Brushed by Love
Life is full of God, besides that there are hundreds of distractions that pull us away from him, they might even be hidden as something spiritual. In the end it comes down to this: Did we bring our whole heart to God and lead other hearts to him.
We can take nothing to him, except ourselves and behind the people that we've influenced, changed, but mostly loved. A while ago, I asked what it means to be alive, someone suggested it means to live a life that glorifies Him. This is true, but how can we glorify God in the moments. The answer seems simple, do it with love. The key is not just having love, but lift our unloving hearts up to God that he might give us a refill.
I'm sitting here at my computer at work and was just brushed by his loving greatness, almost started shaking physically, it's truly amazing how he can fill us in abundance.
We can take nothing to him, except ourselves and behind the people that we've influenced, changed, but mostly loved. A while ago, I asked what it means to be alive, someone suggested it means to live a life that glorifies Him. This is true, but how can we glorify God in the moments. The answer seems simple, do it with love. The key is not just having love, but lift our unloving hearts up to God that he might give us a refill.
I'm sitting here at my computer at work and was just brushed by his loving greatness, almost started shaking physically, it's truly amazing how he can fill us in abundance.
posted by Luke | Friday, November 11, 2005
7 Comments:
Truly amazing indeed. You nailed another key point of Christianity, Luke, that being love. This was such a big thing for the early church, and is an idea that's being recaptured by so many today, and that's to be an example of the entirely self-less love that Christ had and continues to have for us.
I had a question for you--your phrase "praticing His presence"--I found it a little ambiguous, what exactly do you mean by it?
I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "In the end it comes down to this: Did we bring our whole heart to God and lead other hearts to him". In a way that I don't quite understand, I can agree with the part about us bringing our hearts to God? Even though I don't understand how it's possible for us to do or if it's actually nothing that we can do, but rather a response to the forgiveness we have already been given. But what do you mean by the "lead other hearts to him"? Is this actually important? The only thing I understand is when we realize the forgiveness we've been given, it will be a response of ours to want others to know the depth of the forgiveness they too have. But our telling them has no pending on our or their salvation.
Hey,
I think the term "practicing His precence" comes from Brother Larwence who wrote a book on that subject. I've heard quite a few other terms that seem to discribe the same, like: "Living in the Spirit", "Pray without ceasing", "Do everything for God's glory/love", and so on...
The key is the idea that the relationship with Jesus is not a matter of isolated events like prayer in the morning and church on sunday, but is a continus connection, total submission and response to His love in every minute and even second. I've come across a few men who were desperatly seeking such a life. Their experience has inspired me to seek the same depth with God. Face to face like Moses...
Hey Girl,
Love God and love others, the whole law is summed up in this.
John explains it so well and its so deep that I only understand so little of it, but read:
- 1 John 3:16-24
- 1 John 2:3-11
Love and obedience hang together, we obey as the loving response to his call to come and live before him. As we are with God, he shows us his heart and it beats for us! I believe the natural response (and its not producable by us, only God can give it) is to bring others along, because it cheers him so much and its the most loving thing regarding others.
I see what you mean, so I guess the problem I have is in equating "loving others" and "leading other hearts to him" as meaning the same thing. One signifies our response and the other, their response and that, I think you might agree with, isn't in our power. As often seen, if someone thinks it's their responsiblity to lead other people to God, their motivaton for loving seems to become impure. Which brings another interesting point. What should our reason for loivng other people be? I guess if we can start to grasp the love God has for us, it will just make us want to love people the same. Don't want to keep it to yourself sorta thing. I guess love is really a choice, because sometime I don't feel loved. I guess that doesn't change the truth that I am loved though, eh? Also , what about our motivation? Sometimes I feel that I want to love other people because it makes me feel good. Or I want to stop lovng other people if they don't show me love in return. These things seem so simple, but in my state I forget so quickly.
Thanks for the clarification on the terms, Luke. I had never heard the phrase before so I wasn't sure what exactly you meant by it. The goal is certainly a desirable one, and should be for every Christian.
You mentioned that you've met a few men who are also aiming for that...is it a rarity in Switzerland? In Canada, where I am from, it is definitly becoming more and more of a rarity, as secularism has far overtaken the religious scene. Christianity has faded into the background (at least orthodox Christianity), and those who still belong to the mainline churches are incredibly nominal, very much a "go to church on Sunday" and then hang their faith up with their suit.
I believe firmly that it takes people like us to come to a deep knowledge of God and then move into discipling others so that they can go and do likewise after (just like Christ did with His disciples). It's certainly not easy, though. The Christian walk is not an easy one, and the devil is there to tempt us at any time and from every side. But this, of course then, is one of the things that helps to build our faith.
Ahw man, this is so my heart too, discipling others. It's exactly what Jesus modeled, he didn't start another cool megachurch or movement but passed his radical heart on to 12 young guys. They took it further. We are not called to do much more, but not less either. And yes, I agree with you that we first have to follow the calling of being radical lovers of Christ. It's the root.
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