Category Archives: New Year

Posted in New Year

New Year – I Wish You

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Image by Annette Meyer from Pixabay

 1 Corinthians 13 (GNB)

SEASONAL GREETINGS

What words do you use to wish folk at this time of the year?

 Compliments of the season? Happy New Year? Every blessing for the new year?

Though traditional at this time of the year, these formal greetings may often lack sincerity.

So then, what shall I wish you for 2023?

While preparing this blog the words of a Frank Sinatra song came to mind, particularly the phrase. I wish you love.

On this our first week of the New Year, I wish you love.

1. I WISH YOU GOD’S LOVE.

The Apostle John tells us that the chief characteristic of God is love. (1 John 4:16)

Are we able to love without God’s help?

Max Lucado comments, “Oh, we may succeed for a time…But our relationships need more than a social gesture. Some of our spouses need a foot washing. A few of our friends need a flood of tears. Our children need to be covered in the oil of our love…..We need help from an outside source……We start by receiving God’s love. (Max Lucado –‘Cast of Characters’ p 25)

The God of love loves you. Have you responded to His love by opening your life to His Son, Jesus Christ?

Is Jesus perhaps asking you the same question He asked Peter centuries ago, “Do you truly love me?” (John 21:15-17)

I wish you a greater awareness of God’s amazing love for you during 2023 and that your love for Him will continue to grow.

2. I WISH YOU HUMAN LOVE.

What words would you use to define our love for one another’?

Tenderness, affection, attraction, cherish, value, treasure, passion, worship?

Victor Hugo wrote, “The Greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved, loved for ourselves, or rather loved in spite of ourselves.” (Victor Hugo – Les Miserables Sourcebook for Speakers – Doan – page   248)

A man and a woman had been corresponding via the internet, and fell in love.  They agreed to meet at a particular airport.  Because they had never seen one another, they came up with a plan that would help them to recognize each other. She would wear a green scarf, a green hat and have a carnation pinned to her coat.

When the man got off his plane, he immediately looked for her. Then he saw a woman with a green scarf, a green hat and a carnation – he was disappointed – she was one of the plainest looking women he had ever seen in his life.  He was tempted to get back on the plane without speaking to her.

But, he conquered his feelings and walked over to this woman, smiled and introduced himself.

Puzzled, the woman said: “What is this all about, anyway? I don’t know you!”  She went on to explain:  “That woman over there gave me $5, 00 to wear these things.”

When the man looked over at the woman mentioned, she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

The man approached the woman who later explained, “All my life men have wanted to be with me, to be my friend, because of my beauty.  I want someone to love me, not just for my outward appearance, but for what I am inside!

I wish you will experience the sincere love of others this year. 

3. I WISH YOU TRUE LOVE

Paul describes this gem of true love in 1 Corinthians 13 by examining its various facets.

In the first three verses Paul points out that love is recognized by what we are, more than by what we do:

But Paul then he gets down to the qualities of true love:

  • Love is patient and kind.
  • It is not jealous, or conceited or proud;
  • Love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable;
  • Love does not keep a record of wrongs;
  • Love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth;
  • Love never gives up;
  • And its faith, hope and patience never fail.
  • Love is eternal. (1 Corinthians 13: 1-8)

Replace the word love with your own name and you soon realize that this is a standard that no one except Christ can meet, because none of these facets of love come naturally to us.

However in another of his letters Paul points out that love is one of the fruits of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22, 23)

So my wish for you is that you will allow the Holy Spirit to grow in you the facets of true love.

4. I WISH YOU’LL GIVE LOVE AWAY.

Oscar Hammerstein taught the great Broadway musical star, Mary Martin a lesson in love when he told her: Love isn’t love ’till you give it away.

Love isn’t love ’till you give it away.

Think of someone close to you – your marriage partner, a child, parent, friend, neighbour, fellow staff member. Then ask yourself this question, how can I do a better job of showing love to this person? Make a list of the things you could possibly do to show your love for this person. Before the end of this week, begin doing a least one of the things you wrote on your list.

Jesus said, “whenever you do it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.’ (Matthew 25:40)

See what a difference Jesus makes in and through you during 2023.

CONCLUSION

  • God is love.

  • God loves us in spite of all our faults and flaws – enough to send His Son to die to save us.

  • The only acceptable response to God’s amazing love is for us to give our lives to Jesus.

  • In return for our commitment to Jesus, the Holy Spirit sows God’s love into our hearts.

But love is not love till you give it away.

If you haven’t been following this series, you might like to take a look at the other posts.

P.S. I am taking a break from this blog for the time being as I seek the Lord’s guidance on what topic to tackle. I welcome your comments on whether this blog has been helpful to you or not. Rob

Posted in New Year

I Wish You

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    Image by cocoparisienne from Pixabay

I Wish You…

Inevitably on the brink of another year, we traditionally wish one another a great year.

How many times since Christmas day, have you heard the words?

  • Compliments of the season;
  • Happy New Year;
  • I wish you a Prosperous New Year,

Although traditional, these formal greetings may often lack real sincerity.

So then, what do I wish you as we launch out into 2022?

A popular song states “What the world needs now is love, sweet love.”

  • If you were to give a definition of ‘love’ what words would you use?

A dictionary might use words such as tenderness, attraction, cherish, value, treasure, passion, and worship.

I Wish You Love

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul describes this gem – love – by examining its various facets. In the first three verses of 1 Corinthians 13, Paul points out that love is recognised more by what we are than by what we do:

Paul then highlights the real qualities of love:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a NIV)

So then as you enter 2022 my wish for you is that since the Holy Spirit is the one who produces the fruits of the Spirit, which include love (Galatians 5:22), that he will grow in you all the facets of love.

Love for God

It was William Penn (1600s) an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), who said,

“Love is indeed heaven upon earth; since heaven above would not be heaven without it; for where there is not love, there is fear; but, ‘Perfect love casteth out fear.’”

Those three little words  “I love you” are the most powerful words in the world. They reveal the depth of our affection for someone. Yet, are you always sincere when you utter those words?

Similarly, it is so easy to sing wonderful words of praise and worship, which express love for God and for Jesus, but do we always really mean them?

Having presented Israel with the 10 Commandments, Moses’ encouragement to Israel was,

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) 

  • Is Jesus perhaps asking you the same question that He asked Peter centuries ago, “Do you love me?” (John 21:17)

I wish you a greater awareness in 2022 of the extent of God’s love for you and growth in your love for Him.

Loved and Appreciated

The following quote is attributed to Victor Hugo in Les Miserables ,

“The Greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved, loved for ourselves, or rather loved in spite of ourselves.”(Sourcebook for Speakers by Eleanor Doan – page 248)

Within each of us, there is a deep desire to be loved and appreciated for who we are.

A man and a woman who had been corresponding solely by e-mail fell in love with one another.  They agreed to meet at the airport nearest to her.  Since they had never seen one another, they devised a plan that would help them to recognise each other. She was to wear a green scarf, a green hat and have a carnation pinned to her coat.

When the man got off his plane, he immediately began looking for her. Suddenly he saw a woman with a green scarf, a green hat and a carnation.  His heart fell. She was one of the plainest looking women he had ever seen in his life.  He was tempted to get back on the plane without speaking to her.

Nevertheless, he walked over to this woman, smiled and introduced himself. Immediately, the woman said: “What is this all about, anyway? I don’t know who you are.” She went on to explain:  “That woman over there gave me $5,00 to wear these things.” 

When the man looked over at the woman mentioned, he realised that she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

The man approached the woman who later explained,  “All my life men have wanted to be with me, to be my friend, because of my beauty.  They consider me beautiful.  I want someone to love me, not just for my outward appearance, but for what I am inside!”

My wish for you and for myself is that we will experience sincere love in 2022. That we will be loved for who we are and perhaps even in spite of who we are.

Give Love Away

  • God is love.
  • God loved us in spite of all our faults and flaws – enough to send His Son to die for our salvation.
  • The only acceptable response to God’s amazing love is for us to give our lives to Jesus.

In return for our commitment to Jesus, the Holy Spirit sews God’s love into our hearts

But love is not loving till you give it away. That’s what love is all about – doing things for other people so that we can bless them.

I challenge you to find someone in need of love and appreciation this week, and to do whatever you can to allow God’s love to touch that person’s life.

Love is not love until you give it away. Share on X

My wish for you at the begining of a new year is what I wish for myself, that 2022 will be a year in which we learn how to be a channel through which God’s love may be passed on to those who need it most.