The measure of a life, after all, is not is duration but its donation. ~ Corrie Ten Boom
The Kerry & Chris Shook share: "When all is said and done, relationships are all that really matter. It doesn't matter how much money we have, where we live, or how many beautiful toys we've collected. None of these can comfort us, console us, cry with us, or love us. Our investment in the people we care about is the only legacy that has the power to endure beyond our lifetime." (OMTL, 65)
On Your Own: If you were to die today, what legacy would you leave? Is this the legacy you want to leave behind? If not, pray that God will help you to move in the direction of your desired legacy.
"Until you experience the fullness of God's grace and forgiveness, you'll never be able to fully forgive others. You'll never be at peace and see the vision He has for you and your life. You'll never experience the blessings He wants to pour out on your life. Forgiveness is not pretending that you weren't really hurt. It's not making light of the offense. Forgiveness is not a shallow experience. Forgiveness means diving deep into honesty and truthfully saying, 'What you did hurt me deeply, but I choose to forgive you by God's power.'" (OMTL, 78)
On Your Own: If you knew you had one month to live, who would you need to forgive? Who would you need to ask forgiveness from?
Say what you want to say when you have the feeling and the chance. My deepest regrets are the things I did not do, the opportunities missed and the things unsaid. ~ Jim Keller
"The most dramatic example of an open heart speaking is one that changed the course of history and continues to redirect countless lives today: 'The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth' (John 1:14). Jesus communicated with us by leaving His home in heaven, coming to this earth, and putting on human flesh so He could reveal His heart to us. He opened up His heart and made Himself totally vulnerable. He risked rejection and was, in fact, misunderstood by many, especially those in power."(OMTL, 111)
*How open is your heart? What do you need in order to love more completely? To be loved more completely? What is one thing you would do as an expression of Jesus' love if you had only one month to live? Do it!
*Share your thoughts on this week's reading (Principle 2: Love Completely). Any new insights? Are you being challenged? How?
May the unparalleled love of God surround you and uphold you. And may this very love serve as a catalyst for loving completely those around you. Amen and Amen!
In one Bible study I was in, we were told to write our own obituary and tombstone epitaph. I decided I wanted my tombstone to say "she loved God and her family." That's the legacy I think I would leave. My family all assures me they know they are loved. I have some dear friends I want to be just like when I grow up. You love to see them come and hate to see them go because while you are with them you feel LOVED! That's my goal, get out of God's way so He can love others thru me.
ReplyDeleteLin
Loving completely as Jesus did. That's what I'd like to be known for. I like your comment Lin, about feeling loved when you are around dear friends. That is a great feeling - to know we are loved simply for who we are! In order for my heart to be open to loving more completely, I need to be able to see people as Jesus sees them. That has been a prayer of mine and when I am conscious of this it's amazing how open my heart is to others.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'd love to be known as a person through whom people felt God's love lavished upon them. I sometimes wonder, in my own life, about how each of us is our own person. We all have our quirks! (That's what I like to call them.) Those quirks often get in the way of people totally experiencing love. I remember well a funeral I did while in Phillipsburg. It was a father who sat on the porch and did and said things that drove his children and family crazy. It was interesting to hear them talk about how they hated some of it, and yet, it was what they mentioned about him. It was his quirks that drove them crazy but endeared him to them!
ReplyDeleteWe are imperfect vessels of Gods love. I want God to be seen through me even though I know that there are things that drive people crazy about me that get in the way of their experiencing love from me. Ah... I guess that's grace. It's really not about me. It's about God who loves us perfectly. I want to share that with others even in my own imperfections!