Mind(set) to Love

Praying for the Grace to Love

Philippians 2:1-5

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) wrote a famous version of a folktale that exists in several countries and cultures around the world. It is called “The Old Grandfather and His Little Grandson.”

The grandfather had become very old. His legs would not carry him, his eyes could not see, his ears could not hear, and he was toothless. When he ate, bits of food sometimes dropped out of his mouth. His son and his son’s wife no longer allowed him to eat with them at the table. He had to eat his meals in the corner near the stove. One day they gave him his food in a bowl. He tried to move the bowl closer; it fell to the floor and broke. His daughter-in-law scolded him. She told him that he spoiled everything in the house and broke their dishes, and she said that from now on he would get his food in a wooden dish. The old man sighed and said nothing. A few days later, the old man’s son and his wife were sitting in their hut, resting and watching their little boy playing on the floor. They saw him putting together something out of small pieces of wood. His father asked him, “What are you making, Misha?” The little grandson said, “I’m making a wooden bucket. When you and Mama get old, I’ll feed you out of this wooden dish.” The young peasant and his wife looked at each other and tears filled their eyes. They were ashamed because they had treated the old grandfather so meanly, and from that day they again let the old man eat with them at the table and took better care of him.

https://www.corevirtues.net/telling-our-stories/respect-and-responsibility#:~:text=The%20core%20meaning%20of%20the,deserves%20to%20be%20treated%20well.

This is a story of people failing to love and respectanother person and how a child helps them see their error and regain respect.

​I invite You to Explore Three Building Blocks for Restoring Relationships

1. THE BUILDING BLOCK OF CONFESSION

Confession begins with Acknowledgment—awareness, disclosure, and admission.

In the context of the Lord’s Supper, Paul wrote, “you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.” (1 Corinthians 11:28).

a. Confession is the acknowledgment of need. Relationships are established on the necessity of others.

b. Confession of our failure to love.

In the NT, Paul scolds the church at Corinth, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ…for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:1, 3).

PRAYER OF CONFESSION—FAILURE TO LOVE

We confess our day-to-day failure to be truly human.

We confess that we often fail to love with all we have and are, often because we do not fully understand what loving means, often because we are afraid of risking ourselves.

We cut ourselves off from each other and we erect barriers of division.

We confess that by silence and ill-considered word. We have built up walls of prejudice.

We confess that by selfishness and lack of sympathy. We have stifled generosity and left little time for others.

Let us Pray:

Holy Spirit, speak to us. Help us to listen to your word of forgiveness, for we are very deaf. Our sins have been forgiven. We are a renewed people!

Amen.

2. THE BUILDING BLOCK OF RESPECT

a. At the heart of 1 Corinthians 11:17-33 is Respect.

What is the core meaning of respect?

The core meaning of the word “respect” is to give someone particular attention and consideration. To respect someone means you recognize that he or she is important and deserves to be treated well.

b. At the Corinthian church, there was a lack of Respect shown to fellow believers during communion.

c. When I fail to see my responsibility to respect others, I am in essence disrespecting myself. Disrespect is a two-edged sword.

For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.

That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.

But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way.

1 Cor. 11:29-31

3. THE BUILDING BLOCK OF LOVE

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ,

if any comfort from his love,

if any common sharing in the Spirit,

if any tenderness and compassion (any affection and mercy)

then make my joy complete by being like-minded,

having the same love,

being one in spirit (in full accord)

and of one mind.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,

4 not looking to your own interests

but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

(Philippians 2:1-5).

Necessity is the glue that keeps relationships together.

Necessity is echoes in the song by Hezekiah Walker,

“I Need You to Survive”

I need you, you need me.We're all a part of God's body.Stand with me, agree with me.We're all a part of God's body.It is his will that every need be supplied.You are important to me, I need you to survive.You are important to me, I need you to survive. I need you, you need me.We're all a part of God's body.Stand with me, agree with me.We're all a part of God's body.It is his will that every need be supplied.You are important to me, I need you to survive.You are important to me, I need you to survive. I pray for you , you pray for me.I love you, I need you to survive.I won't harm you with words from my mouth.I love you, I need you to survive.(Repeat 6x) It is his will, that every need be supplied.You are important to me, I need you to survive.