- Extend yourselves to honor each other above yourselves.
- They had all things in common and no one had any need - not just food, water, clothing, transportation - NO need of anything.
- Deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me.
- Serve one another in love.
- I your teacher and Lord have washed your feet.
- Love one another as I have loved you.
------------
We have yet to come to the end of ourselves.
We have hit a glass ceiling both in the manifestation of Holy Spirit power and finances that cannot be broken until we finally come to the end of ourselves.
If you find yourself saying:
- Oh, I don't do poopy diapers anymore, have fun!
Or
- Ummmm, I gotta run, but I bet so and so will do (enter 'nasty' job here).
Or
- I love you, but not that much to have done (enter task) for you.
Then we have yet to come to the end of ourselves and the life of self has yet to die - the end result of that being a lack of power and finances manifesting due to a lack of love.
Do you think it was easy for Jesus to kneel down and wash the grimy feet of the disciples? It was probably as nice as a poopy diaper - but he did it anyway.
When we all get to the point where there's pretty much nothing we wouldn't do for another - no matter how much time it costs us, or if it's poopy (literally or metaphorically), or how ucky or sweaty we might become - we will have met a major benchmark of love.
Jesus poured out every single drop of blood in His body for us and told us to do the same for each other.
But our selfishness - that which sent us out of the Garden - is capable of being killed, but we still cling to it like a binky.
If we find ourselves saying we don't have the time to help on many an occasion then perhaps a re-arrangement of our priorities is needed.
Turn the rapebox (aka tv) off. Find things that are not necessary to survive in your schedule and kill them.
Leave holes in each and every day possible so that you can be there in an instant - granted it may not be possible every day to do every day but make it more often than not.
And, God will bring you things to fill those moments. Perhaps no one needs you in those moments - they are then free to be praying and ministering as a priest to your God. Learn His word, yearn for the Fire to fall and baptize you.
Its easy to love when little demand is placed upon us - and as Paul said - even the Gentiles are capable of that.
But when we shirk back from even the idea that we could give ourselves to do wretched jobs for others, the poison of our treacherous, sinful, selfish selves is apparent and should be dealt with immediately.
We have the Order established. We have the passion of prayer and submission and fervor of desire to see the things come forth.
Add an additional depth of love, and perhaps our Holy Spirit and financial breakthrough will be just around the corner.
It is, indeed, the year of the Lord's release.
Peace,
La. Sra.
Again, many things in this post, rich for discussion and deep thought. I am leaving some thoughts this time...
ReplyDeleteI have learned in my life that "Coming to the end of ourselves" can look different for each of us and we must be careful not to judge another's "end". Each of us has to come to that "end of ourselves" to break the glass ceiling...it is not necessarily tied to any movement or group. So while some may find their way there, others may not. God is not going to hold back His blessing because some cannot or will not get there.
Loving is always a choice we make. And while I agree that many times loving someone is cleaning up their mess, sometimes the greater love is to let them do it themselves as we stand aside and allow God to work in them. The fact that our heart is willing to change that poopy diaper is what God looks at.
If we are giving our love freely, God will "fill us back" up without measure.
Yeah! You put your thoughts out :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you wholeheartedly.
Yes, getting to the end of ourselves does look differently depending on who you are.
But after listening to the status of things after the congregational meeting last week I started to ask the Spirit what was going on.
That's when I became more and more acutely aware of what I heard people around me saying and it seemed like the immediate reaction to many things that would require effort and 'getting dirty' was basically an immediate 'oh Hell no, I don't DO that'.
And it wasn't necessarily for life's big crappy messes that happen when we let things fall apart for our own self indulgences.
It was more literal than metaphorical in terms of the situations.
And after hearing those immediate responses from the heart it all clicked - there's a lack of love due to too much self.
Finding a way to eliminate the immediate reaction of 'oh I ain't doing that' is the biggest hurdle.
Being willing doesn't mean you will have to, but, you're right and I absolutely agree with you, its the position of the heart that counts.