For the Surpassing Worth of Knowing Christ
What is love and am I known by it?
The western world tends to have this idea of love being a kindness. It’s a nice way to bind up the brokenness of our world’s heartaches for a few brief hours of sunshine.
But that’s not love. Real love is richer. It is steadfast and selfless. It is sometimes grimy and uncomfortable and unpleasant. Love is choosing to make oneself a servant to Christ and others.
He delights to grow beautiful things within our souls.
And so, He reaches out, with a Kingly sovereignty and a Fatherly heart, waiting, asking: will you follow the roads? Will you go where no one dares to go? You asked for my lamp to guide your feet…and I faithfully will.
But if the roads lead to graveyards…will you still walk them?
The wise men gave of themselves for Jesus. They gave of their time and lives – choosing a journey to an unknown destination. Am I willing to give all? To give gold as to a King? Myrrh as to His Mortal Heart? And Incense as to a Living God?
My heart still holds back in the still of this world’s echoing hesitations to surrender all. But in the deepest crevice of my soul, I am beckoned to give back to my fullest. I am beckoned to try.
And so, I will try.
I am thankful for the “heart connections” I have around the world simply by being a part of God’s family. The church is a precious gift to each of us as believers. It is a form of accountability and support as those striving for the same goal, this “upward call of our God in Christ Jesus.”
What do I know of Calvary love? Oh, how precious little I know. What small and selfish lenses of love I am prone to see through!
I pray that He would teach me to love the way He does. Just as He sees my brokenness, my doubts, my messes…and loves anyway. Just as He knows I’ll be faithless a thousand times and more…and loves anyway.
Lord, help me love anyway.
When we take pride in ourselves – who have nothing truly worth priding over in comparison to the great God of heaven – we become blinded to God’s hand at work and create a barrier in our relationship with Him.
Be wary of the danger of pride in your faith.
Who could ever dream to hope of a God that seeks a filthy people who runs from Him, denies Him, betrays Him, and attacks Him? And yet the Creator of all mankind is, in an overwhelming love story, faithfully seeking His heart’s love…though we hide from His arms and faithlessly chase worldly pleasures and disgrace. How breathtaking. How beautiful.
How unthinkable.
In a world self-centered world, what difference would it make if we took the focus off of “me”? What if we started caring for others…and caring for them well?