Loving Jesus Part 6

LOVE…is not self-seeking. (1 Cor 13:5)

In other words, when I love God, I will not seek Him for what I can benefit.

Jesus said, "For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost."  So when I look at seeking God from that perspective, I am quickly convicted of my own selfishness.  Jesus’ sole purpose was to reach out to people wherever they may be and in whatever condition.  He sought to saturate their very being in His love; giving them hope beyond today. 

His prayers were directed to His Father for the needs of others.  John 17 was a prayer Jesus prayed on behalf of all believers  throughout the ages.  This prayer was for each believer to have a oneness with God that was like His own relationship with His Father. 

I am convicted because my prayers too often resemble a shopping list of apparent needs I want filled.  I do pray for others also, but a great portion of my prayers are centered on me and my wants.

Teach me to be unselfish when seeking you, Father.  Teach me to see the needs of others before mine, and to hear the cry of ones who are seeking rebirth.

copyright 3/20/2015

 

Loving Jesus Part 5

LOVE… is not rude.  (1 Cor 13:5)

It is here I see myself much too clearly.  When speaking to a friend or loved one, how often do I interrupt the conversation in order to get my point across?  How many times do I tune out the one with whom I’m speaking because I’m totally fixated on my own story?

How self-centered am I when spending time with Jesus? Do I often take up the whole conversation? How frustrating would it be if God had to constantly struggle to get a word in, edgewise.  

It’s no wonder I have a hard time knowing God’s will for my life, when the only guidance I listen to is the sound of my own voice.

In addition to constantly interrupting Him and ignoring Him, do I take the time to thank Him for His gifts?  How rude would it be, if I had a benefactor that gifted me treasures daily and I didn’t even bother to say thank you?  

How many times (notice the plural form of the word) during the day do I stop long enough to praise Him for His blessings?  How many times a day, do I thank Him for His gifts or His presence, or even the trials that He invites for my strengthening and growth.  

All these gifts and treasures are here to teach us and to bring us to a more complete and loving relationship with Him. 

I wonder if I hurt His feelings when I don’t reflect on how my actions impact His heart. 

copyright 3/14/2015

Loving Jesus Part 4

 lOVE IS NOT PROUD... 1 Corinthians 13:4

 When I want to show my love to the God of the universe what do I do?

I would surely not come to Him with a prideful heart; that would be like putting a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door of my heart. You can come this far, but no further. Pride would make me inaccessible, and puts me in charge of my life. The distance between us is now something I have orchestrated not Him. 

Pride keeps me from experiencing an intimate relationship because I have all the answers. The result puts me in a place where Jesus not only can't teach me, but He is not able to reach me as well.

 Self becomes the God of the proud and the fear of not being in control keeps me there.

copyright 3/06/15

To Love Jesus Part 4

LOVE…does not boast  (1 Cor 13:4)

Don’t boast in the face of God; seems like a "no- brainer.” But not so fast. What happens behind the scenes, in the form of motives, is just as evident to Jesus as the words we speak. 

When we expect something in return for a good deed that we performed, that is a form of boasting.  In ourselves we acknowledge how awesome we were and sometimes figuratively hold our hand out to God saying, “I can hardly wait to see what I get for this.”

When we give a tithe or offering do we hope to be recognized by God for our generosity and appropriately rewarded for it?    Is giving or doing for God something done because of love rather than recognition? 

How about thinking in your heart that your abilities are superior to another. Isn’t that a form of boasting to God?  God instructs us “as we think in our hearts, so we are.” (Prov. 23:7)  Every action originates in the mind, and Jesus is very interested in our thinking.  He reads, with alarming accuracy, the secrets stored there. 

To boast then, would be to attempt to place myself in a superior position in God’s eyes for His blessings and care.  But love does not boast, so that kind of attitude has no place in our lives…


copyright 3/06/15

Self-Defeat

Somewhere along the shores of self-defeat

I sometimes stop to rest.

Wanting more than what God presents

I sacrificed the best.

The something more I thought to be better

Turned out to be far less.

The world, with need for imperious control, 

Has handed me a mess. 

When will I learn what's in God's hand

Is exactly what I need?

I receive what I've been longing for 

By relinquishing the lead.

copyright 3/04/2015

To Love Jesus Part 3

LOVE does not envy… (1 Cor 13:4)

Midway through verse 4 in 1 Corinthians 13, it seems to switch from what love is, to what love isn’t.  I suppose that in knowing what love is not, I will gain more understanding for what love really is.

“Love does not envy…” (1 Corinthians 13:4)

So my question is how would I envy God? 

It appears to be an almost ridiculous question. I would never consider envying God’s position as God.  But I could envy what He knows as God.

I know of someone who believes since God has his future already planned, it doesn’t matter what he chooses to do; as if nothing will amount to anything since he believes God “pulls the strings.”  He appears to envy the authority God has over his life because that is authority that he would rather have.  

But my understanding of God has shown me I have a great deal of influence on my own future. God may have — and does have — a plan for my life.  The plan has remained the same throughout my entire existence: His plan is to save me. When Nineveh repented because of God's words of destruction sent through Jonah, God did not change His plan. God's plan was to save Nineveh.  Their repentance made that possible. 

True wisdom from God would direct us away from envying God’s knowledge of the future. We can get into all kinds of trouble when we try to figure out what He’s doing in our lives.  His directive is to live in the “today" because tomorrow has enough burdens of its own.  To envy His knowledge of our future, is to waste today’s blessings.  We have assurance that His desire and ultimate plan is to save us and so we can rest comfortably in the loving hands of the Savior.

copyright 2/26/2015