Embrace the Within no. 172

“Bless those who persecute you [who cause you harm or hardship]; bless and do not curse [them]. Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others’ joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others’ grief]. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty [conceited, self-important, exclusive], but associate with humble people [those with a realistic self-view]. Do not overestimate yourself. Never repay anyone evil for evil. Take thought for what is right and gracious and proper in the sight of everyone. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath [and His judicial righteousness]; for it is written [in Scripture], ‘Vengeance is Mine , I will repay ,’ says the Lord. ‘But if your enemy is hungry , feed him ; if he is thirsty , give him a drink ; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome and conquered by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Romans 12:14-21

Can Paul make it any more simple than going back and reminding me of what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount? And yet so much of following The Christ is simply listening to what He says, adjusting to His correction of false teaching, and then acting in obedience to His teaching. So often I make up so many reasons for not showing God’s love. I make up my own, “Yeah, BUTs” to get around what I am simply told to do. I can point to how other people that profess holiness acted and say, “Yeah, BUT”. I can point to what other people do and say, “Yeah, BUT” all I want. Those objections are not going to change what The Christ taught. Those objections are not going to change what those in the first and second century understood those teachings to mean. And no amount of “Yeah, BUT”s are ever going to change the core foundation that I need to love God, my neighbor, and my enemy. Nothing is going to change that command.

I don’t get revenge. I get love. I get compassion. I get all the fruits of, “. . . love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law”(Galatians 5:22-23). I get all those character traits from being a follower of The Way of the Lord. Nowhere among them is selfishness or vengeance. Hating, anger, violence, death, destruction are all rooted in selfishness. I have to selfishly want to enthrone myself rather than following the Lord in obedience. And folks have a lot of “Yeah, BUT”s for enthroning themselves and disregarding the core of The Christ’s teachings for some fringe idea found somewhere buried in the scripture that supports what they feel or they believe.

What I believe does not really matter. What I think does not really matter. What I feel does not really matter. What does matter is what He says. What does matter are His commandments. So, I can choose to shape the Word into reflecting what I want or I can use the Word to shape me into what He wants. And all too often I try to shape what I read rather than allowing it to shape me. And all that is my selfish action of trying to replace Christ with me. The Bible is not there to justify me. The Bible is there to mold me into a better Ambassador of His Kingdom. And if I am trying to make His Kingdom into something that resembles the world of men, then I am falling short of His promise. I am falling short of His vision of peace and love.

Grace and Shalom to your home.

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

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH