"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-39
This time it has been particularly the second part of the scripture that has been standing out to me recently. It amazes me how God can so powerfully use scripture to reach out to our hearts, challenge, and bring conviction! But more on that scripture in just a moment...
It sure is interesting to me how God can also work, more than that, He even chooses to work through mere mortals to get his work done too sometimes. Lately, I have been reflecting on the beauty of relationships and how deep relationships and trusted friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, can serve as vessels in which the Lord may choose to work; Christ-like examples that can spur others on in the faith, can be good sources of accountability, and who can also play the role of being like a mirror or sounding board, that through good edifying conversation and providing their listening ear, can allow for others to verbally process aloud their thoughts and ideas to them.
This can at least be said about a select handful of special individuals who have really shown their support and love to me as of late, them being the Lord's chosen vessel and me being the impotent companion in need of their listening ear, accountability, and of the being spurred on by them, my Spirit-filled friends. Things happen and clarity always seems to come to me when I have someone to "vent" to, for a lack of a better word. It is a blessing to have them near even if it is without them even saying a word, but just having their comforting presence! But then, not even just that! Sometimes, these friends of mine even go the extra mile pouring back into me by returning my venting with wisdom!
I guess my point is, it is a MARVELOUS thing! My friends inspire me to want to be like that to them and to everyone I meet! And with that, back to the scripture above!
I feel like God has really been calling me to love, serve, and better prioritize the people around me in this season! It is easy for me to get selfish and fall into the complacent position of only wanting to receive and not give, and then, sometimes on the off chance I DO make an effort to give of myself, whether I'm giving comfort, wisdom, resources, service etc, I often find myself doing it for the wrong reason (self-righteousnessly, for recognition, reward, or compensation), or with the wrong attitude (begrudgingly etc.) #FAIL
Yes, to be more like Jesus is the goal, but I must say, it has been cool to see his serving nature modeled in the friends around me lately, in the power of the Holy Spirit. #GOALS
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I've been reminded that everyone is going through something. I want to slow down in life and make sure to take time and look for opportunities where I can reach out and be a blessing to others in need like my friends have done for me; and not to give them the credit, or myself when I am able to follow through, but that God would get the glory! It has been pretty neat how the past couple of days during my bible reading time going through the New Testament chapters of Corinthians, God has been reiterating to me this theme of selflessness and serving! I keep coming across certain verses that leap off the page and into my heart, calling me to better serve and love people! I have seen it exhibited, read about it, and have been a recipient of the love, kindness, and generosity of others, now I am ready to meet the challenge myself of better operating in this manner.
In closing, I just wanted to share with you the couple of scriptures in the Corinthians that have powerfully impacted and reshaped my attitude on the topic of serving, and hope you can be blessed by them!
1 Corinthians 10:31
"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love."
1 Corinthians 16:13,14
"This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else."
2 Corinthians 9:12,13
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