Its always interesting when God decided to reveal himself to me.  Sometimes it is in some of the most obvious ways but other times he blind-sides me with his unbelievable truth.  I know you have “blind-sided” with things before.  Whether it was a friend telling you that they have been dealing with some really harsh stuff, and you come to the conclusion that you have been in the same boat too, but are unwilling to jump out.  Or maybe your bible study has been going through a lot of heavy scripture lately, that God had obviously divinely planed for you to be confronted with. 

 

I don’t fully know how God speaks the clearest truth to you… and I honestly don’t know how he pierces your heart. I do know this, God is always working in people’s lives, even the one’s you interact with day in and day out!  I mean as I sit in the quad of Belmont University, as the bell tower rings seven times, there are shouts of joy coming from the soccer field, and music being played in the gazebo…. I know that God is working in so many people’s lives just here in nashville… Let alone all the people that are being spoken to all over the WORLD!

 

 

So why do I bring this up, well I learned today that there may be things going on with the people we interact with daily that we are oblivious to.  Let me explain…..

 

I was walking back today from dinner and a really good friend of mine, who I get the privilege of hanging out with for a good amount most weeks. We were talking about jobs and such when he told me that his parents were getting in a divorce.  

 

 

If your reaction was anything like mine, you didn’t just skip by that word and move on… you probably had a pause and just thought about how tough this situation would be for someone to go through.  I mean, for me, this was the last thing I was expecting to come out of his mouth. 

 

I think that we do this to our friends all the time.  We invade our invade them with what we are dealing with and the things we are going through,we talk about OUR concerns, the things God is teaching US, and the challenges that are going on in OUR lives.  But……

 

How often are we thinking about what God has in store for those who you are interacting with each and every day?  When was the last time you tried to do something to further a friend’s calling on their life?  When was the last time that you allowed God to use you to help someone else fulfill their dreams, passions, purposes?

 

I think what God told me in this Blind-Side moment, was that I need to be more aware of what the people I love on are going through.  I need to be tuned in to what they believe God has called them to be, and assist them in their callings. 

God has taught me to listen to what God is doing in their lives and how I can help further their cause.  This will create a community we cannot live without.  This will create an irresistible environment that will always be lifting each other up, and loving on those who do life with us! 

 

 

So who have you invaded?  

 

 

Who have you helped further their calling?

 

 

 

 

Who are you waiting to Blind-Side you because you haven’t been the friend to them you need to be?

 

 

-L.

 

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ROMANS 12:9-21] 

Well… the way a typical relationship between two people interested in each other begins is with some sort of initial contact or a common point of interest, followed by a series of events that will lead to a first date.  After the infamous first date, most people can instantly know whether or not this someone is who they want to pursue.  Someone they want to get to know more, someone they want to go on a second date with.  For others, this second date isn’t desired.  But if and when the second date comes, a series of consecutive dates repeat until the desired day of the male in the relationship decides to get on one knee and ask for a hand in marriage.  right?  or was something left out?

 

What about the parental blessing?  what about the guy asking the father of the girlfriend for a blessing of marriage? this is exactly what God is telling us in this verse, “its ok to love each and every person”.  or would it impact you better if I said, God is blessing us to love each and every one of his children, both enemy and friend. 

 

 

“Bless those who persecute you; Bless and do not curse.”

This is interesting that Paul would tell us this… does he not think that we do this on a regular basis? [he’s right, we don’t] Are there really people in each of our lives that we just have a tough time giving our love to?  I’m not saying that there are certain people who we can never date… here I am asking the question of who is it in your life that gets on your nerves so bad that you can’t stand being around them, or better yet… you avoid them at all costs.

 

Ever been in a long distance relationship?  your doing this to the people who irritate you…. long distance relationships are tough, and require a heck of a lot more work than a relationship where you live in the same city of your girlfriend or boyfriend.  You can’t avoid your enemies forever… God has called us to love on them and not to curse them. 

 

SO who is it that God is asking you to love on unconditionally?  who is it that you are in a “long distance relationship” with and are resistant to relocate?  How can you love them? Is there a chance?  there IS…… because the creator of the universe is begging his children to share a love with those who may never see the love of God.  We have been empowered to share God’s love.  You may be the only person that can share God’s love with that person you are thinking about… why rob them of the same love that changed your life forever? Why rob someone of the same love that has shaped and molded you to the very person you are today?

 

 

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another.”

 

So i guess if we didn’t get the hint in the previous verses, he wanted to clarify… or maybe this really is something so important that God needed us to hear something twice.  

 

My family traveled Saint Louis one year for New Years… a tradition actually… and I remember a conversation between my dad and my sister that has stuck with me over the years.  He had yelled at her for not cleaning up after herself, and had left a mess for the mom of the host family to have to pick up.  My sister asked my dad, “Dad, why did you have to yell at me to tell me to help her?  I’m not deaf and it may have been more effective if you just told me in a normal voice to go and help Sue [host mom] pick up the room.”  and my dad said one of the most thought through answers that any parent should have ready in all situations… “Jenna, its not that I thought you were deaf, its that I had told you many times before the exact same thing.  If someone isn’t listening to you the first thing you do is raise your voice because you don’t think you are being heard.  Its instinct because you obviously didn’t hear me the first time or the second, to the third I thought if I was louder I would be heard finally.”  

 

God can’t yell at you when you are reading his word… but he can convict and repeat himself as he is doing in Romans 12… I think that he is asking you and asking me to “LOVE THOSE WHO WE HATE, THOSE WHO IRRITATE US, and THOSE WHO MAKE US WANT TO KILL SOMETHING!!!!!!!!” 

 

love one another in peace… 

live in harmony, 

and live life accordingly to those around you… 

don’t mourn when others rejoice, 

and don’t rejoice with those mourning… 

bless… 

bless and do not curse, 

and while we aren’t cursing… 

we need to remember that God has already given us our parental blessing to marry the Savior of our lives and enter into a relationship with the King of Sin and the King of eternal life…. 

 

So… does God think he is being heard?  or is he going to have to raise his voice so you can hear him?  Maybe this is his voice being raise?  maybe he is just sick and tired of his children talking the talk and not walking the walk.  Maybe God is ready for someone to finally listen to what he is saying to his children… LOVE and love one another unconditionally.

 

think about this:

 

when your sin was nailed to the cross… don’t you think that the sin of the person who irritates you every day and just makes you loose your mind was also nailed right next to yours on the cross when Jesus died?  So what makes them different?  nothing… they are just as much a child of God as you are… and they should be loved the same… so go ahead…

 

You have the blessing… 

 

take care of those who God has called us to love.

 

 

and in return be a part of an unbelievable story……

 

 

 

 

THE STORY OF GOD. 

God is yelling…. and we are listening.

-L.

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