By Eusebius (Guillaume Piolle). [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Good morning, beloved,
To me, it is easy to love when the object of my love is beautiful. (This picture) Or cute. (Little people in my life) Or love me back. Frankly, I’m all about love that is easy. I can love God easily when times are good, money is in the account, stress is in my rear view mirror, right? I can love my husband without reserve when he cleans the kitchen, takes the kids for me, picks up his own clothes…yet, when I look over these sentences, what do I see a whole lotta? Me. My.
And frankly, (I’m liking that word today..) that isn’t love. Love isn’t just when it’s easy. Jesus loves me even when I turn my back, scoff away His Spirit..yet, my desire is for everyone to be perfect like me. Um, Cara? Let’s just be honest. The only One who was ever perfect was Jesus and sometimes, He didn’t make much sense to His disciples. That is hard for me to even type. I’m just being real here. And I realize I have forgotten a passage that keeps on blessing me.
23And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [[g]disown himself, [h]forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, [i]refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [[j]cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also].
24For whoever would preserve his life and save it will lose and destroy it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he will preserve and save it [[k]from the penalty of eternal death].
25For what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and ruins or forfeits (loses) himself?
Deny my rights. Forget, lose site of myself. How much easier is it to love when my first priority is not myself?
This passage I’m about to share comes from a beloved section of Scripture called the Beattitudes.
42Give to him who keeps on begging from you, and do not turn away from him who would borrow [[a]at interest] from you.
43You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy;
44But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45[b]To show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike].
46For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?
Love your enemies.
1) hated, odious, hateful
2) hostile, hating, and opposing another
a) used of men as at enmity with God by their sin
1) opposing (God) in the mind
2) a man that is hostile
3) a certain enemy
4) the hostile one
Jesus wants me to love (agapaō: to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly, to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing) Read that again. Jesus is asking me to love those in my life who are opposed to God, hostile? How about the public figures who are making decisions about the direction of our country?
Pray for those who persecute you..
Pray (proseuchomai) The definition is to pray..what is more interesting to note is the two words that this word comes from. Check it out!
1) to the advantage of
2) at, near, by
3) to, towards, with, with regard to
And then, euchomai
1) to pray to God
2) to wish, to pray, to pray for
Oh, Lord, you are asking me to wish, to pray for good towards my enemies? Yet, when I deny myself and pick up my cross and follow Christ..I don’t get to choose what parts of Scripture I like and ignore the rest.
Last word, persecute diōkō
1) to make to run or flee, put to flight, drive away
2) to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing, to run after
a) to press on: figuratively of one who in a race runs swiftly to reach the goal
b) to pursue (in a hostile manner)
3) in any way whatever to harass, trouble, molest one
a) to persecute
b) to be mistreated, suffer persecution on account of something
4) without the idea of hostility, to run after, follow after: someone
5) metaph., to pursue
a) to seek after eagerly, earnestly endeavour to acquire
So much for me to think about today, my head is swimming. Yet, to this end, I desire more than anything to be like Christ. How about you?
Pray on, friends. Pray on.
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