Love your neighbor as yourself!

When I get up and show up, God always does something good.  I went to a new bible study last night and had a chance to share with some new people.  As we sat around each of us shared about something going on in our life.  One of the young men shared about being able to help everyone and care about everyone, but when it came to himself, he didnt care.  I sat and listened to him and I heard my story and my struggle for so many years.  I could never accept God’s love for me and it caused me to have no drive and no care.  I wouldn’t mind to give my all to help a friend in need.  When I was around people they laughed and we had a good time.  It was as if people were drawn to me.  I didn’t care I just wanted to be alone and not deal with anyone.  I never had suicidal thoughts or anything like that, I just didn’t care nor did I think I was worth the time.  Then I was told my love for others and my service was done in vain, because of this very commandment,

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:31

The question asked to me was how can you love someone else if you cannot love your self and you say you are a Christian, a believer in Jesus Christ.  I didn’t have an answer and it stumped me, but I continued to stay home more than socialize.  It was in my aloneness that I thought I could hide from my darkness, but in truth, alone covered me in that darkness.

Then last night I am listening to this young man speak and it was like looking into a mirror.  My heart tightened up as he spoke because God spoke and said listen, he needs me and it will be through you, Anthony!  I heard it, I heard him speak to me and I asked if I could share.  When I explained to him that his story was my story there was a look of relief on his face and of concern.  It is hard to hear that God LOVES YOU, YES YOU and accepting that when you never have held yourself in his arms.  Every whisper becomes a scream of how unworthy you are to even think God could love you.  That lie seems so true and as it digs into your feelings you become your own worse enemy.  We had a chance to talk more after and it was awesome.  God is so amazing and as I still fight this battle moment by moment, he will do things like this.  A reminder of How Much He Loves All Of Us, but especially how much Jesus Loves Me!  Even in my reconstruction, Jesus is my strong divine foundation, that never gives!! Amen

One Love, One King, All Christ!

Jesus Calls Me Friend

During a recent bible study I read John 15:15

John 15:15 (NIV)
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

He says there clearly I no longer call you servants!! We have been covered by his Grace and in that shelter we are now friends. What is a friend?  I have thought for a long while that I was a good friend, but it wasn’t until God placed someone in my life 10 years ago, that I am slowly becoming a good friend by his example.  There is sacrifice and trust that comes in true friendship.  A willingness not to judge a darn thing and just be there.  You can just be you with a true friend, no secrets, no hiding, no mask, just you!  When I think of my closest friendships it stops at about 4 maybe 5 , which is a huge blessing, because I know many people with 0 or maybe 1 close friend.  In these friendships that I am talking about they call me on my bull crap, they sit with me in my struggle and pain and most importantly they laugh with me.

Now take all that trust, loyalty and commitment and realize that Jesus is more than enough of a friend for you, your best friend.  He desires to know us, his beloved, he wants to make us smile and wants to know our favorite foods.  Does he know this already? OF COURSE!! but the point is he wants a relationship with us.  Even when you know there is a surprise party for you before you get there, when the crowd yells surprise you still feel good.  Jesus knows us, but our GOD wants to spend time and talk with us and walk with us.  Oh, how jealous I am of Adam to be able to walk with Jesus in the garden.  I know he calls me by name and I know his love for me never stops.  I always picture a parent watching over their child that is asleep and how the love overflows from their inner being as they watch.  When that baby wakes up there is like an explosion of wonder that comes from the parents who see their baby, their creation made by God.  The cherry on the top is Jesus doesn’t say call me Savior or King, but he says he calls us his Friends.  As we are molded into Jesus’ image and way of thinking, we are transformed to show our true face with no shame, Our reflection is His!  When I was coaching football a few years back one of our coaches came up with a saying for our athletes to respond to.  Now as I am drawing closer to Jesus I can hear him responding as the players did.  I yell ” Who Got My Back?” and Jesus’ reply is ” I Got Yo Back!” Amen

One Love, One King, All Christ!

New Rules “The 4 L’s”

1) Love God

2) Love Yourself

3) Love Others As God Loves You

4) Laugh

Love God-

This seems so easy and simple to say.  However, living as if we did love him and our lives did matter about him says differently.  The intimacy required to love our God takes us to places where we, ourselves, would never choose to be.  Solitude and Silence are those destinations that seem so frightening to go to.  I never could have imagined how loud silence can be.  Have you ever been there? Where the sound of silence starts to grow more and more.  I know for me it is very uncomfortable to just sit and wait on God, my anxiety pushes hard through my heart.  The spiritual warfare that is about to take place is so unsettling our bodies almost refuse the break from our perceived realities.  Every part of us that enjoys the sin we struggle with turns up the heat and begins throwing every bad, shameful and regretful thing you have done.  However, our God will meet us right there and remind us that none of those thing matter to him, because His first born paid the price.  Our sins are not an issue for our Father.  He receives us with open arms even when we have taken all of ourselves and wasted away.  I want to love back a Father that loves me unconditionally and How I start doing that consistently is on me.  How bad do I really want this?

Love Yourself-

Shakespeare says ” To thine own self be true.”  The meaning is you can only love yourself if you are true to yourself.  We constantly listen to and believe the lies that are whispered to us all the time of who we think we are.  If I could just remember that we are running this race from the finish line and that His Will is already done, I could avoid so many defeats even future ones.  Today, I learned the most effective weapon I use against myself is my brain.  I can’t possibly love myself if I find the wrong in every right thing that I do.  I have to STOP THE STINKING THINKING!  My desire this year is to ignore, take captive and re-direct my thoughts all under the Surrender of my Father, GOD!  In that embrace I can accept that I am awesome in God’s eyes because when I look at my reflection I see Jesus looking back!  I am in Him as He is in Me! I am created in His image. Amen!

Love Others As God Loves You-

One of the newer revelations in my life is as I concern myself with the well being and prayer life for others, my life seems less hectic.  When you take the time to pour into people who are in your crown of life, Jesus helps you with yours.  I must stay close with him and spend my quality time with him, but ultimately as I do His Will, he watches over me.  There is a peace that comes when you carry others burdens and pray for people to find healing, comfort or salvation.  There are many sermons taught on loving others but rarely is it modeled by those same people.  I, however, have been blessed to have people in my life that Jesus placed there to model it for me.  I had this for many years but my eyes had scales on them and I couldn’t get past my Stinking Thinking! God has reached me through others showing love for me than in any other way.  God has revealed times in my past where I have poured out and just couldn’t remember because I was so preoccupied with my failures and myself.  God has let me know through friends, players from the past and present, and new friends how my words have impacted them for God’s Glory!  I can tell you from my experience though many times there were tears, most of the time it was done through laughter.  I believe laughter is a spiritual gift, the ability to bring joy out of someone who is in a place of darkness or pain. It may be brief and for a moment, but it is the exact amount of time that person needed.  Laughter makes the Soul Smile!

Laugh-

My fondest memories are of laughter.  I can think back to several times when I couldn’t breathe I was laughing so hard.  Even though life has and will be a roller coaster of feelings, I still have been able to maintain the ability to laugh.  Then I realize how important laughter is to our health the more I see how it influences people in our life.  They want what we have!  The ability to draw out a smile or make someone giggle is priceless.  We only have so much time here on Earth and we all deal with enough drama that the world throws at us, the rest of the time we should be laughing.  Being funny(at the right times) is indeed a spiritual gift and gives people a place to release both good and bad emotions.  When laughter is used for uplifting, encouragement or even healing the response is Amazing.  I am so thankful to Christ for my sense of humor and especially for the affect it has on people around me.

I want to thank God for giving me these “4 L’s” of living, remember my friends:

1. Love God
2. Love Yourself
3. Love Others As God Loves You
4. Laugh

One Love, One King, All Christ!