Solutions

So what is the solution to all your problems, defects, and imperfections? I mean we talk about Jesus "be the answer to all your problems," but what does that actually mean? How does that actually work in real life? If we are following Jesus - the in the way, the lifestyle that he taught - how would this impact every problem we face and truly change our world? Jesus told us that there were two things that mattered most:

Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."

Matthew 22:37-40

If we just followed those two commandments every problem, suferring, defect, imperfection would be changed! First, love God. We focus so much on our problems, our defects, what is not right with us. Why do we do this? I truly believe we do this because we think that we have to "earn" God's love. Somehow we are not good enought yet. The reality is that you are already loved. We also do the same with other people - we worry about our imperfections, our hang ups, what is wrong with us. This is all in an attempt to make sure that we are loved by others and not rejected. I want to tell you now that when we do this (and yes we all do this) it is out of our selfishness.

We are wanting to be loved. We are desperately seeking for someone, God, to love us like we think they should. The focus is on us not on God and others. Our frustrations increase. Our depression increases. Our anger increases. Our fear increases. All the negatives increase because we are being driven by a selfish desire to be loved in the way we want to be loved. Marriages end over this. Friendships end over this. Parents disown their children over this. Children will not speak to parents over this.

However, it we just focus on loving God and letting God love us - without regard to whether we are "worthy" or not - the focus in on God. When we love others - without regard to if they are loving us like we think they should - we are focused on others and not ourselves. Any problem or defect we have disappears at that moment. If I focus on loving my wife and child just as they are I am not focused on myself and "why aren't they loving me?" I accept them as they are, allow them to make they choices they want to make, support them when they need me, and help when they want me. I am not focused on "well if they loved me they would not have done that," or "why are they so mad, what did I do?"

The same is true of God. When I just focus on the fact that I am loved, just as I am, things that used to appear like suffering because somehow God is punishing me for my imperfections, become chances to let God love me and use me. Faith is born. Faith that I know that my continuous, consistant action of loving God and others will bring me to a place of peace. This may not happen tomorrow or next week or next year - but faith is know that if I continue in this action of love peace and solutions come my way eventually. This kind of faith is difficult because it takes a death to self to produce it.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.
Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.

Philippians 2

So today just love and stop worrying about self. Practice this kind of faith and watch God raise you up to be loved!

Namaste'