It's important to pronounce someone's name correctly. One of our Chinese friends asked us to call him, "Lee." My husband pressed him for his personal name (instead of his common family name). Finally he said that when Americans say his Chinese name, it is offensive because we rarely get the correct inflection. At the time we had no idea what he was talking about. Now we know enough to graciously call international friends by their chosen name.
Putting the emphasis on the right syllable makes a difference. Most American names emphasize the first syllable: Jordan, Caleb, Jessica, Anderson, Kreuger.... But many Spanish names emphasize the second syllable: Ramon, Sofia, Rodriguez, Dominguez....
The same can be true of our relationship with God. When we put the em'phasis on the wrong syllab'le (as my mom used to say), it makes a difference. As a child, my impression of God and His expectations was all about doing the right thing. As a first-born people-pleaser, I know how to make that happen most of the time. Once I understand the expectations and parameters, let me at 'em. I will do my best to exceed the standard.
The problem with applying that to the Christian life is that it's all wrong. That was the point of the whole Old Testament--no matter how good, important, or earnest an individual or nation was, they couldn't "get it right." No one could keep God's law. No one meets the expectation. So why has that become a goal in our lives and churches? In my way of thinking, it's the right place to start, especially with children, but there has to be more.
Just as we get to know individuals and pronounce their names correctly, as we get to know God, we learn that His emphasis is on love, not doing, or performance. It takes a while for us to come to the end of our pride and efforts, throwing ourselves on His grace. It takes repeated failure before we humble ourselves and acknowledge our limitations, cry "uncle," and rest on Jesus' complete payment for all sin.
We cannot, we will not, love others without kickback. If there's nothing in it for me, I have no time or interest in someone else's needs (see Romans 3:10-12, John 15:4-5). Loving others at my expense is a supernatural, God-empowered response to His love for me. Until I am aware of, embracing, and basking in God's love for me, I will never love others. That is why love is the true test of Christ (John 13:35). If you wonder how you're doing, ask the people you live with. No love. No Jesus. Know love. Know Jesus. It's that simple--and that impossible.
To emphasize holiness and right living at the expense of love is to miss out on God Himself.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:7-16)
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:8-10)
But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:34-40)
Putting the emphasis on the right syllable makes a difference. Most American names emphasize the first syllable: Jordan, Caleb, Jessica, Anderson, Kreuger.... But many Spanish names emphasize the second syllable: Ramon, Sofia, Rodriguez, Dominguez....
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| https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/un/world-day-cultural-diversity-dialogue |
The same can be true of our relationship with God. When we put the em'phasis on the wrong syllab'le (as my mom used to say), it makes a difference. As a child, my impression of God and His expectations was all about doing the right thing. As a first-born people-pleaser, I know how to make that happen most of the time. Once I understand the expectations and parameters, let me at 'em. I will do my best to exceed the standard.
The problem with applying that to the Christian life is that it's all wrong. That was the point of the whole Old Testament--no matter how good, important, or earnest an individual or nation was, they couldn't "get it right." No one could keep God's law. No one meets the expectation. So why has that become a goal in our lives and churches? In my way of thinking, it's the right place to start, especially with children, but there has to be more.
Just as we get to know individuals and pronounce their names correctly, as we get to know God, we learn that His emphasis is on love, not doing, or performance. It takes a while for us to come to the end of our pride and efforts, throwing ourselves on His grace. It takes repeated failure before we humble ourselves and acknowledge our limitations, cry "uncle," and rest on Jesus' complete payment for all sin.
We cannot, we will not, love others without kickback. If there's nothing in it for me, I have no time or interest in someone else's needs (see Romans 3:10-12, John 15:4-5). Loving others at my expense is a supernatural, God-empowered response to His love for me. Until I am aware of, embracing, and basking in God's love for me, I will never love others. That is why love is the true test of Christ (John 13:35). If you wonder how you're doing, ask the people you live with. No love. No Jesus. Know love. Know Jesus. It's that simple--and that impossible.
To emphasize holiness and right living at the expense of love is to miss out on God Himself.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:7-16)
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:8-10)
But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:34-40)
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