Journal Entry ~ 04/18/18

37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
38 This is the great and first commandment.
39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. - Matthew 22:37-39

The command to love your neighbor as yourself is not meant for those who are pleasant to us.  Let’s be real. We are not called to love because people are lovable, but God commands us to love because He knows what selfishness lives in our hearts. He knows how we struggle with contempt and expectations.  He knows how we fail to love. 

Here’s why we are to love - every person is an individual, created by our Father in heaven and capable of a unique relationship to God.  They are not a thing to be dealt with impersonally, or to be opposed or accepted as it suits our purpose, but they should be treated as a living, breathing, searching creation of God, just like us. That is why we are to love one another.  We are to love our neighbor without regard to what that person is like - this is what is meant when the Bible talks about love. True love is an interest in and a concern for another person BECAUSE he is a person and a fellow creation of God, and for no other reason. The problem is our sinful, judgmental heart often get in the way, and we choose who we want to love and who we don't. We are to love as He loved.

This world is a desolate place apart from the great warmth of love. How empty life would be if we did not know love! God alone is the source of love, the only kind of love that truly satisfies, the only kind that meets the hunger of our hearts. We spend so much time looking for His love in the wrong places - in things, in other people - and, as a result, we spend a great deal of time disappointed and hurt. It is this searching, this expectation that another person or thing can fill our heart, that often gets in the way of our ability to love others. We look to people to be what only He can be to us, and when they fail us, we stop loving them. He alone satisfies our heart. We are called to be a demonstration of His love to the people on our lives - not just when it's easy, but an abundant demonstration even when it's most difficult. 

I heard something powerful this weekend - the single greatest apologetic is community. Think about that. An apologetic is the presentation of evidence for our faith, it is the proof of God. There simply is no better way to prove God, or be a witness for the Kingdom of Heaven, than loving when it’s hard. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Medical Update ~ 09/27/17

Image
Today was a challenging day.  I met with the oncologist to discuss chemo as part of my treatment plan.  The oncologist explained there were 3 additional invasions discovered during surgery, so there were actually 4 isolated invasions in the breast tissue.  To review - my diagnosis is Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.  All 4 of the invasions are HER2+ (aggressive) and hormone negative (recurrent).  My oncologist walked us through the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCM) guidelines for treatment of this type of aggressive, recurrent cancer - chemo and radiation. The good news is God had already moved the mountain in my heart opposing chemo, and rested me in a place of acceptance.  While my initial prayers focused on not having to have chemo as part of my treatment, after hearing I had multiple invasions, He moved me to a place of understanding that chemo is a necessary part of my treatment.  If there were 4 invasions in the sample they took, there co
Read more

My Journey Begins...

I am a believer in Christ, and I have breast cancer.     On August 17, 2017, I was diagnosed with an aggressive (HER2+), recurrent (hormone negative) type of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.  At this point, they have not yet staged my cancer because they are waiting for the biopsy results from a suspicious spot in the second breast. The biopsy is scheduled for September 5th, with a lumpectomy to follow on September 7th.  They will formally stage my cancer after they biopsy my lymph nodes, which will be taken during the surgery.  It doesn't make any sense to me that I have a cancer diagnosis - I am a fairly healthy woman who runs 2 miles almost every day and eats a gluten-free, primarily paleo diet, with no family history at all.  But it makes sense to God, and so here I am. Update ~ They found 4 isolated invasions during the lumpectomy.  Due to the nature of my cancer (HER2+ and ER-), the recommended protocol is chemotherapy and radiation.  Beginning in October, my chemotherapy regime
Read more

Grace in Marriage

When we launched our new blog we had no idea if anyone would see it or be helped by it, but we knew that the LORD was prompting us to step out in faith and just do it. The response has been amazing and we are looking forward to how God will use this space for His glory. We have learned over many years of service in a variety of ministries, that God does not require human assistance to realize His plans for individuals, churches, nations, or the human race. But the story of the bible is the story of God’s will playing out through the words and actions of the His children. So…we pray, meditate on his Word, and write from the heart about the truths that mold our faith, guide our actions, and inspire our hearts and minds. Please visit the site and subscribe to continue receiving posts.  https://graceinmarriage.com/ It is our sincere hope that you are blessed by our work here and welcome your input on how we can make Grace in Marriage even better. Thank you for your support.
Read more