Hammer on Anvil '

"From now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view" (2 Corinthians 5:16).

This gem of a verse popped out at me in a simple reading last week. As often happens when the Holy Spirit illuminates my vision, it was as if I had never read this verse before or stopped to consider what it means.

So what DOES it mean, you might be asking? Well, the context is that Paul is telling the Corinthians that Christ died for all, "so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." He mentions how he formally knew Jesus "according to the flesh," and how differently he knows Him now!

Paul talks a great deal in his writings about how "there is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female" (Galatians 3:28). He also told the Galatians it didn't matter if they were circumcised or uncircumcised.

All of these Scriptures point to one thing: Paul had come to realize that outward appearances and practices didn't matter. In 1 Timothy 1:15, he is astounded to declare, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst." When Paul came to grips with the fact that the blood of Jesus availed even for HIM, he knew he must no longer despair of anyone else.

I'm sure many people thought Paul was beyond God's reach. I mean, he executed Christians -- and he did it zealously! Yet God chose to reveal himself to Paul, who to this day is considered the greatest missionary who ever walked the face of the earth.

So the message today is this: We must not regard people from a human point of view. Some translations say we must not regard anyone "according to the flesh." The note in my study Bible says that means we shouldn't judge people "according to worldly standards and values that derive from living as if one's present physical life is all that matters."

Brothers and sisters, we must ask God to open our eyes to see others as HE sees them. Don't judge them according to what your limited sight can behold, and despair of them as forever lost. Make an effort to become part of their lives and learn their story. Your coworker who recently confessed to you that she had an abortion needs someone to shine the light of Jesus into her life. Your neighbor who is a single mom and moonlights as a stripper to put food on the table needs you to LOVE her, not judge her. Take a hot meal to her and her children, and sit down and get to know her. The guy at church who is addicted to pornography needs a man of God to walk beside him and help him to get free.

Let us endeavor to walk by FAITH, and not by sight. The world will be a much kinder place, and people will take note that the love of Jesus is alive in you!

What day is it?

Last week I was listening to one of my favorite Gungor songs titled "Every Breath." It is a wonderful reminder that we are to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.

Reminders can be very sobering, though. As I listened, the Holy Spirit convicted me, and I  began to weep. Then He gently asked, "What do you think it would look like if you loved Me with all that is within you?"

Oh my. What WOULD that look like? What if my heart were totally His? It would mean that I would zealously guard my  heart (Proverbs 4:23) and not allow anyone or anything else to captivate it. God tells us to guard our heart for a good reason: "Everything you do flows from it" (NIV). The New Living Translation says "It determines the course of your life." Jeremiah tells us the heart is "desperately wicked," (17:9), so it seems obvious that if we want our hearts to be entirely God's, it will take some pretty stalwart discipline. Sometimes a gesture as simple as turning off the TV (or computer or phone) can be an act of obedience that shows God you desire to hear Him rather than the noise of the world.

Next is the soul, which involves our will and our emotions. Do you have a strong will that compels you to express every emotion that you feel? Living like that can make you feel like you're being held hostage! Imagine what you could accomplish for the kingdom of God if you turned that strong will over to God for HIS purposes! Turn the clamor of your emotions over to Him as well, and discover that He truly does provide rest for those who come unto Him (Matthew 11:28).

Most of us know that our minds can be a cesspool of unsavory thought processes, which is why Romans 12:2 tells us we can literally be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The New Living Translation says, " Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." How many of us would deny that we'd love to sign up for that?! The catch, though, is that this doesn't happen overnight. God isn't going to just zap us and declare our  minds suddenly renewed. Paul tells us "we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16) and the best way to know His mind is to devour His Word.

Now on to strength -- how do we love God with all our strength? Take a few minutes now and think about what your strength was spent on yesterday. Was it all expended for God and His purposes? Did you have a keen awareness throughout the day that the Holy Spirit was directing your steps? Or was it a day of hurried and frustrating activity that didn't seem to accomplish much? Some people are critical of spending what they think is TOO much time in prayer, arguing that we need to be "at work" for God. Problems arise when they confuse their ACTIVITY with being in the presence of God.

Second Peter 1:3 says God has given us everything we need to live godly lives. But as in everything else related to our Father, we can only gain access to His blessings by abiding in Him 24-7. Begin your day with Him, reminding yourself that you are not your own -- you have been purchased with the precious blood of Jesus! Tell Him you want to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you! He will guide you into all the truth (John 16:13). He is the Counselor who will be with us forever (John 14:16). He intercedes for us "with groanings too deep for words" (Romans 8:26). Commit your day to the Lord, and He will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:6).

I leave you with this wonderful Gungor song -- may our every breath glorify God this week!



 

Part of my daily devotional time includes reading from an Andrew Murray devotional on prayer. It has become a favorite, along with Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest, which I have read daily for probably 10 years.

Last week something Murray said moved me to tears, and I'd like to share it with you:

As the Lord Jesus pours out His love in unceasing intercession in heaven, may it be so with us on earth -- a life of overpowering love and never-ending intercession.

The words "overpowering love" hit me like a ton of bricks, and I began to weep. I am weeping now as I type this. So many people have never experienced this kind of all-consuming, unconditional, life-changing love. They are miserable to the core of their existence, and don't realize there is a way out. Families of origin can inflict lifelong angst and turmoil, and people who have never learned that life can be different simply feel stuck.

A precious friend called me last week right after I had read this devotional. Together we prayed for a friend of hers (I'll call her Emma) who professes to know Jesus, but is mired in anger and bitterness. Emma had a hellish upbringing, and never learned how to properly relate to people. She grasps for control whenever and wherever she can. She has no clue that Jesus went to the Cross so that she wouldn't have to be burdened with the baggage she carries around. She has no idea that she is free to LOVE -- even those she perceives to be her enemies.

I was stuck for decades where Emma is stuck right now, and she is the one I was weeping for when I read the words "overpowering love." I prayed that she would experience that kind of love very soon -- that God would send her someone to disciple her. She needs a godly woman who can expression compassion and care, yet show Emma that God shows us "a more excellent way" (1 Corinthians 13).

When you are overpowered by the love of God, your life changes dramatically. Suddenly things are not all about you. When you hear about someone behaving badly, your first reaction is not to harshly judge them, but to see them as God sees them -- as broken people who need to be LOVED rather than judged. When someone else unintentionally does something that hurts you, you don't immediately take it as a personal affront -- you let it go, realizing it's not worth getting angry and bitter. You don't feel the need to constantly control situations because you have relinquished control of your life to God.

Philippians 2 tells us that Jesus, though He was in very nature God, made himself nothing and took the form of a servant. We are to have that very same mindset, and "in humility value others above yourselves" (verse 3). It is contrary to our human nature to "make ourselves nothing," but we can do it when the Holy Spirit dwells within us! It is very freeing to relinquish all that we consider our "rights," and let God completely consume us with His love and His passion. When that happens, our one desire should be for Him to accomplish His purposes.

As you read this today, I pray that you will tangibly sense God's overpowering love for you. He knit you together in your mother's womb, He loves you with an everlasting love, and only He knows what is best for you. Be filled to overflowing today!