forget that we can always find safety, love and protection in His arms.

Feel safe and loved!!!!

Are You Strong-Willed?

Were you the one in your family who always got into trouble about the things you felt like doing even if you knew it could bring you into trouble?  Willing to take the risk of being punished instead of not doing it? Maybe you rebelled against the things that according to your parents you "should" have done. Or, you might know a person who is like this.

What is our first response when someone does something that according to us is "wrong"? We get upset with them and tell them "don't, you are wrong!" What do they do? Get angry at us. Most of the times they end up doing it anyway. Why?

They are strong-willed. Explorers. Did you know that a lot of the strong-willed people in life have the potential to reach great heights? The same will that makes them act out at times is what drives them to become their best.

So, what should we do then? Let them do as they please? Just leave them be? Not let them take responsibility for what they've done?

None of the above. Just approach them differently. When you talk to them act out of love and not anger. Rather find out why they did it instead of just telling them that they were wrong and are not allowed to do it.  Then, when you have calmed down talk to him about how you feel and why. 

The best thing you can do when you feel you are at the end of your rope is to pray and ask God to bless that person. Easy for me to say right? I don't have kids. Only thing is, this does not apply to kids only. It involves anyone who crosses your path. Family, a friend, co-worker or  people in different walks of life.

Believe me it works. Of course it is an on-going process and doesn't just fix things overnight. You might have to do it over and over again, for a long period of time.  God always answers our prayers.

What Happens If We Know

If you do something wrong because you are not aware of it, your chances of being let off the hook are more likely.

But what if you know what the right thing is to do and you don’t apply it? You will probably have to face the consequences.  

This became very clear to me when I was baptised in September this year.  Upon arriving home on the evening of the baptism I realised what a huge responsibility it is to give your life over to God completely. Off course I gave it a lot of thought before but the reality of the matter only hit me afterwards.  At that point in your life you make a decision to either be for God or against Him.  To leave the old you behind.  You can’t choose both. You learn more about what God wants and expects from you.   You get to know His word and use it as a guideline on how to live your life.  During the time following this more things happened and more responsibility came.  Must admit it gets tough sometimes but it is totally worth it and a huge blessing. Life doesn’t get easier after committing to God, you just don’t have to face it alone.

To get back to the main thought.  What happens if we don’t follow God’s guidelines?  People always say God is a God of grace and will forgive us when we sin and truly repent. Yes He always will, but we still have to face the consequences of our actions.  It won’t just go away.  As you move closer to God you become more aware of what is right or wrong.  Something that might not have bothered you before all of a sudden makes you feel so guilty.  You get very confused when you switch between right and wrong constantly.  God wants you to live according to His will.  He is the one making you aware of all these things.  He tries to help all the time.

We just need to do our best to follow the path that God has laid out before us.  And yes we will stumble at times because we all have our weaknesses. 

Willingly not taking responsibility for doing what God expects is wrong.  When you know the law you have to abide by it.

Who Comes First?

We tend to get so lost in everything we do.  Prioritizing things that we think should come first in life. 

How do the things we do in our life’s affect what God wants for us?  What impact does it have on our relationship with Him?   Let’s say for arguments sake you make new friends/have existing ones.  Take on a new job.  Will it lead you closer to God?  Help you grow in your relationship or cause a rift?  Our daily surroundings and friends have a much bigger effect on us than we realise.  It shapes and forms us into who we are, who we become.  A friend told me once “What we are is God’s gift to us, what we become is our gift to God”.  When it comes to choosing between what we feel we need and what God would want for us then we all know what the answer is.  We still get to make the choice though.  God gave us a free will because He is fair and just and will never force us to do something.  Point us in the right direction yes, but it is still up to us to decide. 

How do we differentiate between what is the best choice to make or not?  By spending time with God and His word.  Only then can we move closer to Him. Open up the channel to get in sync with what it is He wants to teach us.  The Holy Spirit also gives us discernment in each situation we face.  If there is a definite feeling of “don’t”, then there is a reason to it.  We are all unique, so relying on someone else’s yes or no should not be the final answer you base your decision on.  The Holy Spirit speaks to each one of us in a different way.  With this I don’t mean that you shouldn’t ask for advice.  Only that you should not rely on just that person’s guidance.  Difficult as it might seem at the time.  God ALWAYS knows best.

Whatever we do, we should always remember that God comes first.  He will let the rest fall into place.

Blessings to each one of you on all the decisions you have to make that affect your life in some way or another.  Even the ones we think might not be so important.

Beauty In God's Creation

There is beauty in everything that God makes.  Quite an obvious statement isn’t it?  Ever try finding beauty in the things that doesn’t seem all that pretty?

One afternoon I went for a walk to relax a bit.  It is always interesting to look at everything around me.  Whether it be trees with nice colour leaves, flowers, various people, houses etc.  One afternoon I decided to try and find something positive in everything that came across my path.  In general it wasn’t all that difficult.  Even if it was something very minute, there was something visible.  When I was almost at the end of the journey I saw something and said: “No way! There is absolutely nothing “lovely” I could see in this particular thing”.  Except for the fact that it was created by God off course.  It was something I was very scared of and that wasn’t pretty at all.  A bullterrier!  Then I decided to stand and study him for a bit (from a distance!).  Surely there must be something good.  At that point I thought that God had a lovely sense of humour for bringing this one across my path J.  The owner of the dog came out of the house and then it dawned on me!  They are very good watch dogs and will protect their master at any cost.

So folks, there you have it!  There is some form of beauty in everything that God creates so lovingly. 

Emotions, A Blessing

The other morning I saw a couple of things that really stirred my emotions.  One was a very inspirational message from a friend and the others were photos.  The one was about a dachshund that adopted a little piglet due to the fact that she was orphaned.  I think an accurate description of what I was feeling would be “all mushy inside”.

These were all good emotions.   Believe me getting in touch with your emotions can be exhausting sometimes (both the good and the not so pleasant ones), but can you imagine what life would be like not experiencing any of these feelings at all?  Compassion, empathy, and love to name but a few.  It is just such a wonderful gift from God.

We should guard our hearts from hardening in life because of things that happens to us. Some people (especially men) are taught not to show emotions because you are supposed to be strong, tough.  That is so wrong, an injustice!!!!  We need to experience all of this.  It is how God intended it.  Emotions lost could mean a life lost.

I wish all of you loads and loads of mushiness today and always

Expanding Your Horizon

Learning and exploring new things can make such a difference in your life.  Sure it can be scary sometimes but boy is it exciting and a thrill ride!!

Apparently we are afraid of things because we are not familiar with them. 

So why not try out a few new things in life?  Things that you might have been curious about but never took the time to do.  Maybe you haven’t had the courage yet? You might even think you are not able to do it.  Who knows, you might surprise yourself J.

I am not sure which of you have seen the movie “Bucket List”.  It is a drama/comedy.  In short it is about a guy who compiles a list of things that he wants to do when he finds out that he is terminally ill and in in the process has a lot of fun. 

We can have fun if we choose to. 

Compile your “bucket list” not because you have a time limit, but just because you feel like experiencing something new.  Expand your horizon.  It is things like this that makes life interesting, keeps your spirit alive and helps you grow as a person.  Enjoy the ride!!!

Let’s not follow one of Garfield’s favourite quotes: ”Don’t do today what you can put off until tomorrow”.

Getting Up

How many times are we going to fall down in life?  How many times do we need to get up?

Sure we’ve all had the above questions before.

No one of us knows how many times we are going to stumble in life.  How many obstacles and challenges we might face.  Sometimes we really mess up and don’t pass the test. Sometimes a few curve balls come our way.  That doesn’t mean we should give up on life or ourselves.  God will never forsake us. He simply loves us too much.  The enemy will do everything in his power to pull us in, try to break us down and then destroy us. 

It doesn’t matter how many times you fall down in life.  What is important is how many times you get up. Carry on. 

In one of Bobby van Jaarsveld’s songs he says that he is tired of crawling but will keep on getting up.

Isa 40:31 

But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (NLV)

Seasons In Life

Everything in life has seasons.

Nature.  Spring, summer, autumn, winter.  Each with it’s own beauty.

Love.  When two people meet they fall in love, become friends and then it grows into a deeper love as the relationship grows and strengthens.

Life.  We are born, grow into infants, become teens, adults etc.

Relationship with God.  We become aware of wanting God to be part of our life’s because of something that attracts us.  We make the decision of inviting Him in.  We get to know Him better and the personal relationship we have with Him grows.

Today I would like to focus on people God sends over your path.  Each person is there for a reason. Whether it is because God wants them to do something in your life,  or for you to be there for them when God believe there is a need.  To lend an ear, give love and support, spiritual guidance, being a friend or simply just be there.  These people are all sent for a season.  It could be a short period of time.  It could be long term.  It depends on what God has planned at that time in your life.    It can’t always be explained and doesn’t always make sense if you try and figure out why.  God looks out for us and knows what’s best. 

Accept that you are God’s child and that He loves you dearly.  He wants to use us as instruments in life.  To be a blessing, or be blessed.  We just need to be available. 

Allow God to use other people to make a difference in your life when they come around.  Whether for a season or a lifetime. 

Be Who You Are

God created each one of us to be unique and He loves us dearly. Just as we are. Unconditionally. 

 

Shouldn't we as children of God learn to do the same?  Look at people through God’s eyes.  Try understanding them instead of judging them.  Loving someone is so much easier than having negative feelings towards them.  Focussing on someone’s strength’s (which we all have plenty of) helps them to focus on it too.  You might just be there to give that person a nudge in the direction they need to go in. 

A book I am busy reading quoted the following phrase “Don't take the unloving or inconsiderate things people say to you too seriously”.  I am sure this statement is easier said than done, but it is something that we should maybe learn to take to heart a bit more often. 

There will always be people in life who don't like you or with whom you don’t always get along. But why beat yourself up about?  Why let it get you down? Be who you are and don't be the person other people expect you to be. Change comes from within.   If there are areas in your life that might need changing then ask God to help you with it.  If you are not sure then ask God to help you figure it out.  This serenity prayer might be a good starting point. 

“God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference”

If we try to change every time someone around us think we should then we are going to get totally lost in the process.  Lose who we are.  Is that really a risk you are willing to take?

What's In Your Heart

Having experience in life, knowledge about the word of God and life in general are all good things to have.

But is it the most important thing that we should be focussing our attention on? 

What is the basic thing that God sees as fundamental in His word? 

I think we all know the answer to the question.

1 Corinthians 13 (NIV)

 ¹ If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

 ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 ⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

 ¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Until we learn to apply love in our lives all we know means nothing.  It cannot be used to further the kingdom of God.  Our hearts need to be in the right place, we need to share how and what we feel about God and His word.  How His love affects us and guides us. What good is theory if we don’t learn how to use it in a practical way?  Imagine getting a new microwave oven.  You read the manual and know it back to front but you never use it.  Is there any point to it then? 

It is important never to forget what God and His kingdom is all about.