Thoughts for another day

April 23, 2009.

Today's verse: 1 Thess. 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (NIV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

My aunt Edna was a remarkable person. I remember once when small, she took me to a church function. What remained in my small mind of the function was the way a certain man, Thomas, insulted her not once, not twice but thrice. But believe me, not once was my aunt affected. However, the remarkable personality I mentioned earlier did not emanate from this but another occasion when she took me for a group meeting with a few women.

After they finished the work on hand they relaxed and passed around some cookies and tea. Then the gossiping began and someone started bad mouthing Thomas. It shocked when she politely asked them to stop talking ill of people, this even when someone pointed he wasn’t there so what was her problem! And because they wouldn’t stop, my aunt quietly shifted from that group. On the way back, I told my aunt the man deserved it. You know what she told me? Never to repeat what I said, as it would offend Christ. Then she gave me this little sermon: Jesus came so we could experience God’s love and share that love with others. Christ wants that we build up people and encourage them, not break them up, even if they happen to be one’s enemies because Jesus said, ‘one should love one’s enemies and pray for them.’

I couldn’t understand this and taking my aunt to be slightly ‘loco’ I left it there. Today, my aunt is no more but many times what she said rumbles in my mind. When I look at her and at myself, I see the tremendous difference in the way she lived and the way I do. I pray to the Lord to make me like her. She was a living example of the life of Christ…a Christian to the core. And I’m the exact opposite. You know, I write this reflection as God has ordained me to. But many times, I cringe within for the ideas I put forth and my lifestyle don’t match. Yet, God, Beautiful that He is, wants that I write because He tells me that all are sinners and it is through us that He works out the good.

But this is not about me. It’s about the beloved church of Jesus Christ. My friend, if we love Him, we will love the body of Christ, the church. God loves us with all our imperfections then can’t we love His church too with all its imperfections? Tell me who is perfect? Am I, are you? No, none except God Himself and if God accepts us as we are, shouldn’t we accept others as they are and learn to encourage them.