The main thought I had in my mind last night never came out when I wrote my post, but I decided to role with it and now I think I'll continue on...
"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?" Luke 6:46
When reading this verse last night, I was brought back to earlier verses in Luke chapter 6. Verses that made me cry, "Woe is me," and desire for this life of pleasing flesh to die a death that will never return.
Luke 6:27-36
"But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods, do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful."
Wow. Major fail on my part for sure. Thank the Lord for His grace. Why would I ever think it's okay to cry out to my God like I meant it, and then go back just a few verses and actually confess a heart of falsehood before Him, all the while thinking nothing is wrong with that pattern of living? That's not
living in the slightest! That's being
dead,
dead to Christ. Totally opposing what the Bible tells us all over the place. Galatians 2:10, "now that I'm dead, I am alive (in Christ)."
Even starting in verse 27 where it says to "love your enemies," am I even doing that? I guess I always thought I didn't have that much of a difficult time with loving my enemies, for one reason I never have found myself to have very many enemies in the first place, and for two, thinking upon it a little deeper, it's probably because I never even think about my enemies because when I do I become bitter and angry, showing my heart of flesh instead of the new heart given by Christ, a heart that can be cultivated into seeing others, even my so called "enemies" the way that Christ sees them...as His children whom He longs for a relationship with.
Thinking about it and reading on even more, I have so much to work on. Thankfully that is why Christ came, He came to redeem me so that glory may be given to it's rightful Owner. In Him strength can be found to love my enemies with a true heart, pray for my abusers as I pray for those closest to me, be thankful for all He has given me and ready to give it away in an instant without a grudging heart. I want to love. I want to love with His
chesed (heh' said) love, the same love that captured my heart, a love so true it never turns, it is committed in all circumstances, this love will never leave and is willing to forgive even the darkest of sin. I want that. I have received God's chesed love as a free gift in my life, it would only be selfish and childish to horde that love He so freely gave to me. If I am loving with anything less than my whole being, what is my worth?
1 Corinthians 13
Hakuna Matata
