Timothy Mark Ministries Newsletter July 2010

In this issue:

1.  Neighborly Love
2.  Timothy is on Facebook
3.  Ministry Events for July & August
4.  Interested In Hosting a Timothy Mark Ministry Event?

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  Neighborly Love back to top

(The following occurred a long time ago, in a land far, far away. Basically, what I’m saying is the names have been changed to protect the innocent.)

I was returning from running errands, driving a few short blocks back to my home office. My mind was cluttered with things that needed to be taken care of. I waited for the light to turn green and then proceeded through the intersection, turning left. I passed a long row of cars as they waited for their light. Suddenly, from between the row of cars, a small red car darted out into my lane. I slammed on the brakes and heard the screeching of my tires on the asphalt. The car sped away ahead of me. I blew the horn and raised my hands in frustration at the guy who had so rudely pulled out in front of me. I had very nearly hit him.

I was angry immediately. Adrenaline pumped through my veins and I was ready for a fight. I was mad. I was hoping he was looking in his rear view mirror as I shook my head and raised my hand with the body language that screamed “what kind of idiot are you” and “what were you thinking?” It wasn’t road rage. Call it road frustration. Okay, extreme road frustration. I live on the road and idiot drivers drive me crazy. This guy had pulled out in front of me with no concern and I had to slam on my brakes to avoid plowing into him.

I sped up so I could glare at him through my windshield. At this point I could clearly make out the car. There was a stupid little fluffy white dog lying in the rear window staring at me. I was kind of surprised the mutt had not been thrown across the car by the erratic driving. And then, slowly, a familiar thought began to register in my mind. I know that little dog. I know that car. I could make out the face of the driver in his rear view mirror.

It was my neighbor.

Now at this point I am still thinking “you’re an idiot and I can not believe you just did that to me.” Honestly, it took me a few minutes to wind down. But I am also thinking I have to love this guy.

I have a great neighbor. He helps watch over my place when I am on the road. He has loaned me his mower when mine was dead. One day he even gave me a ride to an auto parts store when the battery in my car died. He has been very helpful to me. But that is not the reason I love him.

I love him because Christ commanded me to.

Christ said that the greatest commandment was to love the Lord my God with all of my heart, all of my soul, and all of my strength. But he went on to say that the second greatest commandment was to love my neighbor as myself. Now, the word Christ uses for “neighbor” means much more than just the person who lives next door to me. In the original language it means anyone with whom I have an interaction with in any given day. That means I am supposed to love the lady who checks out my groceries, the mailman who delivers my mail, that friend at the gym, and yes, even bad drivers who cross my path whether or not they actually live next door to me.

But what I find most intriguing in this command is the manor in which Christ says I am to love those folks. He says I am to love them as I love myself. Doesn’t it seem odd that he doesn’t tell us to love others the way we love God? Instead, he asked us to love others the way we love ourselves. God knows how much I love myself. Really. He knows how easy it is for me to love myself. And he uses that standard in regards to how I should love others.

That means I give the same amount of love to others that I give to myself. I am quick to forgive myself when I have blown it. I need to be quick to forgive others when they blow it as well. I am quick to give myself the benefit of the doubt. I need to be quick to give that same benefit to others. I am quick to want the best for myself. I need to be quick to give the best to others as well.

It seems to me, the hard part is in loving the person who has offended me. It is easy to love the lovely. But to love the unlovely, that is another thing. The guy who pulls out in front of me is demonstrating a “me first” mentality. Naturally, I want to be first. It is pride. But spiritual pride has no room for love. Spiritual pride is all about loving ourselves, wanting to be the center of attention. It seeks its own benefit, not the benefit of others. God wants a spirit of humility that understands the magnitude of the love of God I have received. Then out of the overflow of that love, I can love others. I understand my humanity. It frustrates me. I want to be the man God wants me to be. I fail so often. Yet he loves me in spite of that. The awareness of how little I deserve his love should cause me to be quick to give that love to others, even when they do not deserve it as well.

This month, I want to challenge you to truly love your neighbor, to love him or her the way you love yourself. Any person with whom you have an interaction with in a given day is your neighbor. Recklessly dole out the love of God to others out of the overflow of the wealth of God’s love in your life. In short, love your neighbor as yourself.

So, how are you doing, neighbor?

Till next month,

 Timothy is on Facebook!

After many requests, I have finally set up a Facebook page. And I have to admit, it has been a lot of fun. You can stay connected by adding me as a friend. You can find me at http://www.facebook.com by searching for my email address: timothy@timothymark.com from the facebook site search box. Or just follow the link below. I am posting updates with news from behind the scenes. This will also be the primary means I’ll use for sharing prayer requests. So if you are interested in supporting the ministry through prayer, this would be a great option for you. I’ll look forward to connecting with you there.

Click here to go to the Facebook page directly.

 Ministry Events for July & August  back to top

Come hear Timothy live at one of the following events in July & August and mention you heard about it through the newsletter. For detailed information check out the full schedule here.

July 11 - Newaygo, Michigan

July 11 - Milan, Michigan

July 19-23 - Gauge, Kentucky

August 1 - Keyport, New Jersey

August 13 - Mulberry Grove, Illinois

August 15 - Peoria, Illinois

August 20-22 - Marlette, Michigan

August 22 - Quincy, Michigan

 Interested In Hosting a Timothy Mark Ministry Event for your Organization?  back to top