What is it you desire? Other than food, water, clothing, shelter, and some money, what do you really need in your life? At a fundamental level, what do you most yearn for?
Regardless of your physical possessions or individual experiences, what is it that you have, that you can give to others? What is the one thing that in giving, it is more gratifying than receiving it?
The Answer is LOVE
The answer doesn’t change from one person to another. It’s universal. We all need it, desperately desiring it. And we all have it to give…abundantly. The answer is….LOVE!!!
I entered my young adult years believing that “the difference between the men and the boys was the size of their toys” (applies to women as well…just doesn’t rhyme). For many years, I bought into what the secular culture tells us will make us happy…prominence, possessions, and pleasure. Although not my conscious intent, I was on this quest where I loved things and used people (just the opposite of what it should be).
Authentic Friendship
I heard awhile back, that a dying man never complains of having spent too little time at the office. Although it’s our work (our “do”) which often validates us, it’s our relationships that complete us…make us whole in “who” we are.
The fact is that we’re not meant to go through life alone. We are made for community, for relationship, for authentic friendship. We want to be accepted and respected. We want to be loved for who we are more than anything in the world.
In August, my wife and I will celebrate our ten-year anniversary. Not that we don’t have challenges in our relationship (we do like anyone else), but she is my absolute best friend. I’ve remarked to her and the guys in my discipleship group, that when she and I are aligned, when we’re in a really good place, I feel indestructible, like nothing can stop me….that I can literally take on the world. That’s what love does for us…it comforts us, makes us confident, emboldens and energizes us.
The Love of Jesus
And of course, there’s no love like God’s love. As you’ve seen me write in these blogs before…Jesus loves you more than you’ll ever know, no matter what you’ve ever done. In understanding and internalizing His unconditional love and forgiveness, the unimaginable is achievable. Knowing God’s love, we can experience Heaven here on earth, living lives of peace, joy, and fulfillment….it changes everything.
More than anything, we are called to love, first God our Father, as Jesus directs us to in the Great Commandments, followed by loving our neighbors as ourselves. I have a friend in ministry, Ennie Hickman, who talks about this often. Ennie makes the point that Jesus isn’t talking about the hypothetical or metaphorical, but our neighbor neighbors….our real neighbors, whether:
- Next door
- At the Post Office
- Grocery Store (or)
- Under our same roof
Loving Others
Matthew Kelly of Dynamic Catholic, writes in his recent book of “holy moments”, which we’re all capable of. All you have to do is look for them. They appear all the time and everywhere. They can be big things. They can be little things. The opportunities are endless and we all have the ability.
We are specifically called to use things and love people…just the opposite of what I used to do (as indicated above). And you know the interesting thing…the more you love others, invest in and do for them, treating them charitably, the better you feel and the more love you receive.
LOVE….what everyone needs and everyone has to give!!!
As always, feel free to reach out to me at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com
God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfilment!!!
Mark Joseph