Embrace the Within no. 213

“You have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Love your neighbor — and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike. What reward do you get if you love only those who love you? Why, even tax-collectors do that! And if you are friendly only to your friends, are you doing anything out of the ordinary? Even the Goyim do that! Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Mattityahu (Mat) 5:43-48). It is easy for me to love the people that love me. The people that treat me well and want the best for me are easy to love. BUT I need to love the folks that want the worst for me most of all. The folks that hate and despise me need my love even more. The folks with whom I disagree, the folks that are evil, the folks that are mean, the folks that are sinning, these are the people I need to love a lot more than I typically do. How do I show that love? Well, I don’t show it by calling the names. Christ already said not to do that. I don’t do it by being mean and evil and sinful. That isn’t very Christlike. I don’t do it by ignoring them. Christ did not avoid those who hated and persecuted him. How do I show that love?

I need to become more like Him. I need to “do something wonderful” for those that hate me. I need to be “praying for them” and not in an angry psalmist way for vengeance BUT in a sincere way of wanting them to live a better life.

They are image bearers as I am. They were lost as I was. And when I was lost God loved me enough to make a path out. And when I was lost there were plenty of folks that showed me love.

I need to act like a complete, mature, perfected example of Christ and that means doing things completely different from others. It’s easy to love the folks that treat me right. BUT it is something else entirely to love those that lie, cheat, steal, oppress, hate, and sin.

So, I get to choose to be like my neighbors and love just the folks that are easy to love or love the folks that make it difficult to love them. And let me tell you, the difficult folks do not make it easy on you. I am in an ongoing struggle to love through a relationship with a relative that is stiff-necked about his faith BUT fails to forgive. I know from experience that this is not an easy task.

BUT it is what God wants me to do because it is what Christ would do. And I think all too often I forget that example. Christ didn’t spend all day talking to His disciples, He was out spreading love to the folks that needed it. The folks that were stiff-necked in their self righteousness and sinful ways. And He didn’t come to flame or troll or own them, He came to save them.

If I am to be an Ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven then I need to be a son of my Father. And my Father causes it to rain and shine on the just and unjust, on the righteous and unrighteous, on the saint and the sinner, on the friend and the enemy. So, I need to ignore the labels that the world and I heap on others. I need to look beyond how the world would categorize folks and look at each and every person as the image bearer of the Father that they are.

I am not here to judge. I am here to offer the love of Christ by being His representative, His Ambassador. I am here to walk in the Way of the Lord as a model for others. And I can’t do that in hate or judgment or self righteousness. I can only do that in spiritual maturity. And that means not going low, not being mean, not being vengeful, not being spiteful . . . It means a lot more of denying me and my ego in order to be obedient to His Will.

Today I pray that the Lord help make me perfect like Him in my love for the folks that want nothing BUT evil for me. I pray that I can show the love of Christ to folks that make me angry, folks that are stubborn, and folks that are downright nasty to me. I pray that I choose love and peace and mercy and grace like Christ. I pray that my example of God’s love is enough to help show them a path to salvation. I pray that my example leads them to a connection and a commitment to a relationship of love with Christ.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH

Embrace the Within no. 143

'But, yee beloued, edifie your selues in your most holy faith, praying in the holy Ghost, And keepe your selues in the loue of God, looking for the mercie of our Lord Iesus Christ, vnto eternall life. '

Jude 1:20-21 GNV

This week has been a long one for me. I don’t know how it’s going for you BUT, through the Lord, I made it to Friday as did you. There are ever increasing reasons to give up on faith, hope, and charity if you look behind you or to the sides. If my eyes are not focused on the Way of the Lord and seeking communion with Him, then I can easily get pulled from the right path. I can easily find more and more reasons to act contrary to His Word. I can easily find reasons to give up on Him and my fellow image bearers. BUT I don’t.

I am in what seems like a constant conversation between what is happening around me and the Spirit because that is the only way to ensure what I am doing is right and true and just. If I was making the decisions on my own, then I would rely on my incomplete understanding. I need to be in contact and unity with the Truth. And I can’t do that praying twice a day or praying only on Sunday or praying only at banquets. I need to keep that conversation ongoing.

It can be a long week BUT I can always rely on the one conversation to bring me peace. It can be a long week BUT I can always rely on the one conversation to bring me hope. It can be a long week BUT I can always rely on the one conversation that will bring me joy. And, unfailingly, I never feel worse for talking to Him.

I know that there is a lot going on in our lives that can make us lose focus. Life is messy. Life is hectic. Life is distracting. BUT I never want to lose the promise that God is only a prayer away. That all I need to do is simply seek to have a conversation with Him. I don’t need to go somewhere. I don’t need to see someone. I just need to talk to Him. And I need to remember that He is never too busy, never too worried, never too distracted to take time to hear what I have to say. He created me to talk to Him, He created me to walk with Him, He created me to share this experience with Him on this side of eternity and beyond.

I pray that we all take more time to talk with You. Help us to remember that we were created to be with You. Help us to take time to worship, praise, and honor the creation we are and the creation You made to better walk with You. Remind us that no matter what is happening, no matter how insignificant or consequential, that we can talk to You about everything. And remind me that it is always a good time to pray.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH