Last week, three friends of mine prayed that God would provide them opportunities to serve him by serving other people. Within the week, God answered all three prayers. In each case, God answered in a way that was not orchestrated or initiated by the people involved. These examples seem to illustrate a very important concept that I find in Scripture: God cares about people. This is the heart of God.
Jesus said that all of the law and the prophets depend upon a two-fold commandment: Love God and love others. John tells us that we demonstrate that we are God's children when we practice (not confess) righteousness and love others. Paul says that the Holy Spirit produces his fruit within us, and that fruit begins with love. Love for people is the heart of God.
As we live our lives - as we attempt to follow the Spirit and live according to Christ-likeness and bring glory to God - many things and situations and circumstances cross our paths. Often, these things distract us from acting according to God's heart - that is, from responding out of love for other people.
According to Jesus, we are distracted or hindered from loving other people by sin in our own lives, which can be manifested in pride, self-centeredness, love of money, love of position, love of authority, and even tradition.
How can we ensure that we are living and making decisions in such a way that we demonstrate that people are more important to us than other things? How can we live according to the heart of God?
Monday, September 17, 2007
The Heart of God
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2 comments:
Alan,
Bryan Riley at CHARIS SHALOM just posted about promoting peace. I think it is related to your post here. He reminded me of my failure to seek the peace that God has called us to.
You have reminded me of my failure to seek his purposes for my life in serving his people.
I think serving his people and seeking peace are definitely enveloped within one another and as you said, it is sin in our lives that prevents us from doing these things.
I pray that God would not only provide me with an opportunity to serve him this week, but that he would remove the scales from my eyes so that I might see this opportunity when it comes.
God's Glory,
Lew
The Pursuit Online Store
希望大家都會非常非常幸福~
「朵朵小語‧優美的眷戀在這個世界上，最重要的一件事，就是好好愛自己。好好愛自己，你的眼睛才能看見天空的美麗，耳朵才能聽見山水的清音。好好愛自己，你才能體會所有美好的東西，所有的文字與音符才能像清泉一樣注入你的心靈。好好愛自己，你才有愛人的能力，也才有讓別人愛上你的魅力。而愛自己的第一步，就是切斷讓自己覺得黏膩的過去，以無沾無滯的輕快心情，大步走向前去。愛自己的第二步，則是隨時保持孩子般的好奇，願意接受未知的指引；也隨時可以拋卻不再需要的行囊，一路雲淡風輕。親愛的，你是天地之間獨一無二的旅人，在陽光與月光的交替之中瀟灑獨行.............................................................................................................有時，你覺得痛。胃痛的時候，接受它，承認這個疼痛是你的身體的一部份，與它和平共處。心痛的時候，接受它，承認這個經驗是你的生命的一部份，與它和平共處。抗拒痛的存在，只會讓它更要證明它的存在，於是你就更痛。所以，.無論你有多麼不喜歡痛的感覺，還是要接納這個痛的事實。與你的痛站在同一邊，不逃避，不閃躲，不再與你的痛爭執，如此，你的痛才會漸漸不再胡鬧，才會乖乖平息下去。.................心願-你許下了一個心願，你閉上眼睛，在冥想之中把這個心願交託宙給宇整個讓宇宙推動它全部的力.量去執行.，你看見星球與星球的引力牽繫著彼此，你聽見虛空與虛空.唱裡著和妙美的聲音，為了你的心願，整個宇宙正在相互傳遞，然後你放下了心願，不僅是放下，最好你還把你的心願忘記，唯有如此，它才能脫離你，發展它自己，
當它在宇宙的遊歷結束之後，它自然會來到你身邊，以你曾經希望的方式回應你，許下，只是讓它發生，放下，才是讓>它實現，你的心願使你懂得不能執著的奧秘...................
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