The Golden Rule Archives - The Essence of Amber

What Motivates Me Most

January 8, 2018 January 8, 2018 Missional Living itemprop="discussionURL"Leave a comment

“It is only an appreciation of His love that can motivate genuine obedience.” -Elyse Fitzpatrick

I was teaching my Sunday school babies this past weekend our first lesson in the series, “What’s in the Bible?” I did an overview of what the Bible is, who wrote it, how many books and chapters it contains, etc. The pre-teen boys in my class snickered and elbowed one another when I compared God’s word written for us to a letter penned by a husband living in a faraway country — a well-understood concept here — to his great love back home.

In this letter, He explains His love for us in great detail. He shows us through the acts of love He recounts to us. He tells us He will be coming back to take us home with Him so we can live out our heavenly ever after with Him for all eternity. He tells us who He is and what He is like. We gain confidence as we learn more of His great love for us, and we are inspired to faithfulness and to obedience. We are motivated to move towards Him in love and towards others in showing His love.

God’s love motivates us to move towards Him in love and towards others to show His love.

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But the greatest part? He’s not far away. He’s right here with us as we wait for Him to sweep us up to spend our days praising Him for all the goodness He embodies. He is love, and He is with us every day and every step of the way. We love Him because He loves us so well, and He empowers and enables us to obey Him as we respond to Him. His perfect love obliterates our fear to live a life loving Him back.

His perfect love obliterates our fear to live a life loving Him back.

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I hope my babies at home and in my Sunday school class — which strangely enough is on Saturdays — will understand it. I wish with all my heart they will open up the letter and read it for themselves. That they will see the heart of our personal God who desires to have an intimate relationship with each one of us, wretched as we may be.

Until then, I’ll keep telling them. And I better keep telling myself, too. I want to obey Him with all my heart, and that starts in within my heart where I’m instructed to dwell in His love.

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. (John 4:16-19).

Linking up with Kate at the gang at Five Minute Friday

Engaging the Enemy- the Only Thing I’ve Left to Say

October 31, 2016 October 31, 2016 #Write31Days / Misc. itemprop="discussionURL"6 Comments

DAY 31, ONLY

I’ve learned over the years to look into the context and not just the two plucked out verses primed for memorization during my Sunday School years. I’ve noticed something as I’ve stepped back and examined from a wider angle the various places in Scripture that talk about living the Golden Rule. And I’ve found something. Something important. Something we need to know but don’t really want to acknowledge.

We can love other people until our days are done. We can exhaust ourselves in our efforts to serve others. We can do all the right things as we work for the Lord…and we will still be hated because we are followers of Jesus. We aren’t even guaranteed the love and acceptance of our family as we live wholeheartedly for the Lord.

And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved (Matthew 10:21-22).

UGH… So, what do we do with these people who refuse the grace we extend and cross their arms to the love of Jesus? Well, we love ’em some more.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you (Matthew 5:43-44).

This whole “turn the other cheek” thing is just plain unnatural. The fight-or-flight response is to put up your dukes or run the other way. The godly response is to engage the enemy in love and pray earnestly for blessings upon their life.

The godly response to hatred is to engage your enemy in love.

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He tells us that vengeance is His. We know nothing of Him but that He is completely just and that all His ways are right. We don’t have to daily subject ourselves to abuse, but when we encounter it, we are to offer back love in return.

Maybe this just means holding back a sarcastic comment. Maybe it’s shutting the door quietly instead of slamming it as you calmly remove yourself from the situation. It could be praying blessings upon the man who left you and started another family despite your best efforts at loving and honoring him. Or it might be pleading the blood of Christ over the sins of a lost person whose broken path has wrecked up yours.

Scripture isn’t silent on how we react when the hatred spews in our direction… Please read to the end, friends. I really believe this is crucial to living the Golden Rule and why it is paired right along with it in this passage.

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful (Luke 6:27-36).

I’ve written for 31 days on living for the benefit of others and the glory of God. And I could write more. It’s so imperative to the glowing testimony of our marriages, parenting, and daily lives. There are certainly obstacles and reasons it’s just easier to withdraw or walk away.

I’ve written 31 Days on Living the Golden Rule, and I could write more.

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I don’t know what you’re struggling with or who has hurt you. But I know that if you are here, and you are a true follower of Jesus, you’ll face these moments where you realize how the world sees you. And I know that it will be hard. I must remember He is worthy, and He holds our reward in Heaven. I have to believe that I will see my marriage and my family change and that I will see fruit in my ministry. Even if it doesn’t, I have to know beyond a reasonable doubt that God is good and my obedience is deserved for nothing else than blood spilled years and years ago.

Is there an enemy in your life?
Take time to pray for them today.

Talk to me in the comment section!

31 Days Cut & Paste Edition: God is the Hero of Golden Rule Living

October 30, 2016 October 31, 2016 #Write31Days / Misc. itemprop="discussionURL"6 Comments

Day 30, CUT

There are A LOT of blogs out in this world, and I’ve read a whole bunch of them. I see a common thread in the Christian blogging world- GRACE. Grace is good, and it is the heart of the gospel, but I often see something missing: how that GRACE moves us. It doesn’t just tell us we’re doing a good job and to continue on as we were. The only reasonable response to the grace we’ve been given is sold-out devotion to Christ. Our devotion is often called to manifestation in service to others- in living the Golden Rule.

The reasonable response to the grace we’ve been given is sold-out devotion to Christ.

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We can’t make it through the day without His grace, and we certainly can’t do good unto others apart from it. God is the hero of every single act of kindness story we have to tell. All glory goes to God.

I’ve cut and collected a few clippings from the last 28 days of posts to show this common thread throughout the series I have put together here. I would hate to have any reader walk away thinking that my daily life is glittered by the Golden Rule, and I’ve somehow mastered selfless living. SPOILER ALERT: I haven’t, and I won’t until my days are 100% consumed with singing of God’s goodness in glory.

God is the hero of Golden Rule living.

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God as the Hero in Golden Rule Living

In the Mundane…

Living the Golden Rule means getting down to the nitty-gritty with God and dealing with it all before anyone is close enough to be affected by the bomb blast- Defusing the Time-Bomb of an Overstuffed Heart

As I silently seek Him through the Word written long ago, and as I sit under the instruction of faithful servants, I move forward to do unto others. But first I just have to BE. From Stir-Crazy to Strengthened by Stillness

Grace looked at us in all our filthiness and died to make us its own. That redemptive act moves us to say, “I will lay down my life for the least of these because I know Whom I serve.” The You of the Golden Rule

In Marriage…

God’s love for me has been tested and found to be 100% true. While my husband will never earn perfect marks, I can give him a break because I don’t need proof that I am loved. –The Test He’s Sure to Fail: Does He Really Love Me?

Humility is so rarely my first move in marriage. Remembering Christ who moved towards me in complete disregard of Himself, I am convinced it needs to be. –Humility: My First Move in the Fight for my Marriage

If I expect my husband to submit to the Lord, living the Golden Rule, I must also submit to the Lord’s work in my family. I must trust that, ultimately, He is the one who leads the way and that He will direct us as we strive to do His will. Post-It-Note Your Feelings, Please

Though he knows me better than anyone else, my husband really doesn’t know me at all. Not in comparison to the One who knows the numbers of hairs on my head and the number of breaths I have left in my body. –My Husband Doesn’t Know Me

My heart is so frail, and I think it might burst from the burden of this work. I surrender it to the only One who proved on the Cross his ability to carry it. –Shouldering the Weight of God-Sized Dreams

In Motherhood…

Just like me, my children want to be known but may not always be able to express complicated emotions. The responsibility falls on me to study them and surrender their needs to Jesus. –The Learned Art of Awareness in Parenting

It’s tempting to act like I have a monopoly on molding the hearts of my children… It’s true God gave them to me, but being uniquely made by Him, they can benefit from all sorts of people who aren’t just like me. –Mail and the Mama Bear: Am I Monopolizing My Kids’ Upbringing?

God wants their hearts and every facet of their lives. And I want them to give it all to Him when they fully understand the life-wrecking, beautiful mess they’re getting themselves into. Two Tender Hearts and One Untrained Teacher

In the fear of all the ways humility will hurt my children, I am certain the love of Jesus will cover the multitudes of sins against them. Why Can’t We Live in Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood?

In Missional Living…

It is God who judges hearts and opens the doors to heaven. The only job I am given is to love others and faithfully tell of the gospel of His sacrificial death and the Good News of His resurrection. –Kicking the Hypocritical Habit

Sometimes God asks me to wait. Sometimes He parks me in the lane that’s not moving. Sometimes He asks me to follow him inch by painful inch performing small acts of service to Him. I have to trust that God will use me where I am in all the little ways I’m able. –Finding the Mission Field Outside my Front Door

But the best I can live the Golden Rule unto others is by introducing them to Jesus, encouraging and reminding them of the steadfast love that completely wrecked my life in the best way possible. The Golden Rule for the Global Good

In times of transition, the criticism cuts the gospel worker like the sharpest of knives, but words of encouragement put the sharp knife to better work. The kind that crafts into tools fit for kingdom work and builds confidence in the Hands at work in their lives and ministry. The Knife that Cuts and the Knife that Sharpens

In Moving Forward…

I deal graciously with others when I confront my nothingness and my inability to do good apart from the transformative work of Christ in my life. My Life as a Living Sacrifice: Confronting my Nothingness

We will strive and struggle. It’s all part of this thing called sanctification. We need heaping spoonfuls of grace and answered prayers for the strength to do more. We make right the things we can make right, and we ask God to take care of the rest. Heaping Spoonfuls of Grace for When We Goof It All Up

Each person we encounter comes from a culture all their own influenced by their family dynamics, education, and peers. Sometimes, we will treat others the way we want to be treated and we will just fall flat. We have to rely on the truths of God’s word that apply to all people- Scriptural Social Etiquette Crosses Culture Seamlessly

What truths about God the hero of the Golden Rule especially touched you?
What would you add to this series on Living the Golden Rule?

Talk to me in the comment section!

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The Simple Secret to Being Super Fruitful

October 27, 2016 October 27, 2016 #Write31Days / Misc. itemprop="discussionURL"2 Comments

Day 27, BOUQUET

We recently helped the people of the sweet church we attend honor their pastors. As we planned for the special surprise, we brainstormed what gifts we could give. We settled on some Nepali landscape paintings and were thinking bouquets for their wives. That is, until we were reprimanded for our temporal thinking. Because, duh, flowers die.

Such is the nature of flowers. So much so that the Bible uses them to symbolize the brevity of life.

As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
(Psalm 103:15-16).

Flowers removed from their source of sustenance cannot thrive. Flowers in a vase or blown away blooms can buy a day or two on borrowed water and sunshine, but they must be firmly planted in soil to survive.

As children of God, we rely on the Father to sustain us. To grow, we are only required to abide in Him. Abiding in Jesus, we bear fruit, living the for the benefit of others and the glory of God.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you (John 15:5-12).

Thriving in our Provider’s care, we worry less about surviving and more about serving. Everything we are commanded to do is within our reach because we are connected to the boundless Vine. We soak up the goodness of His great gifts, and we keep his commandments because it is our natural response. We extend His grace to others as we grow. We aren’t promised that everyone will appreciate the beautiful work He bears in us. But we are promised that our green-thumbed God will perfect the work He begins, and that our fruit will remain. It will make a difference.

Thriving in our Provider’s care, we worry less about surviving and more about serving

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We can’t use the brevity of our existence as en excuse to not be fruitful. For whatever time He gives us, if we merely rest in His capable hands, we will thrive and bloom good works naturally. He will see our fruit as if we grew it for ourselves, and He will call it good.

When death takes us forever from the Vine, we may not be remembered. But our fruit remains, planted in others, cared for by the One who sustained us for so long.

Are you abiding in Christ and keeping His commandments?
Is His great care evidenced in your care for others?

Talk to me in the comment section!

For more about what it means to abide in Christ, check out this post by Trillia Newbell

My Life as a Living Sacrifice: Confronting my Nothingness

October 26, 2016 October 26, 2016 #Write31Days / Misc. / Missional Living itemprop="discussionURL"3 Comments

Day 26, CONFRONT

I’ve been so challenged by exploring how I can live the Golden Rule in marriage, motherhood, missional living, and my every day life! I hope that if you’ve read along with me you have been challenged as well and encouraged by what God can do with a heart willing to serve Him and others. If you’re just joining me, I hope you will catch up!

I think it’s time we ask ourselves what’s holding us back. What’s keeping us from living the Golden Rule for the benefit of others and the glory of God? Is there some sin you’ve stuck in your back pocket for a rainy day? A person you just can’t forgive? A fear of giving up control and giving your life to God?

I’m bold enough to guess that what’s holding you back is the same thing that’s keeping me from living out all I know to be true and good. It has its roots tangled up in pride whether it’s a secret sin or clutched control. No matter who you are, denying yourself just doesn’t come naturally.

No matter who you are, denying yourself does not come naturally.

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If I were on your end reading this, I would want to cover my eyes or jump over to YouTube and start watching something light to make me laugh. I don’t want to confront my pride. It’s seriously cringe-worthy to peer into my selfish soul and see what lies beneath.

What did I do today that ministered to someone else? Did I do it without grumbling? Would I rather have been doing something else? Did the task at hand seem beneath me or bothersome? The answer to these questions reveals the condition of my heart. And so often it isn’t pretty.

Because as much as I love other people, I tend to like myself a whole lot more. I wholeheartedly agree with the decisions I make and the way I go about things because I’m awesome, y’all (satire… hang with me).

But when I look to the Word of God to tell me who I am and what my condition is all I see is that I am a sinner saved by a gracious God. I am made for the pleasure of God. I am purposed to serve and share His greatness with the world. That’s basically it.

110% YES- I am greatly loved and graciously gifted, but I’m given all of that to hand it right back to God. I don’t have to wonder what God’s perfect will for my life is. It is spelled out in Scripture. But, oh, I want to be blind to it.

…present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith (Romans 12:1-3).

My flesh already ran in the other direction. For real, this is rough for me. A living sacrifice. I am to be burned at the altar of humility day after day, letting my life be consumed by the Creator as He sees fit. I subject myself to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit and allow Him to work through my surrendered life.

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something,when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself (Galatians 6:2-3).

I deal graciously with others when I confront my nothingness and my inability to do good apart from the transformative work of Christ in my life. When I consider what He has done for me, any act of obedience He requires is only reasonable.

And He tells me to get over myself and love my neighbor and my enemy too.

Come quickly, Lord, not sure how long I can do this.

I deal graciously with others as I confront my nothingness & inability to do good apart from Christ’s work in my life.

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Is pride keeping you from living the Golden Rule to the glory of God?
Will you endeavor to live in daily sacrifice to the One who died for you?

Talk to me in the comment section (this one’s a doozy!).

Tag: The Golden Rule

What Motivates Me Most

“It is only an appreciation of His love that can motivate genuine obedience.” -Elyse Fitzpatrick

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