“We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.”
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbori and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,45that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
JOURNAL
What stands out to me in these passages is that God is always shaping us to live as a blessing to the world around us. He reminds Abram that the true reward is not what God gives, but God himself. And then Jesus stretches us beyond all human logic and comfort when he calls us to love even our enemies. It is as if God is saying: “Let your life be so rooted in Me that others experience My love through you, even when they do not deserve it.”
To live that kind of life is not passive. It requires intention. If God desires us to be a blessing, then we must order our lives in such a way that we are not an unnecessary burden to the people around us. That means tending to our health, our hearts, our habits, our finances, our relationships, and the secret places of our lives. It means refusing to entertain darkness or compromise that weakens our capacity to love well. When we neglect our souls or our bodies or our character, others eventually carry the weight of what we refused to face.
Of course, there will be seasons when life overwhelms us and we must lean on others. Illness, loss, grief, and circumstance sometimes strip us bare. God designed community for those moments, and receiving help is not failure. But it should never become our default posture. The normal rhythm of our lives should be to pour out, not constantly pull from others. To give stability, not chaos. To contribute peace, not drain it.
And yet, God does not ask this of us so that we strive for perfection in our own strength. The reward is still God Himself. The transformation comes from being rooted in His presence. As Paul writes, we offer our bodies as living sacrifices and allow our minds to be renewed. In that ongoing process, our lives slowly become instruments of blessing, not because we are flawless, but because His life is flowing through us.
So I keep walking this road, even when I fall short. Not to prove anything. Not to earn approval. But because the more I surrender to God, the more capacity I have to love. And when love grows, I become, little by little, the kind of person God can use to bless the world.
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
What stands out to me in these passages is that God is always shaping us to live as a blessing to the world around us. He reminds Abram that the true reward is not what God gives, but God himself. And then Jesus stretches us beyond all human logic and comfort when he calls us to love even our enemies. It is as if God is saying: “Let your life be so rooted in Me that others experience My love through you, even when they do not deserve it.”
To live that kind of life is not passive. It requires intention. If God desires us to be a blessing, then we must order our lives in such a way that we are not an unnecessary burden to the people around us. That means tending to our health, our hearts, our habits, our finances, our relationships, and the secret places of our lives. It means refusing to entertain darkness or compromise that weakens our capacity to love well. When we neglect our souls or our bodies or our character, others eventually carry the weight of what we refused to face.
Of course, there will be seasons when life overwhelms us and we must lean on others. Illness, loss, grief, and circumstance sometimes strip us bare. God designed community for those moments, and receiving help is not failure. But it should never become our default posture. The normal rhythm of our lives should be to pour out, not constantly pull from others. To give stability, not chaos. To contribute peace, not drain it.
And yet, God does not ask this of us so that we strive for perfection in our own strength. The reward is still God Himself. The transformation comes from being rooted in His presence. As Paul writes, we offer our bodies as living sacrifices and allow our minds to be renewed. In that ongoing process, our lives slowly become instruments of blessing, not because we are flawless, but because His life is flowing through us.
So I keep walking this road, even when I fall short. Not to prove anything. Not to earn approval. But because the more I surrender to God, the more capacity I have to love. And when love grows, I become, little by little, the kind of person God can use to bless the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment