The Powerful Words of Jesus
Oftentimes we hear John 3:16 and don't even pay attention to it, like we have SUCH a better understanding of the Bible that we don't ever need to hear that beginners' verse again. That's for new believers. That's outdated.
Maybe you have never thought that, ever, and the fact that I'm thinking like that disgusts you. But I'm not going to lie, sometimes I overlook verses like that, like the Lord's prayer, like Psalm 23, "the Lord is my shepherd..."
And sometimes, at least for me, anyway, I focus so much on the interesting, new, rarely heard pieces of scripture instead of focusing on the core of my faith-- the words Jesus himself spoke.
So, that's what I'm going to try to do-- focus on Jesus. Listen to HIS message for my life instead of searching for my own comforting words. Maybe His words will be uncomfortable to hear sometimes, because listening to them might mean I have to change some parts of my comfy, lazy lifestyle.
But He didn't just speak to speak. He didn't just speak so we would hear Him, but so we would listen to Him. So we would truly understand and learn from His message, and shape our lives accordingly, with His help.
Let's talk about a pretty famous phrase: THE GOLDEN RULE:
Do unto others as you would have them do to you.
-Luke 6:31 NIV
I'm not going to put a modern spin on it and make you go "Wow, Carly! I've never thought of it that way! You're so hip and relavent!"
No, I want to glorify Him.
When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me.
-John 12:45 NIV
Anyway, I guess all I want to do is focus on the sheer simplicity and sheer difficulty this 11 word phrase contains.
It's simple because, in theory, it's easy to do. 1. Realize that you really want people to view you highly, and to love you unconditionally. 2. Wake up each morning with a desire to treat everyone the exact same way you want. 3. Do it.
But we all know it's a lot harder than that. A LOT. Granted, God makes everything possible, but boy is it difficult to truly treat everyone like you want to be treated. To love everyone, not just your family and friends. To love the homeless man on the side of the road. To love the guy who cheated you on eBay. To love that Facebook hater that keeps dissing you all the time. To love that guy who broke your heart, the girl who spreads rumors, the man who stole your credit card, the rebel who broke your car window and stole 50 bucks, the bitter flight attendant that delays you for 6 hours...
It's hard to love everybody.
Jesus comes right out and says the world is full of hardships:
John 16:33 (NIV):
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Pray for guidance. Pray that God will help you follow His instructions, and have peace when you mess up, because we all do. But if you truly want to be loved unconditionally, do the same to all who you encounter, no matter who it may be.
Pray with me, if you want to.
Dear God,
I mess up. I forget to love people sometimes.
Okay, I forget to love you a lot of the time.
But let this be a reminder that You are with me! Let this serve as a reminder to love all people, and to treat them they way I want to be treated, and love them, above all else. Please be with me in my attempt to be like You, and let my efforts be shown to others so that they might get a better understanding of who You are and what You did for all of us.
In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen
Peace out!
Oftentimes we hear John 3:16 and don't even pay attention to it, like we have SUCH a better understanding of the Bible that we don't ever need to hear that beginners' verse again. That's for new believers. That's outdated.
Maybe you have never thought that, ever, and the fact that I'm thinking like that disgusts you. But I'm not going to lie, sometimes I overlook verses like that, like the Lord's prayer, like Psalm 23, "the Lord is my shepherd..."
And sometimes, at least for me, anyway, I focus so much on the interesting, new, rarely heard pieces of scripture instead of focusing on the core of my faith-- the words Jesus himself spoke.
So, that's what I'm going to try to do-- focus on Jesus. Listen to HIS message for my life instead of searching for my own comforting words. Maybe His words will be uncomfortable to hear sometimes, because listening to them might mean I have to change some parts of my comfy, lazy lifestyle.
But He didn't just speak to speak. He didn't just speak so we would hear Him, but so we would listen to Him. So we would truly understand and learn from His message, and shape our lives accordingly, with His help.
Let's talk about a pretty famous phrase: THE GOLDEN RULE:
Do unto others as you would have them do to you.
-Luke 6:31 NIV
I'm not going to put a modern spin on it and make you go "Wow, Carly! I've never thought of it that way! You're so hip and relavent!"
No, I want to glorify Him.
When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me.
-John 12:45 NIV
Anyway, I guess all I want to do is focus on the sheer simplicity and sheer difficulty this 11 word phrase contains.
It's simple because, in theory, it's easy to do. 1. Realize that you really want people to view you highly, and to love you unconditionally. 2. Wake up each morning with a desire to treat everyone the exact same way you want. 3. Do it.
But we all know it's a lot harder than that. A LOT. Granted, God makes everything possible, but boy is it difficult to truly treat everyone like you want to be treated. To love everyone, not just your family and friends. To love the homeless man on the side of the road. To love the guy who cheated you on eBay. To love that Facebook hater that keeps dissing you all the time. To love that guy who broke your heart, the girl who spreads rumors, the man who stole your credit card, the rebel who broke your car window and stole 50 bucks, the bitter flight attendant that delays you for 6 hours...
It's hard to love everybody.
Jesus comes right out and says the world is full of hardships:
John 16:33 (NIV):
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Pray for guidance. Pray that God will help you follow His instructions, and have peace when you mess up, because we all do. But if you truly want to be loved unconditionally, do the same to all who you encounter, no matter who it may be.
Pray with me, if you want to.
Dear God,
I mess up. I forget to love people sometimes.
Okay, I forget to love you a lot of the time.
But let this be a reminder that You are with me! Let this serve as a reminder to love all people, and to treat them they way I want to be treated, and love them, above all else. Please be with me in my attempt to be like You, and let my efforts be shown to others so that they might get a better understanding of who You are and what You did for all of us.
In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen
Peace out!
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