The beauty of Christ is that he has not changed and will not change.  He is perfect.  His perfection was not aspired to or attained.  It always was and always will be. Wow!

Think about it, his perfection makes it easy (read logical) to worship him.  We are accustomed to worshiping things and people who are not worthy, and who ultimately damage us.  Only worship of God truly lifts us. We want to make our relationship with him about us and our faults and foibles. On the contrary, it should be about his supremacy, his unchanging nature and best of all his grace.  Even if we become our best self, whether we acknowledge it or not, our need for Christ will still be desperate and that need will not diminish.

We are imperfect so we seek change.  The recipe for that change often comes in the form of the acquisition of material things, and advice from whoever is nearby or whatever is trending.  These change agents are transforming on a superficial level.  Profound transformation of our very soul comes only from the one whose perfect sovereignty means he has not and will not change.

For me, the eternal nature of God is a comfort.  Nothing better is going to come along.  There is no upgrade.  My investment of time and energy will yield benefits into eternity.  My emerging understanding of Him has to do with my growth, never his.  He doesn’t evolve, I do.

When I read the words, “for I am Jehovah, I have not changed,” I think, “of course not”!  God is the Alpha and the Omega!  There is no change when you are everything.  What a relief and a privilege to praise Him.

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Love is the most wonderful thing there is.   It’s perfect.  I would argue that it’s the single most compelling proof that we have God.  How fitting then that our primary directive is to love Him completely, and then each other as we love ourselves.  Have you noticed that we’ve taken these simple directions and thoroughly messed them up?  So what?

It’s a big deal.  Lack of love is destructive. Lack of love doesn’t create a vacuum.  It’s absence makes room for a host of negative emotions;  anger, hatred,  and indifference (the worst).   Lack of love is a thing.   Look closely and you’ll see the destruction it wreaks in homes, schools, our nation…the world.   (cue dramatic music).

Beautiful in all its incarnations.  Even in pain, love holds a tender sweetness that brings comfort.  Give more of it, so that you can get more of it.  Remember,  we never sink to love.  To love we rise.

How can we love more?   I have 5 easy peasy ideas below.  Write me with your own ideas.

1.  Jesus came to show us the way.  He explained it, modeled it and left detailed notes.  Read them.

2.  Don’t forget your neighbor (the figurative nor the literal ones).  Strike up a conversation, even though you don’t have time.

3.  Refuse to dislike anyone on sight.  Be intentional.  A smile or simple hello doesn’t cost a thing, but it may be the only kindness the person receives that day.

4.  Good grief, give a stinking dollar (or whatever) to the homeless guy.  You can’t control what he does with the money, but you can show him some love.  Don’t use tired old excuses to justify stinginess.

5.  Life is not fair, but you can be.  Be fair or at least be willing to acknowledge unfairness.  It may not change anything, but everyone likes to know that their      “plight” is acknowledged.

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