True love

So, it's been on my heart for a bit, I'm not sure how long . . . on just how humble Jesus was and is. He is into the lowly and downtrodden.

I went to church, the boys in tow, this Sunday (as usual) and Mark Estes was preaching. He preached THE best sermon I've heard on love. And I've a heard a few here and there. :) The message was on something that I've been pondering, just not as elegantly (or more so funny) as Mark Estes preached it Sunday. How Christian people decide, at some point, they are better than the "sinner" . . . the prostitute, the bum on the corner that smells of hard liquor, the panhandler, the next door neighbor that obviously lives an indecent lifestyle . . . should I keep naming them? How about the woman that looses her baby due to a hard-core drug habit or the abuser or the guy in prison for murder? Where would we be without the grace and the blood of our savior?!?!?! I'm convicted. Where is the compassion that Jesus showed the tax-collectors and the prostitutes and the woman at the well . . . she was obviously a "lower class" than he. By the way, that wasn't the core of his message Sunday . . . the core of his message was that there were two commands given in the new testament by Jesus, one to love the Lord your God with all you heart, with all your mind, with all your soul and with all your strength . . . the other is equally important . . . to love your neighbor as yourself. Not picking and choosing who God puts into our little protected worlds, but LOVE who's there. Stop making appearance what matters, start making people matter. Stop praying, stop singing, stop preaching, stop talking about love and compassion . . . and start doing it! Not that praying, singing, preaching and talking are bad, but it does become stagnant if there is no flow or action.

Ok, I'm not preaching to anyone . . . I'm seriously convicted! I can be pretty judgmental at times and it all boils down to my pride (insecurities, which is still pride, I'm still the one I'm focused on).

He talked about true evangelism is not preaching at people and praying for them and doing nothing for their true needs. Meet them where they are at . . . meet the needs as you see them, God is showing you on purpose! This will speak louder than any religious prayer or any well written tract and will last longer than any worship service . . . face to face with the true love of our savior and to keep showing that . . . meeting needs and mentoring (if necessary) . . . is what saves!

I just pray for more of a heart after Jesus'. To get my earth-bound eyes off myself and circumstances and to settle into loving my Lord extravagantly and choosing to humble myself and show that love to all that are around me . . . yeah, my fam too . . . which is the hardest sometimes. :) They're always here! hee hee I know I've failed people in the past, 2 particular people come to mind, and I just ask God to forgive me . . . to bring me back into their lives or bring someone else to show them how much God loves them, beyond words, beyond songs and smiling church faces . . . core-changing, powerful God!! There is so much power in the love of our savior . . . He loves us so much He refuses to accept those things in us that keep us from being closer to Him! And pride is a big one for me. I lay it down God, again and again and again!