"Be Perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48
God means what He says.
So what does this mean?
We'll never reach perfection in this life. It will be completed in our death. That's true. But God reveals in this chapter what it looks like to follow Him from our hearts not from our behavior choices. I mean, if you are angry or insult your brother, you are guilty, not only if you murder. If you look with lustful intent, you've committed adultery in your heart. Convicted! All of us. Christ came not to abolish the law that tells us we are sinners but to fulfill it and offer grace (5:17). Praise God there is hope for my sin and God will give us what we need. We are all "curved in on ourselves." (Augustine). "
Where we've made a wrong turn and are heading
toward relational failure, loneliness, and hatred-filled frustration,
May we see this day our wrong direction and turn around."
66 LL
Whew! It only took about 4 hours to post this. It was a strange night on blogger. Don't quite know what happened. But it's up. Or at least I think it is ;)
ReplyDeleteConvicted about hate-filled frustrations in my life.
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...one of the most beautiful phrases in the Bible and yet it can be one of the most difficult things to practice in my daily life. When we are able to love and pray for our enemies/persecutors we live in such spiritual freedom even if we are truly incarcerated.
ReplyDeleteFunny thing, Bev. As I finished I thought what could it possibly mean to be perfect when that is not attainable. And then I read your take on today's reading. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWhen I love enemies, praying for them, hatred melts. It's next to impossible to pray for someone I'm mad at without releasing them and myself to love. Jesus reveals the secret to walking in love. He tells us exactly how. As Annette H. said, our hearts are finally free. And we begin to look a little more like Him.
Another life lesson that takes a lifetime to accomplish.But we're given daily opportunities to put this wisdom into practice. May we move toward perfection in Christ this day and be set apart as His.
Jesus Takes Over
ReplyDelete(66 LL) "The battle is on! I know I'm a mess. I know there's a life-and-death struggle going on deep in my inner being that I'd prefer to ignore......I want to know God, to follow Him, to be His servant, His friend....God has awakened me to the realization that this world as it is now is not my home and I am not who I nor He wants me to be. I'm not even close." (exerpts from page 198)
As I read today's passage and the 66 Love letters I feel the love and promise of His message.
Painfully, prayerfully I reach out to him. He is there, reaching out to me with outstretched arms, waiting for me to understand, He has been there all the time, waiting.
"For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?" Matthew 5: 46
ReplyDeleteA good question to ask myself!
Bev, a few posts back, you mentioned Cyd or Syd. Is this the same Cyd that went to Hope during the years Rod and I were there? I didn't hear her story until your post. She had such a sweet spirit and a heart for the Lord.
Matthew 5:27, 28
ReplyDelete"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
What is found in our hearts?
What is found in our hearts?
What are we filling our inner man with?
Begin the battle against sin with what we let into our mind.
Michele, Yes! Cyd Mizell was kidnapped and never found in Afghanistan two years ago. We all followed the story for months as they searched for her body. She was a member at Hope with us during the time you were there. That's her! Cyd's dad was the pastor of Bob and his family when Bob was growing up in Washington. He unexpectedly passed away this past year and is with his girl. Cyd was faithful to her God to the end of her short life here.
ReplyDeletePS - Cyd could still be alive. A final word, and an interrupted funeral that never happened did not put closure on this story.
ReplyDeleteBev, I remember Cyd when I first came to Hope and how sweet she was and had a heart for the Lord and missions. What an example in light of today's scripture reading. "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." John 15: 13
ReplyDeleteAnd greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his enemies.
Again I ask myself, "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?" Matthew 5:46
It is "strange/funny" how what you wrote about Cyd came to me today in realization of who it was you were referring to. It struck a chord with me and am not sure why at this time.
My daughter's husband just called. Blair's heartrate dropped way too low and she passed out at the basketball game arena. The paramedics arrived and took her to the hospital in Louisiana. Please pray for her.
ReplyDelete