Matthew 22:37-40 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
I started reading a book today called Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
by Francis Chan. I was asked to read it before my retreat this weekend. Right away even before I hit chapter one, the preface got to me... Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and all your mind.... and Love your neighbor as yourself... That to me was just a kick in the pants... really. As Christians we know what we are suppose to do... but do we act on it? Do I act on it? The answer if I am going to be truthful here would be no.... I don't love my neighbor as I love myself... heck - I don't know many of my neighbors - I don't know many of my friends...The funny thing is I want to love my neighbors as I love myself but how do I do it? How do I follow Jesus' example of unconditional love? I think the first step is to stop being a Sunday only Christian..... I need to be a 7 day 24 hour kind of Christian.... At church, I feel closer to God because I am there to worship Him.... when I walk out the door and get into the car - I am no longer worshiping - I've become mom and wife again with all the duties and obligations that it entails... Finding time to love my neighbor much less think about my neighbor almost becomes impossible.... almost...
When my pastor talks about living the "Uncommon Life" - I think - yes, that is what I am going to do.... Worldly stuff so long... I am here to serve God and only Him.... and for the most part, I believe that I am a good Christian woman but...................... I could do so much more to glorify Him.... so much more...
I am beginning to believe that serving God and living the uncommon life of a Christian is not something that comes naturally to me. I really don't believe it comes naturally for anyone... We are human.... with human and worldly desires... That does not mean that I don't love God with ALL my heart... I know I do... it just means that we (I) have to put actions to words and thoughts. It means I need to put "me" on the back burner and follow God... Take up that cross...
I believe that I (we) need to continue to grow in our faith... We need to challenge ourselves and others.. We need to lead my example.... We need to be accountable... We need to love..
7 comments:
Hey I'm reading that book too! It's soooo good.
Kelly,
I believe that if we are finding ourselves faulter in what we are supposed to do as a Christian, like forgive or love unconditionally. It is because we are low on our level of revelation in that particular area of understanding about who God is and who we are because of what Jesus has done for us. Acting in Godly character should be an overflow of the power of the Holy Spirit in our life. But, if we are lacking in our understanding of how unconditionally God loves us, how can we overflow that kind of love in someone else. Or if we are not recognizing that God forgives us already before we even ask Him to, where will we find the power to forgive someone else who really does not deserve it.
On the other hand, as I have come to see and experience the love of God toward me even when i am a real stinker and don't know if I would love me if I was anyone else. That empowers me to love in the same way. And as I realize that God forgives me for all of my sin, even the one sin that I keep doing over and over again. I am empowered to forgive the one who keeps wronging me over and over again. It is His work of grace revealing Himself to me and His work of grace changing me into His image even in my outward self.
Great comment Christy Rose! Thank you.
Hi Kelly!
I just wanna say you're the featured blog reader for the week in my blog. thanks for the inspiration! God bless you more!
Some good thoughts, real challenges.
You have several "we need tos" ... and we do need to do A LOT in the kingdom.
But I think a prerequisite to being able to live worthy of our calling is to realize the grace of God that reaches us already, where we are, and to bask in that. We will never get all the "need tos" down right.
I like Christy Rose's comment, esp. this statement: "I have come to see and experience the love of God toward me even when i am a real stinker." So true! We love him b/c he first loved us. We dispense grace to others b/c he first graced us. There is the power "to do."
wb
Sounds like a good read, have you read the shack? That for me was life changing when it comes to dealing with so many aspects of my walk.
Kelly,
How do i get Amazon on my blog and is it benefitual? Would you recommend it?
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