“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.” Elie Wiesel, author, novelist, political activist, and Holocaust survivor of Hungarian Jewish descent, and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

How precise this quote is. How relevant it is today. For us, in the 21st century, whose lives are channeled by social media, television, fantasy games and more, we have become a people who could not care less about anything except what affects our immediate need or circumstance. Our humanity is being drained, our sense of self has become convoluted into a mixture of reality, science fiction and self delusion.

In the book of Revelation, there were seven ekklesias in Asia that Christ addressed specifically. Of these, two of them had no condemnation. The persecuted ekklesia at Smyrna and the ekklesia at Philadelphia. But, Christ had this to say to the ekklesia at Laodicea:

Rev 3:15-21 (NKJV)- I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.  To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Neither hot nor cold speaks of indifference. Not caring about anything outside our own selfish desires and needs. Because of indifference, Christ wants to vomit. He wishes this ekklesia will have some passion, some fervency. Instead, they care about their riches, their wealth, their sense of luxury having need of nothing. Christ admonishes the Laodiceans, that in spite of the sense of self, sense of satisfaction, their full bellies, that in reality they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked! This must have come as a shock to them.

Be zealous and repent!

The rebuke touches me because I have been indifferent. I have clothed myself with indifference like a garment to protect myself against the pain of a culture intoxicated with excess.

Many times, if we do not play by the rules, we become outcasts. It starts from a very young age. The schools try to categorize you into the various buckets based on your ability to fit into a “one size fit all” curriculum. And once you do not fit in, the shaming begins and continues into adulthood. So, many times, people put on a garment of indifference to dull the senses and the pain. It affects our entire lives. It seems as if we have a generation of people who have covered themselves in the garments of indifference to hide away things that may cast light on our weakness, our frailty, our humanity. We encase ourselves in a bubble. But the problem with this is that God understands our weakness. When we are weak, He is strong in us. When we hide behind masks of indifference, pretty soon, the masks becomes our personality. Remember Jim Carrey’s movie .”The Mask”?

But we must become fervent again. Put aside the frailities and our egg shells and launch out into the deep. We cannot love if we are afraid of being hurt. We cannot succeed if we are not passionate. Where has our passion for God gone? How long will we continue to live in a bubble of pretences and fantasy. Sooner or later – whether by God’s hands or by man’s, the bubble will burst and then we find that we are “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked“.

Why don’t we look onto the Lord for help? He counsels us “to buy from [Him] gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.”

Most assuredly, let us begin with those around us. Let us truly love those He brings us into contact with. Not the love that we  most likely have been exposed to- where we love ONLY if we are loved. Rather, let us begin again with 1 Cor 13:

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part.  But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Love is unconditional. Can we really do it? I bet we can.

John 10:7-10
So Jesus said to them again, “I tell you the solemn truth, I am the door for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

What is abundant living? If we were to listen to modern day preaching of the word of God, we surely would be led to believe that it is our right to name it and claim it, that if we were to come upon hard times, that there is something spiritually wrong with us, that if we are not living the “blessed” life, there is certainly something wrong with our faith and our walk in Christ.

And certainly, I once believed this  myself. I gave my money as a “seed” expecting God to send me more money. I wanted to be wealthy so I can help others and be able to give to others and be a blessing to others. I wanted the American dream and to be a good christian as well. Were not the two things really one? If I gained the wealth by pursuing happiness, sowing and investing-am I not doing what God commanded me to do? If I sought to be better than my neighbor and to outshine the Jones or to keep up and outshine the neighbor- isn’t that living the abundant life?

Sadly, no matter which way we turn this teaching, it is certainly a tainted truth. As it was in the garden of Eden, when the deceiver twisted God’s word by inserting the little word “not”- so it is today. The tactics and strategy are the same. Why- you may ask? Because even in the 21st century, where we have all these creature comforts, the hearts and souls and minds of men and women remain essentially the same. We have strayed from God and would like to make our own way back to Him. But no matter what our efforts may be, the Word remains clear- Jesus Christ is the door.

And as the door, we must enter in through Him. But wait-for many Christians you may ask- haven’t I done all that I am doing so that I may please Him?  Consider this- in order to live the abundant live- we have to enter the door- Christ. And you say- old news- I have done that. And in addition to that you say- all the wealth that I have accumulated is to glorify God.

STOP- God did not say wealth= abundance. The word abundance comes from the Greek word “huperperissos’ meaning “more than, exceedingly or extreme, beyond all measure”. but the context of this scripture must be read in the light of the scripture before and after. The previous words speak of a thief-the one who came to steal, to kill or slaughter or to sacrifice and to destroy. While all these words appear to be synonymous, they are are a description of the enemy of spiritual selves. His attacks are commonly  manifests into our thinking, our beliefs, our culture and our physical and communal lives. “As he (a man) thinks in his heart, so is he” Prov 23:7 (NKJV).

In order to understand abundance- we need to first see the condition that created the vacuum. Where we were once measured and limited by our circumstances, our station, our position – when we walk through the Door- washed in the blood of the sacrificed Lamb of God- we are walking into a life without measure. How dare we limit ourselves to abundant life as “wealth” and being “blessed”? Christ did not walk through this life displaying wealth or being “blessed” as is on display today. Ask ourselves the simple yet complex questions-

1. Am I hearing the Word of God or the interpretation of the Word by men?
2. Am I truly glorifying God in my being, my mind, my soul?
3. Am I entangled in a web of false expectations…am I being deceived?

If Christ is the Door, we can

1. Only live beyond measure in Him
2. Beyond measure is not about wealth or riches- it is about your soul and spirit
3. And while, it is good to have food on your table and shelter and a few creature comforts- remember this- it is not only what we have and what we gain materially and physically that matters- it is what we gain spiritually through our relationship with Christ that matters. This we can freely give away …. it costs nothing to speak about God ….except it can cost us everything…. our losing of self, our imaginary props and foolish things that so easily beguile us from the true abundance- Christ Himself and His Kingdom.

Matt 7:17 In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills the law and the prophets.

Keys steps in being the Christian God wants you to be.

While a lot of people run after titles such as pastor, prophet, apostle, teacher, the perfume of a person is not in their title, but in their character.  “What a man builds with his gifts, he can just as quickly destroy by his character. 1″

1. Treat others as you would have have them treat you. It must be the motto in your life. This scripture holds the key to your whole walk in Christ. We must take it seriously and live it. If we judge ourselves by our intentions and other by their actions, we need to re-evaluate, re-program, re-set our thinking. In everything, treat others how we would like to be treated. But also go one step further. Manage your expectations, so that when someone does not treat you with respect or love, it does not bring bitterness. Continue to treat others with kindness, love and compassion. If you hear something negative about a fellow Christian, either dismiss it, or if you have a concern,  go directly to the person who was gossiped about  to inquire rather than spread the gossip in the name of “praying for the person”. If the situation was reversed, you would appreciate someone coming directly to you.
2. Understand what you can and what you cannot do- you are limited. You are part of the Body of Christ and as A MEMBER- you have a part to play, a function, a contribution BUT you cannot do it all. Therefore, welcome others and see their potential to be what you cannot be and to do what you cannot do. A leader sees this in others and strives to cultivate and lift others up. It is not about your kingdom, your legacy or your ambition. It is about Christ and His Kingdom. Seek first His Kingdom and our lives will be better for it.  Put away the need to be in control and delegate to others who may excel in those areas that you don’t.
3. Learn to love others for who they are and what they can be. People are not your pet projects to turn into what you think is best for you and for your purposes. Too many times I have seen lives ruined because people with influence over others, try to tell them what should be and try to fit square pegs into round holes. Instead, see people as how God sees them- He loved each person so much that he died for that person. Each person was created in His image for His purpose- not yours. Look out for their interest and not yours no matter how attractive and practical your interests may appear. “Great leaders want others to supersede them. Insecure leaders can’t release the limelight. 1″
4. Don’t live in a bubble. Let others speak into your life. It is “ego” that says that you have it all. The Body of Christ is filled with people who can help build and encourage you. Seek them out. You may be gifted but your gifts come from God. Accept encouragement from others who may not have a title or a platform. God does not need a title or a platform to speak His words.
5. Always, your words pale in the shadow of your actions. So while your lips move and form words that seek to communicate one thing, your actions do more than words to either back up what you say or nullify it. So when you speak about love but your actions speak selfishness and disregard- you nullify your words and they become a waste of breathe and just air. The medium for transmission of words spoken on behalf of God must always be LOVE. So when you speak- speak carefully and make sure you back it up with ACTIONS. “Never forget: people will follow your bad traits more than your good ones. 1″
6. Stop the blame game. Why is it always someone else’s fault and not yours? We are quick to see fault in others and point out that the reason we cannot get to a certain point is because the other person stands in front of us. How sad when we can only see someone else’s negatives, rather than seeing our own shortcomings, lack of foresight and narrowness of thought. We need to own up to our mistakes, failures and lack of foresight. “Blaming others and guilt-tripping them is the mark of a poor leader. Good leaders acknowledge their mistakes and take responsibility. 1”
7. Promises, Promises, Promises- spoken in the heat of conversation but never fulfilled. We must be careful with our words. Don’t inflate our own egos and people’s opinions of us by promising what we cannot deliver. And even if we have good intentions, let our yes be yes and our no be no. If we cannot do it- say so. Better to surprise someone with a good deed rather than promise a good deed and fail to do it. One brings gratitude- the other brings disappointment, resentment and erosion of trust and respect.
8. Relationships are important and we must seek to mend relationships, build bridges and fences. Sometimes that entails humbling ourselves, even when it is not entirely our fault. Taking the high road and not allowing ourselves to dwell in the pits of self pity, blame and resentment is a mark of a servant of God. It certainly takes a lot to admit a mistake but it takes even more to step back  and apologize when the mistake is not ours. Always count the cost and put others first.
9. Everyone wants to lead and no-one wants to serve. So if all we have is a bunch of leaders and no servants, the house soon becomes chaotic. But the mark of a leader is first the heart of a servant. Put aside the need for control, the outward show of washing of feet and let us follow the Master.  Become excellent at actually serving rather than talking about serving and seeking to be the one in control.

Phil 2: 1-11 Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross! As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow – in heaven and on earth and under the earth – and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

1. Frank Viola

There are millions of microscopic organisms on the earth. Some we know and study and yet many more await to be discovered. In fact, within the human body, the intestinal tract houses millions of microscopic bacteria and other organisms. There was a television show titled “monsters inside me” which had some fascinating insight on organisms inside the body. I am not sure if the show still runs, but I remember watching an episode where an elderly gentleman laid on a hospital bed with a mysterious illness that doctors could not identify. At the end of the investigation, the illness was traced to parasitic worms which he had picked up a child. They had hidden in his body until he was much older and possibly weaker to infest his body causing serious complications.

As chilling as this might appear, I am reminded of this story when I consider my journey through life. We enter this world as innocent, sweet babies and somehow we are transformed by our society, our environment, our circumstances and by what we are exposed to. Many times, as we proceed through life,  we encounter certain things that leave deep impacts on our life and our perception. These dents remain as pock marks in our psyche, our soul and even our spirit. A rock exposed to the elements eventually develops cracks and dents due to the unrelenting wind, rain, sun and temperature.

As we walk through life, our perceptions of people and life itself is shaped by our exposure to the elements in our life. The remnants of this exposure sometimes remain hidden in us, waiting for a moment of weakness to show up, usually with unhealthy consequences. Symptoms of anger, fear, hate, deceit, perversion, selfishness can lie dormant in any human being. We can label these broadly as symptoms of sin.

Even as Christians, we are in a process of dealing with the remnants of the elements of life itself. But we must consider what is eating away at our soul with the intention to devour us. What is eating us alive?

The Bible has a host of references and scriptures meant to address the problem of what is eating us from the inside out- not just physically but spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, socially and otherwise. But if we are ignorant of our own infection, how can we deal with the symptoms that manifest in many different forms.

Sometimes we live as if we are in a bubble, succumbing to routine and daily rituals, failing to examine ourselves. Anything that separates us from love both of God and of one another need to be addressed. We need to look under the hood, identify the problem and allow God to heal us. Many times we look for physical healing, but we also need healing for the other parts of ourselves not quite visible. And this self inspection must take place daily. We need to pray the Word of God in our lives. God knows us and our needs and He is ever able to lead us through the darkness, the dark nights, the dark places and into His glorious Light, Love and Grace.

Psalm 139 (NKJV)- A Psalm of David

O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
² You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
³ You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
⁵ You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.