With My Heart in the Right Place...

I've been pondering this verse here of late.

Life with its twists and turns will come.

It does to us all.

I have noticed that those who are the

most serene through the thick and thin

are those whose hearts are empty of

themselves...be it their fears, dreams,

wants, wishes and feelings,

and are kneeling perpetually at the

Cross, walking in the way of the

Master, harboring few thots of

themselves but letting Him live

in and thru them.

These people are those who will listen

without reacting immediately,

giving one a fair 'hearing' to share

what is in their hearts.

It may be that later

 they will have a word

from God for this struggling one

that might not sit well with their flesh,

but even that will be thought through

and prayed over and delivered

gently...

because they are 'poor in spirit',

and tremble at His word.

These people are those who

do not demand that their

ideas are considered,

or that their thoughts are given

priority in a group,

whether in a family or 

among friends or in a 

church group...

because they are 'poor in spirit'

and tremble at His word.

These people know that God will 

always prevail and they do not

make it their business to see

to it that He prevails.

It means that they walk thru the

messy parts of life not demanding

that others clean up their act,

tho not tolerating the sinfulness.

It means they choose compassion

even tho that person does not

deserve it

(who among us actually deserves 

all the compassion we get?!)

These are the people who,

because God has done much for them,

and because they have experienced

His great grace and are grateful for it,

will reach down into that

messiness of someone else's life

and extend the hand of love

and help, just like Jesus

did for Peter who was sinking in

the waves

(because he stopped looking at and

trusting in Jesus!).  He helped him

first and then he poured on the

teaching.

This verse is a great reminder

of where God desires our hearts to be.

I take up the challenge.

Do you?