John 17:14-21 - They Do Not Belong to the World

I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one--as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

John 17:14-21

When I get to thinking about things going on in the world, it gets to me. As mentioned elsewhere here in my posts, I am the type that just wants to love people, and I have a very live and let live mentality, especially when it comes to politics. But when any type of freedom of expression is threatened, that's where I dig in my heels and turn into someone totally different. This election has had me at my worst on social media and in conversations. Many people this year are likewise as outspoken and passionate because this election is causing people to examine their ideals of what we can and should be as a society.

No matter how much I truly do love people I disagree with, I am still terrified for this generation of children growing up and the kind of world they are going to have. With our freedoms as Christians being threatened by the day by an angry populace that associates belief in Jesus with the crazy actions of the radical, lunatic jerks of Westboro and that now has decided to become the thought police, I see a lot of bad things on the horizon.

Last night, some friends and I were having that discussion, and it got me in a place where I was, once again, feeling like the sky could be falling any second. Right now things in this nation are not dire. We may have some freedom of speech threatened and are being called some silly and inaccurate names by people who don't like us. That's not a big deal. But looking into the future, well, it's not going to get better politically or morally.

However, this morning I feel the need to remind myself that God is in control. Jesus foresaw many bleak, deadly situations for His followers and His prayer above illustrates the attitude He had. He prayed for the disciples with Him in that moment and all who would ever believe in Him. US! And He didn't pray for us to be taken from the world, but for us to be kept safe from the evil one (which in Greek is porneros - and you can tell what that's related to). 

One thing we discussed last night was what to tell our kids about certain things, and in my own heart I wonder how to raise a son in a world that keeps getting darker and darker, a place where a faith in Jesus is now a minor liability and could at any moment turn into a life-endangering ideology. This passage comforts me and informs how I am going to proceed. As Christians we are NOT of this world, and it's natural that we are going to be hated. Our purpose here is to represent Jesus, who Himself was hated and killed. 

Elsewhere, Jesus mentions that the servant is not greater than his/her master... So we can't expect better treatment than He received. Right now, Christians are being martyred around the world for their faith. Can we expect to be next? I believe at some point that will happen here, but that is not something that I need to be fearful of. I need to love my family, friends, and neighbors and remember where my true home is. I need to share Jesus with others, regardless of the cost.

Luke 5:32 - I Have Come to Call Sinners

I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

Luke 5:32

 

 

As Christians, it is our highest purpose and greatest responsibility to display Christ's love here on earth. He is our model for action on every level since He, as both God and man, was the only person able to ever fulfill God's standard of righteousness. Through coming to faith in Him, I have the standing of being right with God without having the actual ability to be perfectly righteous, as Jesus was. It's through God's grace that I can be His child. Not through anything that I have done besides confess Jesus as my own.

The hard part about being a Christian, to me, is walking out my faith in today's world. I take my faith seriously. I want to share it. I want others to love God as I do. Not because of some domineering reason but because I have tasted and seen God's goodness and genuinely believe that a relationship with Him is the best way to have a fulfilled, whole life. In this sense, I view truth as extremely black and white. A relationship with Christ is what is needed for true life in this world and for eternal life in the next.

Period.

Others don't believe this. That is plain to see. The fact that America is no longer a "Christian" nation is a fact so old that I'm surprised that people are somehow shocked by this. That Christianity is being attacked more heavily in recent days is also very obvious. I can feel the hatred directed toward anything having to do with the biblical concept of God and especially even the name Jesus. As an idealist, I could be paralyzed, angered, disturbed, or frightened by this (as I have been at different times), and I could dig in a trench and parrot my (true) black and white views and demand that everyone else see the world the way I do OR ELSE...

But...

Looking at everything that Jesus did, who He was, I simply can't do that.

That's not what He did.

Jesus was completely perfect and sinless. He is fully God. Fully in the right. He had every right to stay in heaven and leave man to their sinful selves. He even had the right to destroy the earth the second the first sin was committed. But that's not what happened. From the foundations of the world, the plan was that Jesus was going to come down into this messy, disgusting world in order to redeem it.

He was inherently misunderstood. The religious rulers who should have been able to pinpoint every prophecy speaking of Him from their sacred texts were the very ones who believed he was a blasphemer, who believed He was sinful because he was too close to those they considered "less than" - the prostitutes, the thieving tax collectors, the adulterers. Jesus spent His time speaking the gospel largely to the most unlikely people who, in turn accepted Him, moved by the love He showed that made them beautiful. The ones who had a price on His head were the ones saying long elaborate prayers in the streets, showing off their piety for all to see.

Jesus said, "I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32) and "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you"  (Matthew 21:31).

He ultimately died because He got involved in this world and its messiness. He didn't compromise one ounce of His righteousness to hug, heal, and associate with sinners. He confirmed the glory of who God truly is. Not some distant father who WANTS to fry everyone's shorts. The Bible states that Jesus is the express image of God the father. He displays what God is truly like.

The glory of God, his pure righteousness and pure love and pure grace mingled together, is what makes Him worthy of worship. This is what Jesus's life, death, and resurrection showed.

In many political issues, I find myself pulled in two different directions. To those who believe, it often seems as if I'm caught up too much in shades of gray. To those who don't believe, my views are not relativistic and thus do not suit them. I'm not too concerned with what either side thinks of me, to be honest. I want my life and behavior to line up with scripture, and I want my behavior to be a copy of Jesus.

I ask myself the hard questions every day. Would Jesus be more outspoken about homosexuality than I am? Would he be disgusted that I often argue on the side of gay rights and transgenderism simply because I feel that, in the Christian community, they have no advocates? Where are the Christians concerned with sharing God's love to them. Why is there so much disgust and hatred toward this group when, according to my Bible, we've all sinned and fallen short of God's glory (Romans 3:23)?

I really have no exact precedent in the Bible for how Jesus would treat these issues. But I know that he did reach out to the Samaritan woman at the well who had had five husbands and was living with someone who was not her husband. He didn't start tearing into her. He acknowledged the wrong of her situation, but then he engaged her in a conversation about worship. And she went away from that well a changed woman who ended up evangelizing her entire city simply because of the love and insight He had shown her.

Jesus was the one that stood between an angry mob ready to stone an adulteress caught in the act. According to the Old Testament law, God's standard, she was guilty and should be stoned. But did Jesus say, "Sure, you guys are technically right on this. Go ahead and kill her?" No. He wrote words in the dust (much speculated over), and told the one without sin to cast the first stone. Did that woman die? Nope. Did Jesus excuse her sin? Nope. He told her to go and sin no more. I can only guess that his grace and protection fused with truth caused a transformation in her life.

So if Jesus walked into a bathroom with a transgender person, I really can't see Him acting disgusted. He knows all of us. All of our sins, imperfections, hang ups. Everything. I can honestly see Him engaging that person for His kingdom - wherever their need is. Obviously, a bathroom is not a great conversation area, but you get my drift.

Politics aside, the actual people who make up the gay, lesbian, and transgender community are not going to see the beauty of the gospel until they see it in the eyes of a Jesus-follower who cares more about a soul (that does not understand the truth about the fierce, impassioned love that God has for all people) than about a label (given falsely by a society that also doesn't understand the depths of his love).

In good conscience, I believe the best thing I can do is treat everyone I meet, no matter their labels, as a fellow traveler in need of God's grace. If this means abandoning politics or angering people who want to raise the mote and live with a sense of superiority, then I guess that's what I'm going to have to do. I'm trying to live for an audience of one.

Again, walking this narrow, narrow road, I still feel uncomfortable and can only pray that God is pleased, or at the very least not extremely offended. Am I denying the lordship of Jesus in this? Am I excusing people's sins? God, after all, does love people enough to have tough love. Am I becoming morally relativistic? Shouldn't I be loudly and proudly affirming that sin is sin? I still believe God's plan for marriage is the way marriage works best and is what pleases Him, but, frankly, I feel that the LGBT community pretty much understands that Christians believe that at this point.

An experience I treasure is when a coworker came out to me, stating that she didn't want to tell many other people at work but that she felt comfortable telling me because she knew I wouldn't start treating her differently. She knew all about my convictions and beliefs. We'd had tons of conversations about faith by that point. I felt honored that she felt being authentic with me was safe. I'd like to think that, at some point, that sense of safety she felt would also be connected to Jesus.

Because He's the one who loves us the way we are - too much to leave us that way.

[Disclaimer: If I, in any way, sound like I think I have anything together about this issue or life, then 1) I failed in what I was trying to convey in this post, so 2) please realize I am a wreck still trying to live life day to day and have absolutely nothing together. 3) Whatever I might happen to have together is because God rearranged it into being into a semblance of not being a crappy mess. 4) If I am in serious error, I apologize to God because I am not trying to misrepresent Him in any way.]

Luke 18:41 - I Want to See!

"What do you want me to do for you?" 

"Lord," he said, "I want to see!"

Luke 18:41

My heart is filled with compassion toward the blind beggar who is sitting by the side of the road in the verse preceding the focus verse. Blind, helpess, relying on others for his daily needs due to his disability, he hears that it is Jesus passing by. 

At that point, he starts screaming, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

No doubt, he has heard of Jesus's other miracles and believes that Jesus can work a similar miracle on his behalf. Despite those around him yelling at him to be quiet, he persists until Jesus actually hears him.

So many of us are like that man, having our own problems, insecurities, fears, health issues, disabilities, worries. Modern science and medicine, themselves miracles, can often help with some of these problems. The danger for people of faith is that in trusting only medicine and science, we blindly miss the point that those methods are not the only way God works.

Just because we have different ways of getting our health needs met these days doesn't negate the fact that God still can and does work miracles. That's why He sent Jesus. That's why we call on His name.

I know that in my own life, I face the giants of my own fears daily. When it comes right down to it, Jesus is the one I must call on. He is the one who brings ultimate healing. He is the one that calms the storms and changes lives - miraculously. Sometimes in an instant, sometimes through a process: often in ways we least expect.

James 5:15 says:

Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well.

Prayer for healing is an area where we as believers cannot give up even if we think the answer God may be giving is no because we don't know the mind of God or how He may be choosing to show Himself strong on behalf of believers.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 - Taking Every Thought Captive

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Paul is using aspects of physical war to highlight the elements of our spiritual battle. Even though we are alive and breathing and have actual people that sometimes oppose us, our struggle is a spiritual one. 

In Ephesians 6:12, Paul states:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

We wage our war against Satan and his demons, against his influences in the world, against his lies.

These faulty ideas (imaginations, arguments, lofty things) create strongholds in our lives. In ancient times, strongholds were the fortresses created to keep the enemy out. There is also what is known as field fortification, or building up places to stand against an enemy using the natural landscape, digging trenches, etc. Since Satan's enemy is us, he makes use of our weaknesses to build up places of power for himself in the territory of our lives.

If there is even the tiniest place we are not grounded in truth or not submissive to the will of God, the enemy can and does use it to maximize his hold on us. The more undefended areas in our minds, hearts, and lives, the more places he can gain the advantage and influence us.

So what do we do with this? We're imperfect people, and life is incredibly complex. We have so many distractions and so much information coming at us that it's often difficult to discern where certain ideas or behavior patterns even came from originally.

It's easy to give in to fear or to just pretend this cosmic struggle doesn't even exist, but this passage says that the weapons of our warfare are mighty enough to cast down strongholds. We don't have to wring our hands helplessly because we are being attacked.

We attack.

Other versions talk of demolishing, destroying, pulling down these strongholds. I picture us with a crowbar tearing out drywall or US soldiers tearing down the statue of Saddam Hussein and covering his face with an American flag or bombing terrorist foxholes. This is the kind of destruction we as Christians have been called to wreak on Satan's kingdom.

What weapons are we supposed to use? This has been detailed in Ephesians 6:

• Belt of truth
• Breastplate of righteousness
• Shoes of the gospel of peace
• Shield of faith
• Helmet of salvation
• Sword of the spirit (word of God)
• Prayer

Sometimes it's hard to disengage these concepts from a flannel graph we may or may not have seen in Sunday school as a child. But the words in the Bible aren't just random scribblings: they are the knives, swords, semi-automatic weapons, rifles, grenades, missiles, and atom bombs in our arsenal. 

Satan is seriously messing with our minds, trying to destroy us using the destructive forces in his arsenal - lies, evil, anxiety, fear, doubt, condemnation, false propaganda, and hate. 

The ultimate battle has been won by Jesus Christ. Believers can have the assurance that, even when these fortresses do form in our minds, the power of Jesus can help us destroy them. 

The problem that I find with myself and other God-loving Christians that I know is that, for the most part, we leave these areas unchecked. We aren't even paying attention while certain lies and habits grow and grow. We leave our powerful weapons unused and wonder why we aren't experiencing the victorious life we have been promised.

We have to bring EVERY THOUGHT (yes, capslock means yelling here) to the obedience of Christ. There is no middle ground area for thoughts. Either they are based on truth and influenced by the Holy Spirit, or they are based on lies and influenced by the evil one. When we bring it back down to black and white level, it's a lot easier to see areas where we need to start bombing the lies we believe.

Every thought should belong to Christ.

Psalm 3:5-6 - I Lay Down and Sleep

I lay down and slept; 

I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.

I will not be afraid of many thousands of people

who have set themselves against me all around.

Psalm 3:5-6

I have always had trouble sleeping. My imagination gets away from me, forming new ideas, plotting stories, making plans, and ... worrying! It's difficult to get certain mental pictures of what could possibly happen in the future out of my head. At times, it's simply the stuff of every day life, but recently I have been thinking about bigger themes such as spiritual warfare and the end times. 

Spiritual realities such as how real and how powerful the forces of evil are really disturb me when I think about them too hard and too long. 

As believers we are called to think about whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). The difficulty for me with contemplating spiritual darkness and demonic influence is the fact that it is true. Since it does exist, in my opinion, a biblical worldview includes a belief in and awareness of these issues. 

Watching end time prophecy play out in all of my online feeds is disheartening and scary. Too much imagination applied in these areas is not constantly helpful or needed. Yes, evil is real. Yes, Satan is real. Yes, the clock is ticking.

So what to do when it's time to actually sleep? How do I feel the peace of what I believe? How do I lay down and actually sleep? I'm finding that I have to renew my mind to the truth.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39

Evil is not the only part of the story.

Evil has not won and will not win, no matter what happens.

God is the one who protects and sustains. He places a hedge of protection around those he has called by His name. Even if disaster strikes, His love is a constant reality in my life.

That is something that I can lay down into and sleep in.

John 5:6 - Would You Like to Get Well?

When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, "Would you like to get well?"

-John 5:6

I think that Jesus's conversations with the people he heals are so important. In this instance, he knows the man has been ill for an extremely long time and asks if he would like to be healed. The man doesn't instantly say that he does. He offers the details of why he hasn't been healed up to this point - he can't get to the healing pool in time. Jesus then tells him to get up, take up his bed, and walk.

I can definitely relate to this man's mentality. Instead of thinking about the answer to the question actually asked, he thinks only of the negative. What he can't do. This is probably due to a genuine disability to do so; he, in fact, cannot walk down to the pool fast enough in his condition. 

I know in my own life, sometimes the things I can't do start to look bigger than they really are as I focus on them. Sometimes, those things become excuses to not think outside the box or not do other things that I actually can do. I always wonder why this man hasn't already begged and pleaded with the people around him to put him in the pool or dragged himself a few inches every day. Maybe everyone was too selfish to help and his body was too weak to do even that. 

Weakness and infirmity are real and need to be engaged with compassion. Excuses need to be eradicated.

The only reason I insinuate this man could have been the cause of his own problem is what Jesus says to the man in verse 13: "Now you are well; so stop sinning or something even worse may happen to you." In either case, whether this man's inability to receive healing was completely legitimate or was caused by learned helplessness, Jesus doesn't acknowledge the obstacle the man presents. 

He issues a command: Get up.

The man is healed and obeys by doing just that. This is one thing I love about being in Christ. He heals us and enables us to do things we could never do otherwise. Did the man know he had been healed before he started trying to stand up? Perhaps he just had to obey what he was told to do having the faith that he would be able to do it?

Sometimes God's spirit moves that way, telling us to attempt something that seems impossibly crazy in the face of our own assessment of our ability level, real or perceived. Healing is from given from God, and we have to have clear sight and faith to see what areas He may be intending for us to walk toward.

Luke 19:10 - Lost

For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.

Luke 19:10

What does it mean to be lost? 

There is so much darkness in the world, and it's easy to forget that all unbelieving people are on their way to hell. 

I don't like to think about hell. 

But... the truth is that hell is real. It's not an abstract place disconnected from our experience. 

It exists. 

It is horrible.

No one, fully understanding what hell is, would want to take the path that leads there, yet many people do choose it because they are lost.

The definition of lost is:

 unable to find one's way; not knowing one's whereabouts

This perfectly describes those who do not know the truth. For all, life begins and we all sin and are sinned against. We're all both the wounded and the wounders. We believe the lie, whatever it is to each one of us.

We're miserable without knowing the truth.

Poor, wretched, blind.

The scary part about it is, in that state, we don't even realize the true source of our problems - being disconnected from all that is light, life, and love.

Jesus came to save each one of us from that state of being lost. Through his sacrifice, we can be made right with God and come to find our way in Him.

The idea of someone being on the road to hell just isn't fashionable and feels judgmental. It's not an easy truth, and for me, the idea of uttering the simple statement: "You're going to hell," just seems so rude and uncomfortable.

But am I actually being compassionate if I see someone bent on destruction and don't try to show them how to avoid it?

My sensitivity to the reality of hell has been dulled with time. It's hard to think about people who I worry may be there, to fight back my all-too-active imagination to construct what they must be experiencing.

Tonight, I was freshly reminded of hell's reality - the fact that it is dark, it is terrifying, and that people are going there. While researching for this blog post, I came across some YouTube videos about near death experiences where people experienced hell. I know some are skeptical about NDE accounts, but I believe that some are valid. I went through such a range of emotions in just watching a few of these videos.

No, I don't need to dwell on the details.

No, I don't have to fear going there.

But it's my job to believe - and act - as though hell is a real place.

Luke 8:39 - Tell Them Everything

"No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you." So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.

Luke 8:39

This is what we see the man who had a legion of demons cast out of him doing in the wake of his miracle. The demons are cast into swine and fall off a ravine and die. The town is so disturbed by this miracle that they beg Jesus to leave. The one who was healed wants to stay with Jesus, but he obeys Jesus's directive to go tell others about what had been done.

His story is one that shook the foundations of what the people around him could understand. The idea of someone powerful enough to cast out demons they had long feared was terrifying. I can only imagine the responses to the man's story as he proclaimed it. 

Shock. Awe. Belief. Hope.

As believers, we may not have stories that are as dramatic as this man's life, but we do have our stories. 

They matter. 

Our job is to tell them with the intensity with which we feel them. We need to share the details of who we were before and who we are now and who we, with God's grace, may become. This is the kind of stuff that everyone on earth hungers and thirsts for - the idea that we are loved, that we can be redeemed.

Our prescribed "testimony" of date, age, and place of salvation is not bad, but it's not as moving or as compelling as our personal narratives, the ups and downs of our relationship with Jesus. We don't need to tell every gory detail we've ever experienced in our lives, but we do need to be real and honest.

The world is looking for someone or something to connect with, and stories are the absolute best. Especially the stories that are true.

Luke 13:12-13 - You Are Healed

When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!" Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight.
Luke 13:12-13

What impresses me most about this scene with Jesus is how deeply He sees into each person and his/her needs in a very compassionate way. Jesus is teaching when the woman comes in, and he heals her of the evil spirit which had crippled her for eighteen years. He halts his important teaching (disregarding the legalistic company he is in) to deal with a person who had possibly been written off as hopeless by the majority in attendance.

I'm also moved by the woman's courage. The text doesn't say that she seeks Jesus out for healing, but ... she shows up. I'd think in eighteen years' time she had tried everything to improve her condition, perhaps even seeking healing in the very temple she attends here. Maybe she had lost all hope of being cured. Despite her physical problems, she is still in attendance at the temple, indicating that, in the midst of it all, she hadn't given up her faith.

This woman reminds me to never give up in the difficult places. Sometimes we have a thorn in the flesh that isn't going to go away and must learn to lean on God's sufficiency. Other times God decides to heal us for His glory. We don't get to choose which situation we find ourselves in, and we don't know what God plans to do with our struggles.

All we can do is continue doing what we know to be right and good, trusting that God knows best and that he does see us, including the causes of and cures for what ails us.

Life Verse: Isaiah 61:3 - Beauty for Ashes

To all who mourn in Israel,
    he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
    festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
    that the Lord has planted for his own glory.

ISAIAH 61:3 

I have so many verses in the Bible that I go to, that have defined certain times in my life, but this one always grabs me. When I read it, if I think about it deeply enough, I'm almost always moved to tears. 

You want my testimony, uh, um... read this verse. 

In its context of Isaiah 61 and echoed in Jesus's reading of it in Luke 4:18-21, it always fills me with awe. Jesus says HE is the fulfillment of these words. Whoah. It's his mission to replace all of our negatives with the light of his grace.

Call it a chemical imbalance in my brain or call it a lack of faith, but mourning, feeling a spirit of heaviness has defined a huge part of who I am. Most of the time I fight it with all I have, but I don't always win. Obviously, I don't enjoy the state of being depressed. It is such a devastated wasteland. I can understand why people mourned in sackcloth and ashes back in the day. It's a perfect symbol of what is going on inside someone feeling that kind of emotion. 

But according to this verse, Jesus makes some kind of beauty out of these ashes. He replaces all that we have with all that He has, which is far better. Instead of mourning, there is joyous blessing. Festive praise - fun, joy, life, light - instead of despair. These contrasts have always proven true. I know the cycle is not over. I am not convinced that I will ever see depression completely eradicated from my life, but I am committed to returning and returning to the truth of the one who loves me.

I am encouraged by the image of our righteousness in Christ making us like great oaks that the LORD has planted. It is a work that He has done, conveying a steady continuance in the faith. It reminds me of Psalm 1, with the beautiful verse: And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 

That's the kind of abundant life I want to have.

John 15:13 - No Greater Love

There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.

John 15:13

How do we "lay down our lives for our friends"? This is another phrase that is so often quoted that I had to google just to be able to wrap my mind around how this can be practically applied. Yes, Jesus laid down his life for us, so we should lay down our lives for our friends. In the verse right before this, Jesus says, "Love each other in the same way I have loved you." Unless we somehow find ourselves in the midst of a zombie apocalypse or The Hunger Games, I am not sure how I would end up following the literal meaning of this by physically dying for my friends and family like Jesus did for us.

Our laying down of our lives ends up looking a lot different than physical death, but it's still ... hard. Seeking to emulate the One who was willing to lay down His life to make a relationship right is a tall order.

Am I able to approach my friends with the selfless love of Jesus?

I've been sitting here typing and deleting a lot of answers to this question that, to me, all sound just, too ... generic.

I obviously can't do this. Even at my best, I still have ME in mind. For me, for any of us, living a life of sacrifice is going to come down to a work of the Holy Spirit empowering us to do what we really can't.

So.... list format here... random ideas... freestyle brainstorming... GO!

What can I do to lay down my life for my friends?

• Defer to others in the matter of preference.
• Your opinion does not always have to win.
• What does my friend need (food, clothing, a hug, a good sound kick in the butt)? Am I able to supply this? Am I willing to supply this?
• Do I seek first to understand my friends before I make myself understood?
• Do I forgive my friends?
• Do I have friends that are no longer friends because of one thing they said to me? Do I need to reconcile with those friends?
• Do I pray for my friends?
• Do I encourage my friends?

Obviously, a lot more could go here since Jesus's capacity for sacrificing Himself, showing  unguarded compassion, and forgiving sin are completely endless.

To become like Him, I have to die to myself...

Reference: Laying Down Your Life for Others - InTouch Ministries

Matthew 15:28 - Prayer + Desperation

"Dear woman," Jesus said to her, "your faith is great. Your request is granted." And her daughter was instantly healed.
Matthew 15:28

This woman's persistence is impressive. Her plight - a demon possessed daughter - is desperate, and she absolutely refuses to give up begging for Jesus to intervene. She knows He alone is her daughter's chance at wholeness, so she does not allow herself to be intimidated by protocol - the racial and gender barriers of the day. She is willing to face scorn, misunderstanding, and repeated denials.

Her actions mirror effective prayer. Her faith and trust are so fully placed in Jesus that she makes an annoyance of herself when He tells her no. She is not passive. In boldness, she is not going to let this go without a fight. I admire her strength in enduring all she could for her daughter's only hope. It's the kind of endurance that comes only through a faith that refuses to give up.

I'm sometimes a little uncomfortable with Jesus denying her repeatedly when He so quickly acted on behalf of many others, but I believe this is the way He works. Sometimes prayers are instantly answered. Other times, often in our difficult places, we have to persist. Our faith is being tested. Not out of unfairness or unkindness but to help us grow into an increasing faith.

This scene is the epitome of James 1:3-4:

Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

 Also, this reminds me of part of one of my favorite poems (which, it turns out, is a hymn):

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

-God Moves in a Mysterious Way

by William Cowper
(His story that I just learned - whoah!)

 

Mark 8:2 - I Have Compassion

I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.
Mark 8:2

Yes, Christianity is a deep worldview that can and has been analyzed and overanalyzed ad infinitum, but in this scene, Jesus demonstrates his tender (and practical) care for every aspect of our lives. Here we have a window into his heart. The multitudes probably would have stayed to listen to him and to be healed at the expense of their physical well-being, but Jesus had consideration for basic human needs.

The people had a need. He filled it. 

In this case it took a miracle to feed everyone present, but for us to show this kind of love to the world, all we have to do is notice what needs to be done. Sometimes we make our life and witness so complicated when it is so simple. Most people in the world today, even people whose lives are devoted to philosophy and deeper thought, are not in a constant state of pondering the depth of the universe. They are living their lives in real time and (consciously or subconsciously) looking for something to fill the deep spiritual hunger inside them - to know that someone cares and that they matter.

Coming at people with theological guns blazing can be very offensive, confusing, or just plain irrelevant at the moment when people are hungry, tired, stressed, irritable, or distracted. Because of this fact, I have always been hesitant when it comes to immediately asking complete strangers where they think they would go if they die. Maybe they have considered this. But, hello, I'm a perfect stranger. How is that my business? In addition, I always feel so ... insincere? procedural? I know that I myself do not want to be someone that anyone checks off their list. 

But truly caring about someone and helping them is not offensive. Showing concern or offering to pray for someone conveys that I care, and it gives me the opportunity to build a relationship with others. If my motive is, plain and simple, to act like Jesus and care, I feel that I am doing right and building a bridge that may someday be strong enough to carry those weightier questions about ultimate truth and our final destination.

It's about trust. Jesus showed that he cared in a small thing, which helps me understand that he cares in bigger things. Enough to do anything it takes to redeem and restore. Since I am trying to be like him, I need to be more practical and let my behavior be suited to the situation. We are meant to sow different seeds to different people.

All this being said, I realize I do err a little too closely to the side of the statement: Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary. I absolutely agree with that, but I'm coming around to the middle a little more. The words are necessary, but they have to be paired with authentic love and compassion.

• See also: God feeds us with deep compassion - I came across this blog when I was searching for a picture to go with mine, and I feel like this captures the essence of what I wished I had written, but I ended up going in a different direction.

John 13:35 - Your Love Proves

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.
John 13:35

It is our love to one another that proves we are truly followers of Christ. As the body of believers that he has chosen to be His hands and feet, are we doing a good job of showing we really love one another and are in community together not out of a sense of obligation but because of love?

Community is not an easy thing for anyone. Imperfect humans sharing each other's lives creates friction and conflict. It's so easy to complain about situations and personalities rather than actually dealing with them in a biblical manner. It's also easier to run, always avoiding any sense of discomfort by a change of scenery. I've done both of those in my life, and in doing so I have cheated myself and fellow believers out of what God's ideal for us truly is.

Showing His love. Learning to let love cover a multitude of sins means (cringe) actually making myself forgive people for being annoying, judgmental, or unkind. It means giving of myself, not just the time it takes to attend a service, but to think about the emotional, spiritual, and physical needs of the people who occupy that space with me each week. And not just my friends. The people who I don't know and might be nervous to approach. The person who offended me years ago who I still struggle to feel okay with.

All I know is that I don't want my own perceptions, fears, and hangups to cause the unbelievers around me to think that this whole church thing is a load of crap. If my life doesn't display the glory God intended, why should they care? It's a scary thought. It goes along with the old saying: "People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do."

I'm going to try to do better.