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What's
Love Got to do with it?
By
Doug Post
March
7,
2004
In
1984, Tina Turner had a song entitled, “What’s
love got to do with it.” The notion that sex is simply to be
enjoyed indiscriminately with no emotional complications! Last week,
Worldnet Daily discussed upcoming events at Tufts University, which
were explicit and deprave, and were sanctioned by the school.
So-called “tolerance” for such things was energetically paraised.
But what can I, as a Christian, tolerate?
What do these folks mean when they preach their doctrine of tolerance?
Simply, that we must be “tolerant" of: homosexuality as an
alternative lifestyle; the "right" to "choose"
abortion at any time; the acceptance of paganism and Wicca into the
mainstream; the idea that personal character isn't important in
choosing leaders. Surely
you get the picture.
As a Christian, I must not lend my support to such vile false
doctrines. Paul wrote, “Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things
deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who
practice them" (Romans 1:32). That's
not a very tolerant position is it? Paul made it clear that
Christians ought not give approval to those who practice such
abominations. What's love got
to do with it? Here's
what! "For God
so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes
in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send
his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the
world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not
condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because
he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And
this is the judgment: the
light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather
than the light because their deeds were evil" (John
3:16-19).
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An
Educated Bad Man
Theodore
Roosevelt once said,
"An ignorant bad man may
steal from the freight cars on the railroad. If you educate the man
without changing his heart, all you're doing is making it possible for
him to steal the whole railroad."
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The
Link Between Love and Hope
To love others is the greatest purpose you can know. When you know
someone is counting on your help; when you know that you're making a
difference in someone else's life; when you can see that your gifts of
time and talents are greatly valued; when your loving touches are
accepted and returned; when your words of encouragement fall on
appreciative ears, and when your acceptance of another person creates
a friendship, you automatically have a sense of purpose and meaning
for your life.
You have a desire to love more, to give more, to extend
yourself further. And in that, there is hope. You want tomorrow to
dawn because there is still a lot of loving that you have to do
tomorrow. You want next week to roll around because there's still a
lot of giving that you want to do next week.
On the other hand, if
you isolate yourself and turn inward, refusing to acknowledge the
hands that are reaching out to you and refusing to believe the
encouragement that others attempt to offer, you will become
increasingly depressed and have a growing feeling that you are nothing
and that life is over. Loving others is the most hope-filling thing
you can do: I have hope because I have people who need me to love them
and give to them.
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Ready
To Give Up?
By
Doug Post
Willie Mays began his major league
baseball career with only one
hit
in his first 26 at bats. Though he went on to hit 660
home runs (third on the all-time list), and
steal more than 300 bases,
his debut was so unimpressive it seemed
unlikely he would last more than a few weeks as a big-leaguer,
let alone become one of the
greatest to play the game.
The turning point for Mays occurred when his manager, Leo Durocher, found
him crying in the dugout after yet another miserable performance
at the plate. The coach put his arm around Mays and said, "What's the matter, son?" Mays said, "I can't hit up
here. I belong in the minor leagues."
Durocher said this to Willie Mays: "As
long as I'm manager of the Giants, you'll be my centerfielder."
You know how the story ends.
It wasn't long before Mays began hitting the ball, and he was on his
way to becoming a legend of the game. If
Willie had been left alone in the dugout that day, his career
might have ended before it started.
Fortunately for him (and for baseball) someone believed in him even
when he didn't believe in himself. Durocher's
speech wasn't,
"You're a disappointment.
Do you know howmuch you're costing this team? You're on the verge of
blowing your big chance!" He simply said, "I
know that you can make it." Is there someone in your
life that needs your vote of confidence? Someone who's ready to give
up?
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