SEPTEMBER 12, 2023

  “I must be willing to give whatever it takes to do good to others. This requires that I be willing to give until it hurts. Otherwise, there is no true love in me, and I bring injustice, not peace, to those around me.” 

― Mother Teresa

PROVERBS 21-22 

25The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,

because his hands refuse to work.

26All day long he craves for more,

but the righteous give without sparing. (21:25-26)

2 CORINTHIANS 4

16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

JOURNAL 

Working and giving are directly a result of being transformed by God's love. When we are transformed our concern is no longer being loved, our focus turns to giving, working and living in order to reflect God's spirit. That spirit lives within us and as a result our focus must shift, our attitude, passion, joy... everything must therefore change and does change when we surrender. To really take in this quote from Mother Teresa really puts it all into perspective..."to give until it hurts"...wow!

I do believe that this is a daily battle, I believe every morning when I wake up, my heart is subject to follow whatever I feed it. While God will never leave me and while his love transforms my heart and life, I still know that I must surrender each morning, each day or I will find myself drifting into sin and selfishness. No matter the success and joy of the previous day, I still have to surrender to God's will and his love. There are no days off, and as long as I am living on this earth, I will battle the darkness.

But I never am alone and Jesus promises that if I abide in him, and obey his command to love others as he has loved me then the worries of the world no longer own me. The selfishness of sin will never win and joy will find it's way complete in my life.

 9As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Remain in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 

JOHN 15:9-12