SNS 008: Loving the Unlovable, an Example

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Click on the white arrow in the green button above to hear this episode. Below are the show notes. Feel free to read along, check out the Bible references I make, and subscribe through the podcast service you prefer by clicking any of the buttons on the upper right side of this post.

Also, please hit the like button and leave a comment below. I’d love to hear what you have to say.

Thank you.

Show Notes

Last time we spoke of what love may or may not entail. It has, since then, been on my mind to offer an example of what loving the unlovable looks like in my own life. This is by no means the sum total of how this is accomplished in my life. Nor is this meant to be an all-inclusive discussion on the matter. I am kind of expecting you to connect some of the dots and talk with God to determine how best to show his love to others. Anyway, this is what we are going to explore here in episode 8.

My name is Charles, and this is the Simple Not Shallow Podcast. A podcast for those who want a deeper faith, not a confusing one. That is what our name is about, keeping faith in Christ simple enough for a child like me to understand it and yet, not so shallow that when the storms of life hit, our faith runs aground. 

The example I’m sharing today is that of one who recently cheated me out of some money. I have debated how much detail to share and the conclusion I have reached is that I have now shared enough. Though I can say it was for more than $200. That is enough to get someone classified as unlovable, at least from my perspective.

So, how do I express God’s love to one who basically stole from me? The greatest good a Christian can do is to pray that God may draw the unlovable unto himself. And I prayed that he may do so through me. Did you catch that? Through me, the one who has been wronged. If God is the source of my joy and happiness how can I be so unloving as to not pray for those who also need his love in their lives?

You do not think this to be loving? Try it sometime. Offer yourself as a conduit through which God may demonstrate his love to one who has wronged you… and absolutely mean it. Ask God to bless them, to provide them with his joy and happiness, and that you be allowed to be a part of this. For we are warned against wishing someone well but then doing nothing to actually help them out (James 2:15 – 17). And make sure you are doing so without also secretly hoping that God gets even with them for the way they treated you. This involves forgiveness, which we will discuss next time.

But for now, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). Laying down one’s life, one’s right to be avenged for wrongs done, one’s sense of fairness at having a wrong righted, one’s…. Well, to phrase it simply, to give up one’s right to one’s self so that all may know God, his love, and his forgiveness.

Yes, the above verses mention doing this for friends, yet Jesus also says, “Love your enemies, and do good to them” (Lk 6:35). Are not our enemies fairly unlovable to us? They are to me and I imagine I am not that unique in this perspective. I was very angry with the above individual. Very angry. Yet, Jesus further explains what he means by loving our enemy, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt 5:44). Love the unlovable, do good to them, and pray for them.

In other words, learn to love as Jesus does. Not as we would, but as he does. This is an important difference. Only God can teach you this.

And remember, by unlovable it is meant any trait that drives us to distraction. This could be found in an enemy, friend, co-worker, family member, or even a fellow church member. This unloveliness may have annoyed, embarrassed, or hurt us greatly. It is anything that causes us to not like someone. My example is merely the one that came quickest to mind.

Thankfully, this is not about being “perfect.” Love does not require perfection; love transforms into perfection. Otherwise, I would be in a world of hurt. Rather, this is about growing in and sharing God’s love, as much as possible and as wisely as possible. Jesus even says he will help us learn how. “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God… and it will be given to him” (Jas 1:5). “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Mt 7:7).

Let us pray (ask) for wisdom in loving well. I ask that you pray this for me even as I pray this for you. Asking that God “may give [us] a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Eph 1:17). It is as we implement this wisdom that we can:

Love simply, love wisely, and love well.

Well, what do you think? I’d love to hear from you, so please, go to simplenotshallow.com, and under the Simple Not Shallow Podcast section, find this episode, #8, and leave a comment for me there. Also, in the show notes, I’ll list all the verses I referenced, in the order and at the location in the transcript at which I referenced them. That way you can check me out to make sure I’m not totally in left field.  Also, please take a second to rate this episode and subscribe to this podcast through iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify… or whichever service you use. Thank you. I’ll catch you next time.

Also, if you do not see the like button or the comment box, you are on the page that lists 5 episodes at a time. It is a default page that I can not skip.

To click the like button and leave a comment click here. This takes you to the individual post. Then simply scroll down to the bottom of the post and click like and comment away. Thank you for understanding.

SNS 007: Love, Does It Only Mean Being Nice?

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Click on the white arrow in the green button above to hear this episode. Below are the show notes. Feel free to read along, check out the Bible references I make, and subscribe through the podcast service you prefer by clicking any of the buttons on the upper right side of this post.

Also, please hit the like button and leave a comment below. I’d love to hear what you have to say.

Thank you.

Show Notes

When thinking of love, we tend to think of all those things that are nice and compassionate. Things which, avoid hurting another person’s feelings, things which actually make someone feel good, correct? I mean, it is imperative to play nice! Yet… is that all there is to love, being nice? Is there something else we need to learn that will help us see that love is deeper than mere niceties? That is what we are going to explore here in episode 7.

My name is Charles, and this is the Simple Not Shallow Podcast. A podcast for those who want a deeper faith, not a confusing one. That is what our name is about, keeping faith in Christ simple enough for a child like me to understand it and yet, not so shallow that when the storms of life hit, our faith runs aground. 

Being nice…. Right out of the gate, you might be asking, “What’s the big deal about being nice? Shouldn’t we as Christians be nice to folks? Being nice to people is a good thing, right? It can be. But I have found that too often, being nice is the good that is not good enough. That it is actually the good that is the enemy of the best. Let me explain.

I have found that love exceeds being nice as a glacier exceeds a piece of shaved ice. There really is no comparison. Oswald Chambers once said that lust counterfeits love as personality counterfeits character. I think the same can be said about being nice, though, it counterfeits both love and character. For being nice merely involves actions taken whether we mean them or not, love, on the other hand, is an inner motivation, that leads us to mean them whether we are feeling loving or not. A very profound difference. 

The first leads to being a pleasing and agreeable person. The second to being a caring, compassionate, and honest one (1 Corinthians 13). The first leads to being respectable, the second to showing respect to everyone (1 Peter 2:17). The first leads to being civil to those who mistreat you, the second to actually doing good to those who hate you (Matthew 5:44). The first may lead to politely saying nothing when evil is done to you or you are insulted. The second leads you to bless those who are doing these things (1 Peter 3:9). Are you seeing the difference?

And here is an interesting thought; being nice can actually be obnoxious and repugnant if these niceties are not motivated by love. I mean if keeping God’s religious laws without love are meaningless and obnoxious (1 Corinthians 13:1-3), wouldn’t mere trifling niceties be so as well? Haven’t you ever wished someone would just stop it when you knew their civility was empty and hollow?  I have, for that is true hypocrisy. 

Now, don’t misunderstand me. Treating people with respect, dignity, integrity, and honesty is vitally important. Having tact when dealing with others is of paramount importance. All of that is the loving thing to do. Yet, these are weightier matters than merely being pleasing and agreeable to others. Indeed, I have often grown the most when dealing with those who, while showing me respect and treating me with dignity, were not being either pleasing or agreeable. They were tactful and honest but not nice. Being nice is a societal limitation on behavior. Being loving is the behavioral empowerment from God to help others find abundance in life. 

Allow me to offer for your consideration a couple of interesting passages I have stumbled on in which our loving Lord, Jesus, says and does things that don’t seem very nice. Though, as we know, Jesus was always in God’s, the Father’s love and did all that the Father wanted of him (John 10:30; 15:10; 17:21). And since God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), Jesus was always loving in all he did. So, here are the passages in no particular order.

The first passage reads, “But Jesus, didn’t trust himself to them, because he knew everyone, and because he didn’t need for anyone to testify concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man” (Jn 2:24, 25). What an intriguing passage. Here, the one who is the embodiment of love does not entrust his well-being to those he loves. Yet, how is it nice to not trust those you say you love? Doesn’t that make your head spin? Though, love does make honest assessments and requires no more of the one loved than what he or she is capable of giving. This is honesty, integrity, the giving of dignity, but nothing to do with being nice.

 If that passage has given you cause to pause, then linger over this one, “I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men…” (Mt 10:16, 17). Beware of men, that is also not such a nice statement, right? Though, love does prepare and protect the ones loved and gives honest assessments of those involved. Yet, it bears no grudges; be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. Be wise, be harmless, and beware. To be loving, then, is to be cautious. To be loving is to be wise. To be loving is to be innocent and harmless. How intriguing.

But wait, there is more. Jesus, immediately after issuing a warning against being a hypocrite and condemning others for practicing lesser evils than you do, which seems nice enough, says something that might not be apparently so. “Don’t give what is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces” (Mt 7:6, 7). This doesn’t sound like such a nice thing to say, does it? I mean, is it not loving to share Jesus with others? Yes. But apparently, there is something deeper being said about what it means to love. Apparently, there is some wisdom needed in sharing holy things and loving others. Apparently to love is not a superficial warm and fuzzy gloss for our actions. Love, it now seems, does not belong to the poet, the coward, or the one who “plays nice.”

Because we are getting a little long here, we’ll have to leave a fuller exploration of that passage for another episode. For now, it is enough to see that there is more to God’s love than being nice and sometimes being nice can get in the way. So, for now, my prayer is that you will begin to pray; asking God to teach you how to love, to give you the wisdom (James 1:5) to love simply, wisely, and well. To… stay out of the shallows and enter the depths of God’s love. To learn to love so you can stop being merely nice. For that is where true life is found.

Well, what do you think? I’d love to hear from you, so please, go to simplenotshallow.com, and under the Simple Not Shallow Podcast section, find this episode, #7, and leave a comment for me there. Also, in the show notes, I’ll list all the verses I referenced, in the order and at the location in the transcript at which I referenced them. That way you can check me out to make sure I’m not totally in left field.  Also, please take a second to rate this episode and subscribe to this podcast through iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify… or whichever service you use. Thank you. I’ll catch you next time.

Also, if you do not see the like button or the comment box, you are on the page that lists 5 episodes at a time. It is a default page that I can not skip.

To click the like button and leave a comment click here. This takes you to the individual post. Then simply scroll down to the bottom of the post and click like and comment away. Thank you for understanding.

SNS 006: Breaking the Cycle of Sin

Thank you for visiting.

Click on the white arrow in the green button above to hear this episode. Below are the show notes. Feel free to read along, check out the Bible references I make, and subscribe through the podcast service you prefer by clicking any of the buttons on the upper right side of this post.

Also, to click the like button or leave a comment, please click here. Then simply scroll down to the bottom of the post and click like and comment away.

Thank you.

Show Notes

So, the other day I was talking to a friend about how living the Christian life can be a struggle. Specifically, we were talking about those nagging little shortcomings that we all experience. You know the ones, those moments of caving to self-interest, to the sin we thought we had beaten, that we believed we had been delivered from only to have it sneak around and bit us on the butt yet again. Don’t pretend you that you don’t know what I’m talking about, that’s very unbecoming. But here’s the question, is there a way for a Christian to resist caving in, to prevent this sin from ever biting us again? That is what we are going to explore here in episode 6.

My name is Charles, and this is the Simple Not Shallow Podcast. A podcast for those who want a deeper faith, not a confusing one. That is what our name is about, keeping faith in Christ simple, simple enough for a child like me to understand it and yet, not so shallow that when the storms of life hit, our faith runs aground. Here we go.

As my friend and I were talking about this, we noted that our intentions are honest and good, we truly mean to guard against caving in, to never stumble that way again… and yet we do. We quickly thought of something Paul says in Romans 7 (verses 14-23) to mind. Here, Paul shares how he too was unable to break this cycle of stumbling yet again, and how he passionately wanted to break it. However, he could not. He could not stop himself from caving, nor could he make himself do what he truly wanted to do. So, I began to wonder, if Paul ever shared how he finally broke that cycle, for if he did, maybe I could too. So, I looked up Romans 7 and sure enough, Paul goes on to say that Jesus has saved him from this cycle of helplessness (verse 25). Just to make sure I had not read something into what Paul was saying, I checked out what all Paul had said about this. I found a passage in Romans 6 where Paul also says that we can now choose to not let sin reign over us, for sin is not our master, and we have been set free from it (Romans 6:8-23). John even says that this is the reason he wrote the letter of 1 John, to begin with, so that we will not sin (1 John 2:1). 

So how does all this play out? I mean, if Jesus is the one who breaks the cycle, why do we still stumble and fall? If sin is not our master and we have been set free from it, then why does it seem too powerful to resist? These questions set me on the path of thinking and investigating (I know… I know… I know… a dangerous to do, but I wanted an answer).

Now, before sharing too much of what I have discovered, I want to make sure we understand something very, very important, the Bible makes it quite clear that breaking of this cycle, that is the eradicating of all sinful actions from our lives, is not something we can do on our own. It is impossible for us to do; it is too strong. There are many passages which tell us this. Because of the limits of time, here I’ll only refer to two specific passages. 1) Paul’s statements in Romans 7 where he shares the need for Jesus to break this cycle and 2) Jesus’ statement in Mark 10 (verse 27) where he plainly states that such things are impossible for human beings to achieve and they are only possible for God to make happen. 

So, we are powerless to stop sinning by ourselves, yet, we are told, sin has no power over the Christian, and it is God that makes this the truth. The question then becomes, how does he do this? How is this cycle broken, for it seems that I am still in it? And why is it taking sooooooooo long?

While digging into this, I came across something and that I would like to offer it as a suggestion for you to consider. It resonates with me, and I would love to hear what you think about it. 

I found John to say something very interesting in the letter of 1 John. He says that whoever loves a brother is both full of light and that “there is no occasion for stumbling in him” (1 John 2:10). Did you hear that? That if I truly love others, I am free from the power of sin. Right away I was reminded of something in Matthew, the passage about the 2 greatest commands. Which are to love God with our entire being and our neighbor as ourselves. Specifically speaking, this brought up the verse that reads, “The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments” (Matthew 22: 37- 40). Which, also brought to mind passages in Romans and Galatians; both of which tell us why these two fulfill the whole of the law (Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:13-14). Simply put, if I am loving as God does, with our entire being and others as ourselves, I am fulfilling the whole law because love does no harm to our neighbor. And if I am doing this, I am free from sin. 

Track with me a second. For next, I stumbled onto something in 1 Corinthians. Here, Paul talks all about this type of love. He says that no matter what he does if it is not from love, he ends up being obnoxious sounding, is nothing, and gains nothing (1 Cor 13:1 – 3). So, efforts done without God’s love is the essence of doing nothing, of meaninglessness. Then he says something that is mind-blowingly simple, love is: patient and kind. It rejoices in truth, and always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. Love is not: envious, boastful, proud, rude, self-seeking, easily angered, a record keeper of wrongs, and takes no delight in evil (1 Cor 13:4 – 13). I see why John can say there is nothing that can cause a person to stumble if one is centered in love. 

This brings up one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, John 15. This is the chapter about abiding in Christ. Verses 9-17 speak about God’s love and remaining, that is abiding, in it. Here Jesus says that if we obey his commands, we will be abiding in him and our joy will be complete. And, “This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you” (John 15:12). Even as God has loved us... 

If we love one another we are abiding in Christ and are in his love; we are then full of light and there is nothing to cause us to stumble into sin. How simply profound. As I look back over my life, it is precisely at the times when I was most focused on loving God (on becoming centered in him and his love) that my struggles with sin stopped. And it is when I was no longer intently focused on this that the struggles resurfaced. I am not saying that this is a magic wand to be waved over your head and presto no more struggles. This takes growth, this takes time; all strong and vital relationships always do. What I’m saying is, this is a committed relational action, this is a way of life. Abiding in Christ is a daily choice and it is one that involves growth on your part. And as human beings we tend to grow slowly, we just do. But we do grow. And the more we grow, the less we will struggle with the same shortcomings. Others may arise, but that is a topic for a different episode.

So, back to the question, how is this done? How is focusing on loving God and growing in our relationship with him done? I have been studying the Psalms and I think I have found, in the very first one, an answer to this question. “But, if the law of our Lord is his delight and on his law, he will muse day and night; he will be happy. He will be as a tree planted by channels of water…” (Psalm 1:2-3). Musing on God and his law, day and night; that is, to muse on loving God and your neighbor day and night. To delight in loving God and our neighbor is the way of happiness; it is the way of being blessed. It is the way to grow in your relationship with God. The more you do this, the more God’s love will fill your heart, the more you will not be self-seeking, and so the more sin will be gone from your life. Removed by God as each and every day you choose to love him and allow his love to fill you. And make no mistake about it, it is God who removes the sin, not you. It is as his love fills you, engages you, motivates you, and becomes the lens that helps you stay focused on him, that it silently removes your tendency to choose sin (to choose your self-interests instead of God). If we do this, then one day we will look back in amazement, realizing that we were not even aware of that unbreakable cycle being broken. That is simple and not shallow.

Well, what do you think? I’d love to hear from you, so please, go to simplenotshallow.com, and under the Simple Not Shallow Podcast section, find this episode, #6, and leave a comment for me there. Also, in the show notes, I’ll list all the verses I referenced, in the order and at the location in the transcript at which I referenced them. That way you can check me out to make sure I’m not totally in left field.  Also, please take a second to rate this episode and subscribe to this podcast through iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify… or whichever service you use. Thank you. I’ll catch you next time.

SNS 005: Who Are the Unlovable?

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Click on the white arrow in the green button above to hear this episode. Below are the show notes. Feel free to read along, check out the Bible references I make, and subscribe through the podcast service you prefer by clicking any of the buttons on the upper right side of this post.

Also, to click the like button or leave a comment, please click here. Then simply scroll down to the bottom of the post and click like and comment away.

Thank you.

Show Notes

Last time, I mentioned that the increase in my ability to love the unlovable is a proof that God is real. Who are the first people that come to your mind when you hear the phrase, “the unlovable?” Is it the homeless person who has not bathed in a month? The one who is cruel to animals? A member of the opposing political party? Or perhaps a Christian brother or sister who does not think exactly as we do? This is what we are going to explore here in episode 5.

My name is Charles, and this is the Simple Not Shallow Podcast. A podcast for those who want a deeper faith, not a confusing one. That is what our name is about, keeping faith in Christ simple enough for a child like me to understand it and yet, not so shallow that when the storms of life hit, our faith runs aground. 

So, who are the unlovable? While only you can answer that for yourself, allow me to focus on some that might not have immediately come to mind. What about that church member who shoots down every idea you have, simply because it is not theirs; or worse, simply because it is yours? How about that Christian brother who always wants to argue because he always has to be right? Or How about that sister in Christ, the one who thinks she has the inside track into true Christianity and so knows the best way, the only way, to worship and love God. The one who is never content until she has had her 2 cents put in. Oh, let us not forget to mention the Christian who has a slightly different take on our favorite Bible passage or favorite Christian idea, you know, the one whom we are tempted to quickly deem a heretic.

Did a particular name come to mind? It would not be surprising if one or two did. Not surprising and yet also very sad. And what is even sadder is that Jesus knew we would consider our family so unlovely.

Indeed, he knew this so well that he was compelled to issue a command to love one another. Loving should be second nature to those who claim to love Jesus. Yet too often, this family has been torn apart through loveless-ness. Often from a very self-centered idea that we know better about… most everything related to God. Should we be sprinkled or dunked, use ‘contemporary’ or ‘traditional’ worship services, baptize infants or not, or even, what is sinful and what is not? And the list goes on and on and on and on and on. It is not hard to hear the charge of heresy being made, even over the smallest of disagreements.

What happens when we are not loving? I have seen people wield ball bats (figuratively speaking) while claiming, as they do so, that they are only “speaking the truth in love.” If that was the way the love, I really never want to see them say anything in an unloving manner…. I can honestly say that I have never seen such a ball bat used lovingly. Though, I have seen people love their use of one; simply because wielding it makes them feel righteously good. After all, at least they are doing something to correct a wrong… And Jesus knew we would do this. That we would treat our siblings with both disrespect and ill will. 

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another” (Jn 13:34).

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35).

Not if you have the “right” style of worship. Not if you have a “holy” looking building. Not if you always say and do “godly” things. Not even how “right” you are in your beliefs or how quick you are to correct the errant knave who is getting it wrong. No. It is how you show love to the unlovely, your fellow Christians, that will draw others to Christ. That is the proof that those not a part of God’s family need to see, in order to know Christ is real and in order to know that we are indeed his followers.

Please do not mistake what is being said. There are wrong ideas and there are heretical beliefs and these do need to be addressed and corrected. Yet, if we are truly following the command of Christ to love, we may find that we begin to speak softly while not carrying that big stick. Big sticks have their place; they are good when walking in a dark alley, on a wilderness trail, or even while playing in a baseball game. But not so much when dealing with broken humanity that is in desperate need of love.

I know it is more difficult to love than to judgmentally correct, no doubt about it. And I also know that when things are impossible for us to do, they are not impossible for God to bring about (Mt 19:26). This is very simple, yet it requires you to not be shallow. Are you up for it?

Will you venture into these depths? I hope so, for your sake. For in the raging storm, it is never safe to be in the shallows.

Well, what do you think? I’d love to hear from you, so please, go to simplenotshallow.com, and under the Simple Not Shallow Podcast section, find this episode, #5, and leave a comment for me there. Also, in the show notes, I’ll list all the verses I referenced, in the order and at the location in the transcript at which I referenced them. That way you can check me out to make sure I’m not totally in left field.  Also, please take a second to rate this episode and subscribe to this podcast through iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify… or whichever service you use. And feel free to roam around the website, simplenotshallow.com. There is a blog, some videos (I’m not the most dashing looking individual, but I promise, I’ll not break your screen either.), and new things to be added all the time. And please let me know what you think, and if you have some suggestions for topics or questions you’d like addressed, let me know what they are as well. Thank you. I’ll catch you next time.

SNS 004: How Do You Know God Is Real?

Thank you for visiting.

Click on the white arrow in the green button above to hear this episode. Below are the show notes. Feel free to read along, check out the Bible references I make, and subscribe through the podcast service you prefer by clicking any of the buttons on the upper right side of this post.

Also, to click the like button or leave a comment, please click here. Then simply scroll down to the bottom of the post and click like and comment away.

Thank you.

Show Notes

I was once asked, “How do you know that God is real?” That drew me up short, to tell you the truth. I had to pause and think about it. How did I know?  That is what we are going to explore here in episode 4.

My name is Charles, and this is the Simple Not Shallow Podcast. A podcast for those who want a deeper faith, not a confusing one. That is what our name is about, keeping faith in Christ simple, simple enough for a child like me to understand it and yet, very not shallow, ok, that’s probably not very good English, but very not shallow, so that when the storms of life hit, and they will hit, our faith need not run aground. 

It has often been observed that science cannot prove that there is a God. It is also true that it cannot prove that there is no God. In fact, science can do nothing in establishing the reality of God, but that is a topic for another episode. I only mention it now, because as I was thinking on this that I began to wonder, was I looking for physical or scientific proofs, such as those given for the existence of gravity or of the earth being a big blue ball rotating around the sun? Or… is proof of a relational God better found in terms of the non-physical, ones outside the scientific realm? That is, should a proof of the relational be sought in terms that are relational?

So, where did I go in looking for proofs? The first place that I went looking for proof was my Bible. The first passage I found was in John 8, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (Jn 8:31, 32). So, if we continue in His word, reading, pondering, and acting on what we learn, then we are His disciples and we will know the truth. At first glance, this may look like a circular argument. Meaning that we are trying to make our belief the proof; that we prove God is real because we believe him to be real. Which is truly no proof at all. Yet, a closer look into what the Bible says, we see that this is not what is being said.

Jesus says, just a few chapters later, “If you remain in me, and my words remain in you…. you will be my disciples (so far tracking with John 8) …. Remain in My love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in My love…. This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you” (Jn 15:7-12). 

Did you notice how Jesus opened up this remaining in his word to involve loving others? Knowing how to love, knowing love, is part of knowing the truth. And nothing takes us out of the realm of mere physical proofs quicker than loving others. And lands us straight smack dab in the middle of relational ones. It is at this point that things begin to get interesting. 

In 1 John it says, “This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commandments” (1 Jn 2:3). Which, opens up a very interesting thought: if we know him, by default, we know him to be real. And as we saw above, this does involve loving him and others. For, “One who says, ‘I know him,’ and doesn’t keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth isn’t in him. But God’s love has most certainly been perfected in whoever keeps his word. This is how we know that we are in him” (1 Jn 2:4, 5). Is this not fascinating?   

Paul emphasizes this when he prays “That he (God) would grant …. that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints … and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph 3:16-19). Grounded in love in order to comprehend and know the fullness of God. What a simple and yet thoroughly not shallow thought; to love is to know. 

Back to the original question, “How do you know God is real?” My first answer would now be “I know that God is real because my love continues to grow.” Not just my love for him, for as we discovered in the last two episodes, our love for him must include our love for others. So, I know God is real, not only because my love for him grows but also because my love and compassion for the unlovable are growing. The more I am able to care for those I (by all natural desires) should despise, the more this relational God is proven to be real. In the book of John, Jesus himself even said that this is how others will know he is real and that we are authentic followers of his; “If you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35). Not if we have religious knowledge, a vast store of memorized Scripture to pull up at any given moment, a holy sound in our voice, the word “Christ” repeated often in our music, a thoroughly highlighted Bible, or… anything else. It is by love and only by his love. His love, which flows through us and is both returned to him and passed on to others. That we love others as he does is proof that he is real.

Now, there is much more that could be said on this topic. Much more. And yes, there are non-relational things, such as deductions made form facts, and arguments of logic that can be made, the complexity of the human cell, the fine-tuning of the universe for life, and so much more which support God’s existence. And it is not my purpose or intent to downplay or disrespect any of these. These things are important to know and to talk about. Yet, I have never found one of these that is as effective in proving the reality of God as the simple statement made by Jesus, God himself, in John 13. His love is the simplest and most profound proof that anyone can have, know, and offer to others.                                                                                                                                                                

In light of this:

Love simply, love wisely, love well, and know that God is real.

Well, what do you think? I’d love to hear from you, so please, go to simplenotshallow.com, and under the Simple Not Shallow Podcast section, find this episode, #4, and leave a comment for me there. Also, in the show notes, I’ll list all the verses I referenced, in the order and at the location in the transcript at which I referenced them. That way you can check me out to make sure I’m not totally in left field.  Also, please take a second to rate this episode and subscribe to this podcast through iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify… or whichever service you use. Thank you. I’ll catch you next time.