I originally was going to write a post about sarcasm. The more that I have thought about it, the broader the implications. We are suppose to be intentional in our prayer. We are suppose to be intentional in our Bible study. what about our fellowship? How intentional are we in our daily fellowship with each other?

The church service ends, people mingle out to the lobby and we get a chance to fellowship for a few minutes before we all leave, back to our busy separate lives.

What about in those few minutes each day that you see your husband, wife, kids or other loved ones?

What do you say in those precious few minutes?

I know that more times than not I have some sarcastic witty (maybe), sly dig to zing my friend or brother/sister in Christ. How often has those fallen flat and maybe even caused damage?

I have been thinking a lot lately about the way people use sarcasm and what role does it play in our ability to communicate with each other.

The world seems to love sarcasm. Most media, especially talk radio and television is based upon sarcasm. If the world is in love with sarcasm, should we as Christians love it too?

We are told we are to encourage and stir each others faith! We also told to bear each other’s burden and to restore those who have fallen in sin.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.  (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:1-2)

In order for us to do this, it means we need to swallow the sarcasm, take down the facades, put away our defenses, throw away the heart of stone and take hold of the heart of flesh that God promised us. We need to put ourselves out there, willing to be vulnerable. We need to stop looking at our relationships as though they are part of a tv sitcom and start looking at them as the Christ-filled, love-filled relationships they are suppose to be.

A couple thoughts on how we can be more intentional in our fellowship:

1. Look to see if people are hurting or not?
2. Tell people how you geniuinely you feel about them?
3. Dare to reach out and ask for prayer and help when you are in need?  

How else can we make our fellowship more intentional and more Christlike?

Technorati Tags: Fellowship, Life, Love

Do we dare love the way the bible tells us to? Think 1Corintians 13. Are we able to love knowing full well we are going to get hurt or do we love only when we are sure of the outcome?

Of all arguments against love none makes so strong an appeal to my nature as “Careful! This might lead you to suffering.”

To my nature, my temperament, yes. Not to my conscience. When I respond to that appeal I seem to myself to be a thousand miles away from Christ. If I am sure of anything I am sure that His teaching was never meant to confirm my congenital preference for safe investments and limited liabilities.…

There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket—safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell. (From The Four Loves, as found in The Inspirational Writings of C.S. Lewis, 278-279.)

Technorati Tags: Life, Love