Sunday morning retuning:
As we looked into Jesus’ transfiguration Sunday, the application
question was “Is my life reflecting His glory?” Ask yourself that again
today…and everyday. May Jesus be seen in
each of us.
As I was answering the
above question in part one of this Tunings last week, I was thinking about the
second part of the answer which I put before you today. I am thinking about it in terms of a line we
sang on Sunday from the Brooke Fraser song Hosanna. “Show me how to love like you have loved me.” [One great line from one of the best bridges
I have ever sung Heal my heart and make it clean/Open up my eyes to the things
unseen/Show me how to love like you have loved me//Break my heart from what
breaks yours/Everything I am for your kingdoms cause/As I walk from earth into/Eternity].
For several years now
I have had this little phrase as a note on my calendar appointment “Preparing
for my day”. God, whether I get anything else
done today, I want to make sure that I spend time loving you and loving other
people-because that’s what life is all about.
I don’t want to waste this day.
Now, before you think to highly of me, I don’t at this most days, and I
fail at it often even when I do, but let that not take away from the principle
at work. I am trying to train myself to
love…
Not as easy as it may
seem, although I am certain you are already aware of that. And just why is that? I am equally certain our answers would be
different yet much that same. Jesus knew
this so he taught this as the second part to the Greatest
Commandment in Matthew 22:37-38, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it:
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” [emphasis mine]
I have been learning
this lesson in a variety of ways over the past couple of years, and the phrase
that Jesus keeps saying to me, when I am quiet enough to hear His voice, is
“Give yourself away.” He has the right
to speak these words over my life because He modeled this perfectly for me, and
in response I have surrendered my life to Him for His purposes. [again,
“everything I am for Your Kingdoms cause” from Hosanna above]
So as we walk through
this week when we remember that Jesus gave Himself away when He laid down his
life on Good
Friday, only to demonstrate victory over sin and death on Easter
Sunday, I want to encourage you to respond to His gift of love with one of
your own. I do not know what that will
look like exactly, other than a lot like Jesus, and then and there you will be
reflecting His glory, the glory of the One who Overcame!
Jesus, help us to love others as You have first loved us. Holy Week is a great reminder of that. Open my eyes to see it anew today! In Jesus name. Amen.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy
No comments:
Post a Comment