Laying Down Your Life

Let's be really clear:  this is not one of my favorite posts.  This post was convicting and it didn't make feel all warm and gooey inside.

This post reminded me of my selfishness.

Since Monday I've been thinking about John 15:13:  "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends."  (NLT... my favorite, usually).  So often we think about that verse in the context of dying.  I imagine soldiers in a bunker WWII movie style, one going on a suicide mission to save the life of another.  Honestly, I think (okay, hope) there are a lot of people I would die for.

But then I started thinking about who I would live for.  By that, I mean who would I inconvenience myself for?  That list is a lot smaller.

Tonight, I was thinking about this again in context of a particular situation.  I felt like God asked, "Who would you lay down your rights for?"

Master-of-the-Universe-say-what?!

For who am I willing to give up my right to be right?  My right to be understood?  Am I willing to sacrifice my "right" to have things go as I planned?  Who is important enough that I will lay down my right for justice or fairness?

Friends, that is tough.  T.O.U.G.H!  It's difficult when friends hurt you to ASSUME they didn't mean it.  It's difficult to choose what you know to be true over actions.  It's not easy to do something for someone else when it means you don't get to do what you want to do.  It is hard to rejoice with those who get what you want and weep with those who didn't get what you did.

But isn't that friendship?  Isn't that the very essence of love?  That's what Jesus did for me 2,000 years ago.  He left Heaven, where everything is perfect, to come here... where everything is anything but perfect.  He left His seat at the right hand of God to be born in a manger, raised as a carpenter's son, mocked, ridiculed, and put to death.  He was misunderstood.  He was treated unfairly.  His closest friends betrayed Him, yet He forgave them.  He did miracles when He was tired.  He loved when it was inconvenient.

I'm not suggesting we all become doormats.  I'm not suggesting there is never a time to rest or to fight for justice.  What I am saying is that we need to die to our "RIGHT" for these things and we need to put our lives in the hands of the Creator.  We have to trust that He holds all things together and works ALL things for our good and His glory.

So come on, friends, lets go together to lay our lives down for each other.  Just imagine how different the world would be!

A Change in Perspective

I was having a "moment" in church today; one of those moments where I feel like I'm failing in at least one major area of my life.  Let's be honest, we probably all have them.  Let's be equally honest, we're probably not failing; we're probably actually succeeding so much that the Enemy wants us to believe we're failing.

I digress.  That happens a lot.

So, I'm having a bit of a pity party.  I mean, that's what you do when you feel like you're failing, right?  In the midst of this, I asked God, "What's wrong with me?!"  Yeah, I can be a little dramatic with God.  We're friends:  He can handle my drama.  Obviously you should imagine what I said in the most dramatic girl voice possible.  Then, in the kindest, softest, sweetest voice you can imagine, He said, "Quit asking Me what's wrong with you and start asking what's RIGHT with you."

Whoa.  Game changer.

My natural instinct is to want to be perfect.  Well, at least to my own standards of perfection.  I don't have my dishes done all of the time nor do I floss.  These things don't bother me.  But in some places, I want to be perfect.  I want to love people perfectly (yes, you can laugh).  I want to respond perfectly.  I want to be a perfect small group leader.  I want to be the perfect friend.  So when I'm not perfect (which is ALWAYS), I want to know how I can be perfect.  Taking a meal to a family who just had a baby?  I want it to be their most favorite meal, nutritionally balanced, and be cooked to perfection.  Oh, I was 20 minutes late.  WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?!?!  Did you see that?  What that family saw was that I took the time to sign up, I made a meal I thought they would like, made an attempt at it being nutritious, probably researched to think about what they would like, and delivered it.  They probably really didn't care that it was 20 minutes late.  I don't think I'd care if a free, hot, home-cooked meal was delivered to my door 20 minutes late.

My point is that I, along with so many others, miss the many good parts of myself because I spend a disproportionate amount of time gazing at the imperfections.  Yes, we want to be more like Jesus.  No, staring at imperfections does NOT make us look more like Jesus.  Staring at JESUS makes us look more like Jesus.

This evening, I was having another pity party.  I asked God what was wrong with me.  He gently reminded me the question I needed to ask.  Shockingly enough, He had a whole different outlook on the situation.  When I asked that question it caused me to stare at Him.  It was a game changer.

So, I encourage you to do the same.  I even more so encourage you to ask God what's right with you when you AREN'T having a pity party.  Go ahead, I bet it will blow your mind away.  You are fantastic.