Follow Him...

I've been pondering this blog post
for a long time now.
If I step on your toes,
please know that I have had mine
stepped on over the years, too
and this is what I've learned
from it as I've tried to follow my
LORD, and I know that I
still need more changing
done in me, too.
I share it because I love.
I share it because it's true.

We live in a generation of softness.
Feelings get easily hurt.
Bruises happen easily.
Wounds fester.
Skin is thin.
We cry over spilled milk.


Let me ask you:
what would happen if
we all chose instead to
live as Jesus lived?

By the fruit in His life, He lived to do the will of the Father
and NOT to do only what made Him feel good or
caused Him to avoid being rejected or trampled upon.

I am quite sure He hurt inside His loving heart
many, many times a day.
I am sure that when people ignored Him
or said false things about Him,
or gossiped about Him,
or called Him a drunkard and other
crazy names that were the complete
opposite of what He was...
He wept on His face before the Father
alone at night up there on the
mountain where Scripture says
He went to pray.
But I do not think He wept for Himself.
I think He wept for the people who
did the wrongs.
I think He wept because He wanted
them to know LIFE,
the life that He came to give.

And when the people fussed at Him
for not making His disciples wash
their hands before they ate,
or other such stupid nonsense that
people still do today, trying to control
life and situations beyond their
jurisdiction,
I think He told them the truth
but then He didn't get into
arguments about things.
We have no record of Him disturbing
the peace with such nonsense.

My friends, let's live as Jesus lived.
What a better way to live live His way
 than to waste our days in petty nonsense
because we have our feelings hurt
from perceived rejection because
our expectations of others are not met.
Let's get busy and serve others and God
without regard for ourselves, ok?

Oh, the time we waste sitting in hurt
and woundedness.
Let us make the most of each day
that God gives us and serve those
He put into our lives.
So maybe they won't ever notice you,
or return your kindness,
or choose you for a friend.
Is that not the best test of a servant's heart:
the one who can serve quietly and
faithfully,
with all sincerity,
and not let hurt or woundedness
take root in the heart and grow
like a noxious weed?

Think about it.
And the next time
you are seemingly
or for real ignored,
rejected,
slandered,
misunderstood,
gossiped about,
mocked,
mistreated,
disrespected,
or misused,
try this:
quickly take that hurt to God.
It's natural to feel hurt.
Ask Him to please take the hurt away
so that it cannot take root in your heart
and distract you from fully living the
life He called you to live.
Then, after you have given it to God,
get up and get busy serving Him
with joyful abandon. He is worthy.
He called us for more than
sitting and ignoring life because
we are too busy nursing hurts
and feeling sorry for ourselves
or wishing that things would change.
This world is not a friend to grace.
It is broken.
It is sinful.
It is dark with sin and evil.

God is His own interpreter and He will make it plain one day
the mysterious ways He moved in your life.
Sometimes the very people we are hurt by
have been sent by God to keep us becoming
the people He needs us to be.

When I stopped focusing on the hurt
and started living with all my attention
on the Healer who redeemed me
and embraced the spot in life He designed
for me to fill
(knowing Him and making Him known),
then my life became completely free.
My circumstances didn't change much,
but my chains fell off,
I've been set free!
Free to live for Him.

Try it.
It's very worth it.
You have to be ruthless
at turning against your own
'needs/wants/wishes/dreams'
and believe that God will never
ever allow anything to happen
to you that He cannot use
for your good and for His glory.
That takes the focus off
of 'me' and onto
'be it unto me according to your will, LORD'.

Love and blessings,
Marcia