Love Problems

We just celebrated Valentine's Day (Valentimes to some). Our culture has a lot to say about love doesn't it? Lots of definitions floating around defining a little word that keeps our world in perpetual confusion about what real love is. This morning's reading placed me in Genesis 37 where we find the familiar background information about Joseph, his father Jacob and his half brothers. Within this most dysfunctional family were all sorts of love problems. First, Jacob the bar setter, had a love problem displayed in his favoritism for Joseph. The Bible tells us that Joseph was born in Jacob's old age and we know he was the son of Jacobs favorite wife Rachel (which was another problem). Jacob loved Joseph more than the others and that presented the opportunity for another love problem - jealousy.

Joseph's brothers were eat up with jealousy. Joseph received more love, Joseph received special attention, Joseph shared too much information at times about what God was revealing to him and so Joseph got "the shaft" from his brothers. They hated him - another love problem. You already know the story so I'll just leave the background there and share what hit me this morning as I read.

Joseph's brothers were so infected with hatred, pride and jealousy that they totally missed what God was doing right in front of them. God was demonstrating, by Joseph's dreams, how He was moving to provide for His new nation. But Joseph's brothers were so "insulted" by what he was describing that they missed it all together. The Bible even says that the best Jacob could do was ponder afterward what his son had shared. I read that and thought to myself, "How stupid of them." Yet within seconds of my thought came the Holy Spirit's clear reply, "How often do you act just like Joseph's brothers when you out of jealousy dismiss what God is doing through those you think are beneath you." God knows just how to hit you between the eyes doesn't He?

Christians are so vulnerable to love problems. Favoritism, jealousy, gossip, pride and on and on and on... Love problems. They steal our attention from and focus on God and His work/will going on all around us. We miss it. We miss out on it. We end up doing something stupid like selling our brothers down the river because we're too scared to see what's really going on.

Are you struggling with any love problems today? Wait, don't answer that question. Let me say it this way, "YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH LOVE PROBLEMS!" The question you can answer is this, "Am I being honest with God about my love problems and am I seeking His continual help in combating them?"