LOVE

          It is so good to reach out and touch somebody.  It’s as if there are secret endorphins that suddenly are secreted from somewhere in your body that enter your blood stream or lymphatic system and get distributed throughout your body to every cell and ever organelle of every cell.  It’s a natural high.  It’s a healthy high.  It’s invigorating.  It’s a high that lasts for a long time.

     And if you do it over and over you begin to achieve a steady state.  In medicine that is the point where the dose of a drug maintains a certain level in your body.  Too little and the desired effect is not achieved and too much and it becomes toxic.

     With good works it is similar.  You can’t forget about your family, your wife, your job.  But at the same time, you have to consider others (more highly than yourself).  You have to look around and see others in need.  Yes, they can be a member of your family; that goes without saying.  I’m talking about your extended family.  Your friends and acquaintances. They can be your next-door neighbor or someone on the other side of the world. 

     In any case it requires you to overlook yourself, and your wants and desires and even needs, and to look upon the needs of others.  The cool thing is that it takes your thoughts away from you.  Many times thinking about yourself and what you have and don’t have is a source of anxiety and depression.  You’re afraid to lose what you have and are depressed because of what you don’t have. 

     This, overlooking yourself, should be intentional and not infrequent.  Like anything you would find the balance to maintain that high you get from helping others.  It’s a simple concept.  But like anything it is getting over the hump.  Taking your eyes off yourself is a very difficult thing to do.  Especially when there is so much out there drawing you in. 

     Live within your means.  Pace yourself.  Go with a smaller house and a simple car.  Cut your grocery bill by buying high dense nutrient foods and cook at home.  Don’t covet what others have.  Have a budget and know where your money is going.  So on and so forth.

     You systematically take your eyes off yourself by denying yourself.  Remember the scripture.  Take up your cross and deny yourself.

     Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27“For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.

      See the beauty of it all.  You systematically deny yourself (of this worlds goods), and then you have the freedom to serve God and do His will.  Which is to love him with all of your heart and soul and mind, and your neighbor as yourself.

     I stated not to do it infrequently.  The Lord says to do it daily.  That make sense.  You take medication daily.  Then why wouldn’t you deny yourself daily.  Then you are unencumbered and free to follow Him.  He has all kinds of stuff that he has in store for you.

     It’s the same old paradox.  Give and it shall be given.  Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things shall be added unto you.  You don’t give to get.  In fact, you may not be rewarded for all of your sacrifices here.  You won’t see the total reward till you get to heaven.  But that’s fine.  Like I said you don’t give to get, you give because it’s in you to give, because the God of Love dwells in your heart. 

     And the God of Love shines on the just and the unjust.  You may not only, not, receive back blessings in this life, you may just get the opposite.  Again, you love because that is who lives in you.  That is who you are.  No matter what the consequences.  No matter if anyone is looking or not.  Not matter if it is deserving or not.  There are no strings attached to this love.  You love just to love. 

     Let me let the Word of God explain in more detail this love I am talking about.

 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 [a]But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  Matt 5: 43-45.

     The only thing that you desire is for the Father to say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”  That is the only blessing that is needed.  Reward me with your peace and affirmation, and all those good endorphins that I get.