A Love like Jesus'

  It wasn't very long ago that I first "met" Roger Flournoy Jr. via a short documentary of sorts produced by the Austin Stone Community Church.  

  Mr. Flournoy has cerebral palsy, but despite the challenges that this presents, he is a passionate and convicting example of choosing to have faith and be joyful in the Lord.  

  Today as I was reading some of his tweets, I found this excellent quote:

  "My goal for this year is only to love people the way that Jesus loves them."

  Mr. Flournoy's goal challenges me.  

  In a world that knows "love" primarily as "showing affection (or doing whatever it takes) to gain whatever I want", the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ is completely baffling.  

  If I were to passionately, honestly pursue this goal, what a drastic change would take place!  Of course, it is necessary to find out what the love of Jesus Christ really looks like; therefore, a continual taking in and meditating on Scripture is key.  

  Recently, I've been reading through Matthew and Mark and have seen many of the things that Jesus did during His time on earth in a physical body.  From the Gospel books, I gain so much understanding of Jesus' type of love.  From reaching out to diseased and despised women to socially-terrifying lepers, Jesus showed His unconcern for social stereotypes or physical contaminants.  One of the most striking examples to me of Jesus' lack of self-awareness and love and concern for others is illustrated in Matthew 14:3, 10, 12-14, 

 "For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife. 

And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. 

And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus. 

When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. 

And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick."

  Despite the sorrow He must have felt at the death of His cousin (as a Man) and the death of His holy servant (as the Son of God), despite the sadness over the depravity of mankind that would lead to such a murder, Jesus instead focused on the needs and hurts of those around Him.  That is a love like no other.  That is a love that the world doesn't understand, can't offer, and, too often, doesn't experience from believers.  


  This is the year for that to change.  With the Lord's help, I will pursue this goal.

Five Minute Friday: Forget

  Finally rejoining my fellow-writers at Kate Motaung's mighty-Friday link-up!  Today's word, forget, is just right for sharing some great thoughts I caught at Desiring God today! 

So, without further ado, here we go!

 
  Why is it so easy to forget something that is so vital to life?  In his article, "Rest in the Prince of Peace," Jon Bloom talks about the power and blessing of prayer when we come to the Lord with all that is on our mind and let Him take the weight for us.  

  Bloom indicates that prayer is like a natural exhalation for the faith-filled believer and further says that "prayer is the native language of faith" a quote which I fell in love with.  Maybe the reason I relate to it so much is due to the topics that are on my mind of late.  

  Namely: missionaries who are ministering to tribes in their own "heart language", the issue of worry that at least three of my friends have noticed in me (a fault that sneakily has flown under my radar for far too long!), and various needs and decisions that have seemed to swamp me in my mental "quiet place".  

  Yet if, as Bloom encourages, taking "every thing to God in prayer" is the way to the blessed and peaceful life, I want to do it!  

  I want to be that follower of Christ who "breathes out prayer" like the continual intake and export of air. 

  I want Jesus Christ and the pure, good, best!, solutions of my Father to be my first thought. 

  I want the advice and wisdom I can find in the true Word of God to be the things I live by.  I don't want to forget.  

  As people ask me to pray for their needs, as decisions crop up in my life which need "urgent attention", may I forget my own "plan of attack",

or ideas,

or solutions, 

and remember to take each need humbly to my Loving Heavenly Father Who cares and can help.

Five Minute Friday: Focus

Today joining Five Minute Friday after long last!  The word is Focus.  (Why don't you come along with me and see what my fellow FMF writers have to say about focusing?) 

Start.

   "I have trouble focusing sometimes," he said.  I smiled; I had noticed.  But then, I had trouble with getting distracted easily myself, so who was I to judge?  Still though, inside I thought, "Just focus." 

  In life, besides getting distracted with irrelevant movement and noise, we're bombarded with irrelevant information, even faulty news that can have a damaging affect on our lives if we're not careful.  

  Recently I got a jolt to realize that, spiritually, I was looking pretty bankrupt.  I began to take in large chunks of Scripture, trying to focus again on Christ, trying to get back into alignment with my Lord.  

   Mercifully, it is working.  The Lord has worked (and is working) to "regain my full face" that was pulled away and not focusing on His wonderful face.  

  He's also teaching more about trusting Him.  

  For years I have know that He is trustworthy, but there was always that nagging thought in the back of my mind, "But can /I/ trust Him?"  Not that He is worthy of being doubted, but am I able to trust? to put my full weight against Him and know that He will hold me up?  Do I have that ability or am I hopeless?  

  Yes, I am hopeless.  Without Christ, I am hopeless.  But through Christ, I am the victor as He patiently teaches me to focus on Him and put my full weight and all my trust in Him.  

  Tonight I am stretching out my hand, reaching toward focusing on the gloriousness of my Savior.  Will you join me?  

End.