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Tuesday, June 17, 2008 Meditation Matthew 5:43-48 It’s no secret that we are all sinners. Neither should it surprise us that we have all cried out in some way or other: O Lord, forgive my sins! Blot out my guilt! These are cries God loves to answer, showering down forgiveness, healing, deliverance, and oceans of mercy. What’s more, this mercy has great power to change us. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this change occurred instantly? But the truth is, mercy often takes time to penetrate our toughened exteriors before it can reach our hearts. In other words, it takes time to become perfect as our heavenly Father is (Matthew 5:48). This transformation happens as we spend time in God’s presence, allowing him to reshape our hearts. So take the time! Listen to him tell you who he is and how much he loves you. Admit the things inside you that are far from perfect. Give him the time and space he needs to do it. As you grow confident in his love, your heart will expand to begin to love others the way he does. You will be different. One remarkable difference might be in how you think about, and react to, the people around you. We can be so convinced in our judgments—and use them to utterly slay others. But as you sit with him, God will begin to mold your heart into the likeness of his Son’s heart—the one who died for us while we were still his enemies (Romans 5:8). Remember: Jesus died for the very ones we judge, avoid, or ignore. He has mercy on them, just as he has mercy on us. And he wants us to be his ambassadors, showing them his kindness and love. Now, that doesn’t mean we all have to run out to find a pagan or murderer or the like to practice our “perfection” on. Every day, we meet someone whom we have trouble loving: the perpetually angry customer, the neighbor who loves to gossip, the dishonest co-worker. In each of these instances, God wants to teach us how to love them without condoning their offense. We won’t always know how immediately, but thanks be to God, we have the Holy Spirit living inside us. He will give us the wisdom we need! “Father, I want to be perfect, as you are. Show me today where to start. Teach me to think and love like you do.”
1 Kings 21:17-29; Psalm 51:3,11,16 It’s no secret that we are all sinners. Neither should it surprise us that we have all cried out in some way or other: O Lord, forgive my sins! Blot out my guilt! These are cries God loves to answer, showering down forgiveness, healing, deliverance, and oceans of mercy. What’s more, this mercy has great power to change us. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this change occurred instantly? But the truth is, mercy often takes time to penetrate our toughened exteriors before it can reach our hearts. In other words, it takes time to become perfect as our heavenly Father is (Matthew 5:48). This transformation happens as we spend time in God’s presence, allowing him to reshape our hearts. So take the time! Listen to him tell you who he is and how much he loves you. Admit the things inside you that are far from perfect. Give him the time and space he needs to do it. As you grow confident in his love, your heart will expand to begin to love others the way he does. You will be different. One remarkable difference might be in how you think about, and react to, the people around you. We can be so convinced in our judgments—and use them to utterly slay others. But as you sit with him, God will begin to mold your heart into the likeness of his Son’s heart—the one who died for us while we were still his enemies (Romans 5:8). Remember: Jesus died for the very ones we judge, avoid, or ignore. He has mercy on them, just as he has mercy on us. And he wants us to be his ambassadors, showing them his kindness and love. Now, that doesn’t mean we all have to run out to find a pagan or murderer or the like to practice our “perfection” on. Every day, we meet someone whom we have trouble loving: the perpetually angry customer, the neighbor who loves to gossip, the dishonest co-worker. In each of these instances, God wants to teach us how to love them without condoning their offense. We won’t always know how immediately, but thanks be to God, we have the Holy Spirit living inside us. He will give us the wisdom we need! “Father, I want to be perfect, as you are. Show me today where to start. Teach me to think and love like you do.”
1 Kings 21:17-29; Psalm 51:3,11,16 |
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