The selection of a yearly scripture to focus upon is a great way to memorize God’s word and to learn how to apply scripture to your everyday life. I have said on many occasions that the Bible without application to our lives would be just another book to read. Instead, it is the guide book for decisions, value and goals just to mention three. The scripture I selection for 2011 is 1 John 4:10, it reads, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins”. Today in society there are so many questions being raised about life and love. Life for many is based upon what a person has in possessions. Things are important, no denying that but the value we place on those “things” along with our interpretation of their value hands us the struggle that is not easy to overcome. I know folks who believe the automobile they drive is the most important thing, while others would say it is the type of home they live in. Could be you would say it is where you live or maybe your educational achievements are the king of your list. My parents always said the gift of possessions is what you do with them. As a Christian using our possessions as a gift makes perfect sense and using them in service to others demonstrates the love of God. With love as an issue to address again we see the answer based upon the point of view and our interpretation of what love is. Some folks believe love is all about happiness while others might chalk love up as it was in the 1970’s…remember the phrase, “love is……” and you were left to fill in the blank. There is a great need for caution in using this method to define love. For a teenager, love might be that that special someone or possibly playing on a sports team. It could be achieving a standard of recognition that seems to complete. Adults are no different than teenagers; the focus of what we love just changes with our age. From the scripture 1 John 4:10 we see a light for our definition that can help us to clarify what we hold about both life and love. The Bible says that in Jesus we can find life, not that it just comes to us, but rather we must seek after Him and in doing that we discover real value and purpose. The best example of Love is found in John 3:16, while the best application and definition is to be discovered in 1 Cor 13: Reading and understanding might be difficult for some but I believe most would agree that the difficulty would be apply those things we’ve learned and understanding By no means do I think I have the knowledge of the issues of life or love, but I am confident that by focusing on 1 John 4:10 for this year I will have a better understanding of what Jesus did by obeying the Heavenly Father and how his decision to following a plan He didn’t fully understand applies to me. In the Christian faith we talk about taking steps of faith and while sometimes it is only one step I might see before me, nevertheless it is a growing step to continue to press forward. 2011 could be just another year if you so choose or it could be the year of a lifetime that provides answers to your questions if you began the journey. Ric Todd Edwards in Birmingham, Alabama is always talking to folks about taking the journey, which means reading the Bible. Not sure what challenges you are accepting this year, but learning to apply God’s word would be a great start if you are ready to make a focus on His word.
Until then
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