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The Amish Voice 5
Have you been blessed by the commentary
articles, taken from the Book of Galatians?
As we near the end of the Book of Galatians, we would
like to once again encourage you to buy the entire set of
Old and/or New Testament commentary sets.
Consider the facts:
you will have in your hands a piece of resource
that took Bible scholars centuries to accumulate
and layout for the simple person to read and
understand.
what it will do for your relationship with God
your investment in these valuable resources can
be handed down to the next generation.
See our full page ad on 8.
If you missed our previous studies in the book of
Galatians, please let us know and we will send them right
out to you. Call (419) 962-1515 or write to:
The Amish Voice
P.O. Box 128
Savannah, OH 44874
The Way of True Love
—By Lynn Miller
Two major components in relationships worth having are trust
and communication. If either of these components are missing,
there is breakdown.
If you cannot trust someone, usually you do not
feel too inclined to build a relationship
with him or her. On the other hand, if you
feel that someone does not trust you, you
often feel quite disrespected.
Lack of communication also quickly
causes a feeling of disrespect. Clear,
loving communication, even in difficult
circumstances,
often
prevents
misunderstandings and much grief. Avoiding communication
about difficult issues often causes questions to arise in the
relationship and at least one party will feel disrespected. Of
course, it is good to take some time to think things over and to
pray, but then it is a good idea to clearly and kindly
communicate your perspective and to give the other party an
opportunity to share their perspective, as well.
Basically, offering others the same respect and honor that we
would like to benefit from in a relationship goes a long way. Of
course, it is always easier to see how others are not doing that
for us, while we are oblivious to the fact that we are not
providing those things to others.
We need a divine relationship, or a
connection with the Divine One, to
develop the love and wisdom needed for
other relationships. Having a heart-to-
heart connection with God and
experiencing intimacy with Him exposes
us to pure love—the kind of love that
removes our own hurts and insecurities,
and frees us to love the way He does.
Knowing how He views us, and being
secure in that knowledge, releases us from needing to know
how others view us, and frees us from the bondage that comes
from needing their approval. It also opens our eyes to how Jesus
sees others, and enables us to love them with His love, to
communicate lovingly, and to give honor and respect, even
when it is not deserved.
This is the way of Jesus—the way of true love.
Illustration by Lydia
It turned out that the young man did die after being on the
field only a year, but he had answered his tutor in these wise
and weighty words: “I think it is with African missions as
with the building of a great bridge. You know how many
stones have to be buried in the earth, all unseen, to be a
foundation. If Christ wants me to be one of the unseen stones,
lying in an African grave, I am content, certain as I am that
the final result will be a Christian Africa.”
As the hymn reminds you, “Wherever He leads, I’ll go.” Is that
true with you?
PERSONAL JOURNAL NOTES
(Reflection & Response)
1. The most important thing that I learned from this lesson
was:
2. The area that I need to work on the most is:
3. I can apply this lesson to my life by:
4. Closing Statement of Commitment:
END