Monday, October 3, 2011

Loving Requires Dying


John 12:24-25"Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal.
 26"If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you'll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment's notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me.


A few days ago I was struggling with the flesh.  It is really a battle to lay down our selfish desires when things are not the way we want them to be.  My emotions were overtaking me and I was growing angry because I felt that I was being mistreated.  I was not even considering how the other person might feel, my eyes were only on me.

Then, as I went to God, He revealed to me it was not a person I was waging war with, but the enemy.  Somehow, I had been deceived!  And Oh, how I pray to not be deceived by the enemy.  Yet, he had gotten me!  Gotten me focused on myself, that is.  It had become all about ME.  And it's not!  I was the one in the wrong, not the other person.

As I realized what was happening and that I was under attack, I asked God to change me.  I am not responsible for how others respond, but I do answer to God for how I respond.  He sees my heart.  He knows my motives.

I know God loves me with a crazy love that I will never get over.  And for that, I am forever grateful.  His love has changed my life.  It has also changed the way I love.

I am free to love because I know who holds me.  I can love with a reckless love, because I am  loved by God Almighty.  I have no doubt!

So I approached God with this huge struggle of my heart,  then He so sweetly gave me His Word, and I was changed.  I decided to let go of my life......

and live the life He has given me.  I want to love God with all that I am....reckless in love for Him and others.  Learning to let go of my life is not always easy, but it is possible.  It's when I let go that I find freedom.  Loving others is really not about what they do for us, it's about what He did for us and how He loves us and refuses to let go.

Love is powerful.  It changes lives!

Let's choose to love.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It is extremely hard in the middle of a struggle to try to step back and regroup to take the focus off of "me". I think it is a natural human tendency.

Hope whatever the situation was has improved, and hope you've been well the past couple of months.

P.S.- Love truly is a powerful, life changing force isn't it?!