I've been reading through 1 John, and if I could sum it up in 4 words it would be this:
I think we have a tendency to make our faith all about US. We believe in God for what He can do for us; so we'll have a better life, or so that we can call on Him whenever we need something...even though we live our lives most of the time as if He's not even there.
Well, Jesus never said, 'if you believe in me I'll give you a happy, healthy, easy, and comfortable life.' He never said, 'if you believe in me, I'll help you make you money, or get a nicer car, or a better job.' Yet, I think that's what a lot of us expect and the kind of things we pray for. Like God is this genie in a bottle who is there to just grant our every wish. From my reading and understanding of the Bible, that's not what it's about.
Jesus said that we'll have trials and tribulations, that the world would hate us, that we would have to deny ourselves to follow him. The apostles certainly didn't live a life of prosperity. Paul said this in 2 Corinthians 11:27: "I have lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights. Often I have been hungry and thirsty and have gone without food. Often I have shivered with cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm." Doesn't sound much like a life of comfort and prosperity to me.
What the New Testament teaches us is to love and serve others and to follow Christ's example.What was that example? He sacrificed his life for others, he humbled himself, he made himself a servant, he reached out to others, he loved people, and he encouraged people. One thing I know for sure is that we can't be like Christ by sitting around and doing nothing. That doesn't mean that we go around preaching and judging but that we LOVE. Jesus said that the most important commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and the second most important command is to love your neighbor as yourself. The thing is, love is more than just a word or a feeling-it is a VERB; it must manifest itself through actions or else it's meaningless.
We need to shift our mindsets from what God can do for us to what we can do for God and others. We were made for that purpose! We need to open up our eyes and stop being so consumed by ourselves that we fail to see the needs around us. And with this post, I am not preaching-I am talking to MYSELF; I'm sharing what God has been putting on my heart. And I believe that what I learn, I should share with others.
I have been trying to come up with my one word for 2015. I haven't chosen one yet, but all of the words God is putting in my heart have a common theme: ACT, GO, DO, LOVE, SHARE. I know it's time to start getting out of my comfort zone and really living out what I believe. And it's really scary since by nature I am a shy and timid person. But God said that His power works best in our weaknesses. I have to trust that He will help me and work through me in the areas where I am weak.
My prayer for you and for myself is that God would help us to love others better, that he would soften our hearts, and that he would open up our eyes to the opportunities around us to show His love. Just think about it: what would this world be like if we all just started really loving each other? It would be such a different place! But it starts with us. It starts with making the choice, making an intentional effort to love those around us, right where we are at this moment, wherever we find ourselves. How can we do that? By simply listening, helping, and encouraging others. It starts with our family, our friends, our neighbors, and our coworkers. We can make a difference, one person at a time.
I think we have a tendency to make our faith all about US. We believe in God for what He can do for us; so we'll have a better life, or so that we can call on Him whenever we need something...even though we live our lives most of the time as if He's not even there.
Well, Jesus never said, 'if you believe in me I'll give you a happy, healthy, easy, and comfortable life.' He never said, 'if you believe in me, I'll help you make you money, or get a nicer car, or a better job.' Yet, I think that's what a lot of us expect and the kind of things we pray for. Like God is this genie in a bottle who is there to just grant our every wish. From my reading and understanding of the Bible, that's not what it's about.
Jesus said that we'll have trials and tribulations, that the world would hate us, that we would have to deny ourselves to follow him. The apostles certainly didn't live a life of prosperity. Paul said this in 2 Corinthians 11:27: "I have lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights. Often I have been hungry and thirsty and have gone without food. Often I have shivered with cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm." Doesn't sound much like a life of comfort and prosperity to me.
What the New Testament teaches us is to love and serve others and to follow Christ's example.What was that example? He sacrificed his life for others, he humbled himself, he made himself a servant, he reached out to others, he loved people, and he encouraged people. One thing I know for sure is that we can't be like Christ by sitting around and doing nothing. That doesn't mean that we go around preaching and judging but that we LOVE. Jesus said that the most important commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and the second most important command is to love your neighbor as yourself. The thing is, love is more than just a word or a feeling-it is a VERB; it must manifest itself through actions or else it's meaningless.
I have been trying to come up with my one word for 2015. I haven't chosen one yet, but all of the words God is putting in my heart have a common theme: ACT, GO, DO, LOVE, SHARE. I know it's time to start getting out of my comfort zone and really living out what I believe. And it's really scary since by nature I am a shy and timid person. But God said that His power works best in our weaknesses. I have to trust that He will help me and work through me in the areas where I am weak.
My prayer for you and for myself is that God would help us to love others better, that he would soften our hearts, and that he would open up our eyes to the opportunities around us to show His love. Just think about it: what would this world be like if we all just started really loving each other? It would be such a different place! But it starts with us. It starts with making the choice, making an intentional effort to love those around us, right where we are at this moment, wherever we find ourselves. How can we do that? By simply listening, helping, and encouraging others. It starts with our family, our friends, our neighbors, and our coworkers. We can make a difference, one person at a time.
I'd encourage you to pick your one word for 2015. Pray and ask God to reveal to you what that word would be. The word that has been on my heart lately is "ACTION". What's yours?
This was an excellent post. I stumbled across your blog looking for results of the GOMAD diet for women and was pleased to find you to be a Christian and include the Word along with great fitness advice.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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