Corona Devo 49
Well, we've been under Corona lock-down for a while now. The rose-colored glasses are coming off (if you ever even had a pair on during this Corona season), and we are feeling and living with the full reality of who we are. Who our kids/spouses are. Who our neighbors are. And...I have to come back to it, because Jesus keeps making me come back to it: Who we are.
Apparently, there will be no escaping ourselves or the people surrounding us for quite a while longer, so the press says. So, I believe the Lord is waiting patiently for us to make some spiritual/internal changes in relation to how we deal with our relations around us.
It's hard.
Why?
Because for some reason, my people (those that live with me, or live around me, or those I love and know) often see life differently than me! They have their own opinions and (gasp!) they often favor their own opinions and ways over mine.
This means that compromise (in thought and deed) must occur for one or both of us.
Our selfish nature cries out (like a child), "What about so-and-so?" And instead, God turns the focus back to us.
This (self-focus/self-pity) is nothing new. Some of Jesus disciples bugged him about the same things. When Peter saw him (John), he asked, "Lord, what about him?" Jesus answered, "If I want....what is that to you? You must follow me." ~John 21:21-22
We don't need to worry ourselves about how others are ding things. We must simply follow Jesus and His ways. The rest will work out.
We seek God's acceptance of our stances and opinions, but over and over, God tells us to love others, and to lighten up, soften up, and extend more grace to them. This is exactly what God does for us each day.
And even though I would prefer that Jesus champion my point of view, He consistently tells me to "Love my neighbor", and to try harder at seeing their side of things, or at the very least, to be at peace with the reality that they are entitled to have their own side of things.
Apparently, there will be no escaping ourselves or the people surrounding us for quite a while longer, so the press says. So, I believe the Lord is waiting patiently for us to make some spiritual/internal changes in relation to how we deal with our relations around us.
It's hard.
Why?
Because for some reason, my people (those that live with me, or live around me, or those I love and know) often see life differently than me! They have their own opinions and (gasp!) they often favor their own opinions and ways over mine.
This means that compromise (in thought and deed) must occur for one or both of us.
Our selfish nature cries out (like a child), "What about so-and-so?" And instead, God turns the focus back to us.
This (self-focus/self-pity) is nothing new. Some of Jesus disciples bugged him about the same things. When Peter saw him (John), he asked, "Lord, what about him?" Jesus answered, "If I want....what is that to you? You must follow me." ~John 21:21-22
We don't need to worry ourselves about how others are ding things. We must simply follow Jesus and His ways. The rest will work out.
We seek God's acceptance of our stances and opinions, but over and over, God tells us to love others, and to lighten up, soften up, and extend more grace to them. This is exactly what God does for us each day.
And even though I would prefer that Jesus champion my point of view, He consistently tells me to "Love my neighbor", and to try harder at seeing their side of things, or at the very least, to be at peace with the reality that they are entitled to have their own side of things.
“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the
law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all
your soul, and all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: "Love your neighbor as yourself." ~Matthew 22:36-39
First, God calls us to Himself. To love Him with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind (Matthew 22:37). And if we say that we are His followers, and that we are going to commit to trying to live that way: then He allows us to move on to the second commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 26:39).
If we are honest, we love ourselves ALOT. We appreciate compassion and empathy and compromise when others give it. God is blatantly commanding us to do that for others.
And right about now, the "others" in our lives have been boiled down, due to Corona restrictions. And (for me), the Lord keeps pressing me to put a laser-focus on loving those others, even when it stretches me (and it is stretching me!).
If you are like me, right about now, there are a couple people that are more of a challenge to "love" than usual. They may be inside the walls of your house, or they may be outside, but maybe someone comes to mind. (And don't forget that WE may be that person to someone else.)
"Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 26:39). Our neighbor means anyone outside of ourselves: our family, our physical neighbors, and it also means those receiving our emails/texts, those doing their best to teach our kids remotely, those trying to run our Nation and those writing the articles in our newspapers. We might not see eye to eye, but if we claim to be Christ followers, Jesus tells us to love them.
Shame on me when I have not. Forgive me for my impatience, my critical spirit, and my feelings of superiority. There is a difference between reading God's word and living it.
Following Christ is hard.
Jesus knew that it would be hard for us, but He also promised His presence and gave us the opportunity/choice to follow Him.
Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." ~Matthew 16:24
I am realizing lately that the command to "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 26:39), has a lot to do with me "denying myself".
For today, I pray that we can love our neighbors as Christ already does. What if we could embody kindness, patience and love for someone that needs to feel it?
In Christ, we can!
If we are honest, we love ourselves ALOT. We appreciate compassion and empathy and compromise when others give it. God is blatantly commanding us to do that for others.
And right about now, the "others" in our lives have been boiled down, due to Corona restrictions. And (for me), the Lord keeps pressing me to put a laser-focus on loving those others, even when it stretches me (and it is stretching me!).
If you are like me, right about now, there are a couple people that are more of a challenge to "love" than usual. They may be inside the walls of your house, or they may be outside, but maybe someone comes to mind. (And don't forget that WE may be that person to someone else.)
"Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 26:39). Our neighbor means anyone outside of ourselves: our family, our physical neighbors, and it also means those receiving our emails/texts, those doing their best to teach our kids remotely, those trying to run our Nation and those writing the articles in our newspapers. We might not see eye to eye, but if we claim to be Christ followers, Jesus tells us to love them.
Shame on me when I have not. Forgive me for my impatience, my critical spirit, and my feelings of superiority. There is a difference between reading God's word and living it.
Following Christ is hard.
Jesus knew that it would be hard for us, but He also promised His presence and gave us the opportunity/choice to follow Him.
Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." ~Matthew 16:24
I am realizing lately that the command to "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 26:39), has a lot to do with me "denying myself".
For today, I pray that we can love our neighbors as Christ already does. What if we could embody kindness, patience and love for someone that needs to feel it?
In Christ, we can!
Blessings,
sarah
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