Category: Tĩnh nguyện

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.” 1 Corinthians 13:3(MSG)

We learned yesterday that the Bible is very clear about what really matters in life: “If you are a follower of Christ Jesus . . . all that matters is your faith that makes you love others” (Galatians 5:6 CEV).

If you don’t live a life of love, then nothing you say will matter, nothing you know will matter, and nothing you believe will matter.

And, if you don’t live a life of love, then nothing you give will matter.

“If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3 NLT).

Love isn’t always the motivation for giving. Some people give just to get back, or out of guilt, or for control or prestige. You can give for a lot of reasons, but the Bible says if you’re not doing it out of love, then none of your giving counts.

Finally, if you don’t live a life of love, then nothing you accomplish will matter.

You can rack up an incredible list of personal achievements. You can get your picture on the cover of Fortune magazine. You can win the Nobel Peace Prize. You can have enormous accomplishments, be entrepreneur of the year, build a billion-dollar company, have incredibly great successes in your field of endeavor. But the Bible says it isn’t worth much if you don’t love.

The Bible says—God says—that life is about relationships, not accomplishments.

It’s as simple as this: You can have the eloquence of an orator, the knowledge of a genius, the faith of a miracle worker, the generosity of a philanthropist, or the achievements of a superstar, but if you don’t have love in your heart, then it is worth zero. It doesn’t count. The only thing that matters to God is this: Do you love him, and do you love other people?

One day you’re going to die and stand before God. When he evaluates your life, he’s not going to look at your bank account, your list of accomplishments, or your grades. He won’t care about all your sports trophies. He’s not going to look at your endorsements or your resume.

God is going to evaluate your life on one basis: your relationships. He’s going to ask, “How much did you love me and love other people?” It’s the Great Commandment: Did you love God with all your heart, and did you love your neighbor as yourself?

What will matter most then—and what matters most now—is how you express your faith through love.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you.”  Romans 1:12 (NCV)

Jesus believes in you. There is plenty of proof in the Bible!

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20 NIV).

“Everything is possible for one who believes” (Mark 9:23 NIV).

“If you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more” (Matthew 21:21 TLB).

Jesus believes you can do great things because when you place your trust in him, his Spirit lives inside you. He also wants you to help others believe this about themselves. The apostle Paul offered this encouragement: “I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you” (Romans 1:12 NCV).

Each day you encounter people with low self-esteem. Everybody has insecurities. And many people are repeatedly playing a tape in their mind of how someone said to them long ago that they wouldn’t amount to anything.

How can people reverse that curse? You can help them start believing what Jesus says about them instead of believing what other people say.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:7, “If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him” (TLB).

That’s what God wants you to do. He wants you to show faith in others so they can believe what God says about them.

One of the best ways we do this in the church is by being part of a small group. When you have a really tough week and you’re doubting and down and discouraged, you need a group of trusted people who will believe for you. And you can do the same for them! Followers of Jesus don’t just believe in Christ. We also believe in each other.

Your faith can help grow the faith of others as you believe in them like Jesus believes in you.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Treat everyone you meet with dignity.”  1 Peter 2:17 (MSG)

Loving like Jesus means you must value others the way Jesus values you.

You are a child of the king. God created you, and Christ gave his life for you. The Bible says in 1 Peter 1:18-19, “God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ” (NLT).

Hw much are you worth? Look at the cross. Jesus was willing to die for you. God was willing to give his Son for you. That’s how valuable you are!

Jesus wants you to give that kind of value to everybody else—even the people you can’t stand. When Jesus spread his arms wide on the cross, it’s like he said, “I love them this much, so I expect you, my child, to love these people the same way I love them—because I died for them, not just you. Treat them the same way I treat them. Value them the way I value them.”

The Bible says it very simply in 1 Peter 2:17: “Treat everyone you meet with dignity” (MSG).

How do you do that? One way you treat others with dignity is by looking at them, giving them your attention, and listening to them.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Mark 10:21. Jesus was walking down the street, and a young entrepreneur came up to him and asked him a question. Jesus’ response was that he “looked at him and loved him” (NIV). Jesus looked, and he loved. You can’t love without looking!

Think about the people you come across every day—like the restaurant server, grocery store cashier, or coworker you pass in the hallway. When those people try to speak with you and you don’t give them your attention, you’re not being very loving. Love looks, and love listens.

When you look and listen in love, you remind people of their value to you—and, ultimately, of their value to God.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“The Father gives me the people who are mine. Every one of them will come to me, and I will always accept them.”  John 6:37 (NCV)

Followers of Jesus ought to be the most accepting people in the world—because they are the most accepted. John 6:37 says, “The Father gives me the people who are mine. Every one of them will come to me, and I will always accept them” (NCV).

You may have accepted Christ into your life, but do you understand that he’s accepted you? He doesn’t love you because of who you are or what you’ve done but because of who he is.

Titus 3:7 says, “Jesus treated us much better than we deserve. He made us acceptable to God and gave us the hope of eternal life” (CEV). How does Jesus make you acceptable? It’s not that you changed or got any better. It’s not that you never sin. It’s by his grace alone.

God wants you to show grace and acceptance to other people, but the problem is most people don’t know the difference between acceptance and approval. They are very, very different. Jesus Christ accepts you completely, but that doesn’t mean he approves of everything you do.

One day Jesus was walking down the street when some religious leaders who were trying to trap him brought a woman to him who had been caught in adultery. Jesus looked at all of the accusers and said, “Anyone here who has never sinned can throw the first stone at her” (John 8:7 NCV). And, of course, they all walked away.

What did Jesus do? He gave acceptance, not approval. He didn’t approve of what she had done, but he accepted the woman and restored her dignity.

That’s what you need to do with the people around you. You don’t have to go around approving of everything everybody does. But you do have to accept them—because that is a mark of love.

The Bible says in Romans 15:7, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you” (NIV).

How do you do that? One of the ways you can show acceptance to other people is to listen to them. Love pays attention. Love listens to the fears and the doubts of others and treats them with respect.

Love accepts others the way Jesus accepts you.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“If you are a follower of Christ Jesus . . . [all] that matters is your faith that makes you love others.”  Galatians 5:6 (CEV)

Have you ever wondered what matters to God?

The Bible says in Galatians 5:6, “If you are a follower of Christ Jesus . . . [all] that matters is your faith that makes you love others” (CEV). God says what matters in life is not your accomplishments or your achievements. The only thing that matters is having a faith that causes you to love other people. If you miss that, then you have missed the most important thing in life.

When speakers want to get your attention and want you to remember something, they use repetition. In the first few verses of 1 Corinthians 13, Paul says the same thing five different ways: The most important thing in life is love.

Here are the first three reasons why love is so important (we’ll look at the other two tomorrow).

1. If you don’t live a life of love, then nothing you say will matter.

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1 NLT).

We’re really impressed by great speakers. We love eloquence and charisma. But God says, “I don’t care how good of a communicator you are. Are you living a life of love?” If you’re not, then nothing you say will matter. Words without love are just noise.

2. If you don’t live a life of love, then nothing you know will matter.

“I may understand all the secret things of God and have all knowledge . . . But even with all these things, if I do not have love, then I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2 NCV).

We live in a world where knowledge is exploding. We are smarter than we’ve ever been, but we still have the same problems. Why? Because the world doesn’t need more knowledge. It needs more love. You may be a genius. But if you don’t love, then all that you know is worthless.

3. If you don’t live a life of love, then nothing you believe will matter.

“Even if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, I would still be worth nothing at all without love” (1 Corinthians 13:2 TLB).

There’s a myth that being a follower of Christ is just a matter of believing certain truths. Nothing could be further from the truth! Following Christ is about living a life of love. It takes more than belief to please God.

You don’t have to wonder anymore about what matters most to God. In 1 Corinthians 13, he makes it very clear. What matters most is love!

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“I know that your love will last for all time, that your faithfulness is as permanent as the sky.”  Psalm 89:2 (GNT)

God’s love never wears out. God’s love is patient, persistent, and persevering.

Isn’t it good news that God never gives up on you? No matter what you do, his love never gives up. It’s wide enough to include everybody, and it’s long enough to last forever. 

God will never love you any more than he does right now. But he also will never love you any less than he does right now.

He loves you on your good days. He loves you on your bad days. His love is not conditioned by your response. God is love, and his love is given freely. It cannot be earned, and it is undeserved.

The Bible says, “I know that your love will last for all time, that your faithfulness is as permanent as the sky” (Psalm 89:2 GNT).

God’s love will last forever—but you do have to choose to accept it by trusting in Jesus Christ as your Savior. The Bible says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

Are you ready to accept God’s love and offer of salvation? If so, then pray this prayer:

“Dear God, you have promised that if I believe in your Son, Jesus Christ, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.

“I confess I have sinned, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died to take away my sins and that you raised him to life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow him as Lord from this day forward. I believe that your love for me and your faithfulness will continue forever. Please guide my life, and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it. Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now.” Proverbs 3:27-28 (GNT)

The best time to love is now. Not tomorrow. Not later. Not someday. Not one of these days. Not when you get around to it. Not soon. Now.

I don’t understand people who say, “I’m going to save all my money, and when I die, I’m going to give it away to charity.”

Why do that? Why not enjoy giving regularly? Why not experience the joy of giving while you’re still alive? Whatever you plan to give of yourself—whether it’s your money, time, energy, or something else—give it now!

Years ago, we received a check at Saddleback Church from a couple who knew we needed to upgrade our worship center from analog to digital and replace equipment that was more than 15 years old. The check was for half a million dollars, and it had a note with it that said, “It’d be great to have some new carpet, too.”

That couple got a whole lot more joy out of giving now rather than after they’re dead. This is why I say, “Do your givin’ while you’re livin’, then you’re knowin’ where it’s goin’.” And it will give you joy!

For most people, love isn’t going to look like writing a $500,000 check. For you, love might look like visiting someone in the hospital, writing a letter to someone who’s lonely, or being kind to your obnoxious coworker. Whatever love looks like for you, you should do it now.

The Bible says, “Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it. Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now” (Proverbs 3:27-28 GNT).

Did you know that God specifically puts people around you so you can show them love? There are some activities in life where it’s okay to procrastinate—to delay until a better time. But you should never procrastinate in showing love.

Learning to love is the reason God put you on Earth—and it should always take priority over everything else.

Never procrastinate in showing love. Don’t delay. Don’t put it off. Do it now.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“We must show love through actions that are sincere, not through empty words.”  1 John 3:18 (GW)

We all have different amounts of energy, wealth, and talent, but we all have the exact same amount of time: 168 hours a week. You can always get more money, but you can’t get more time. You only have a certain number of allotted days, so you have to decide: What is your time worth?

The most valuable thing you can give someone is your attention. When you give attention to somebody, you’re saying, “You matter to me. You are valuable. You are worth listening to. You are worth my time.”

Jesus said that the essence of relationships is not what we do for each other or the things we give to each other. The essence of true, loving relationships is how much we give of ourselves to another person. 

The best expression of love is time.

The Bible says in 1 John 3:18, “We must show love through actions that are sincere, not through empty words” (GW).

I can’t tell you how many husbands and dads I’ve talked to who’ve said, “I don’t get it, Rick. I give my family everything they need. I’m a good provider. We live a very comfortable life. What more do they want?”

I’ll tell you what they want: They want you!

Only you can give them your time. Nothing can compensate for time—no amount of gifts, money, or clothes. Kids don’t need things; they need parents. Another video game is not the answer. They need you!

How do you find more time for the people who love you and that you need to love?

Let me give you one suggestion: Turn off the TV, and put away your phone. It’s always amazed me that people will scroll through social media instead of making friends in person. They’ll watch reality shows about somebody else’s family instead of working on the reality of their own family.

Ephesians 5:2 says, “Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God” (NLT).

Love means giving up. It means I give up my agenda for your agenda. It means I give up my time for your time. It means I give up my preference for your preference. It means I give up what I’d rather do right now to do what you’d rather do right now.

That is a sacrifice. That is love.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”  1 Peter 4:8 (NLT)

God says that learning how to love is the best way you can spend your life. Yesterday, we looked at two reasons why this is true. First, love validates your faith, proving you’re really in God’s family. Second, love integrates your life; it’s a strong core that can hold the many facets of your life together.

There are two more reasons why you need to make learning how to love your life purpose.

First, love compensates for your sin. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:8, “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins” (NLT).

The love of Jesus Christ covers your sins, and it also gives you the power to let other people off the hook. You’ve been forgiven, and you can forgive others.

King David from the Bible was not exactly a perfect guy. In fact, he blew it a lot. He lied. He cheated. He stole another guy’s wife. He committed adultery. He even had a guy murdered to cover up his sin!

But when David blew it, he admitted it quickly, and he repented. He didn’t always do what was right, but ultimately, he sought after the Lord and wanted to do what was right.

God called David a man after his own heart. How could God say that about a man like David? It’s because David loved God and, as a result, God covered over his sins.

It’s more important for you to love God with all your heart than for you to be perfect. In fact, God knows you can’t be perfect. Do you love God with all your heart? Do you love your neighbor as yourself? When you do, that love will cover a multitude of sins.

Second, love reverberates forever. Love echoes into eternity; in fact, it’s the only thing in your life that’s going to last.

Because of that, what really matters right now are relationships—with God and with other people. In fact, the Bible says life without love is worthless and wasted: “No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love” (1 Corinthians 13:3 MSG).

So why do relationships get the short end of the stick? If we know life is really about love, why don’t we have time for the people we love? Because we’re busy. We give first-class allegiance to second-class causes, and we start neglecting our relationships.

But nothing can take the place of love. Life is not about achievement or balanced schedules or recognition. It’s about love. Don’t let busyness cause you to forget that.