I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
What Jesus Did
If you had access to all the luxuries you could dream of, would you voluntarily give them up? If you had riches beyond your wildest imagination, would you lay them all down for someone you love?
That’s what Jesus did.
“He gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”
Philippians 2:7-8 NLT
Jesus gave up His divine privileges, temporarily, so that He could be with His people. So that He could pay their debt and redeem them back to Himself.
Because of that, God “elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names.” (Philippians 2:9 NLT)
So if you consider yourself to be a follower of Jesus, you are naturally called to follow Him. To reflect His love. And to, daily, die to yourself.
Though the call to die to oneself can be literal in some cases, more often, it's symbolic. It means giving up what we want in favor of something that could have an eternal impact.
Maybe, instead of binging a TV show or scrolling social media, you could visit someone in the hospital, take a meal to someone who’s hurting, or help a single parent.
Maybe, instead of rushing to get everything on your busy schedule finished, you could take the time to read the Bible with a child, befriend someone who’s lonely, or be present with the people around you.
Maybe, instead of waiting for God to send opportunities your way, you could seek out those who are desperate for Him—and help them see why He occupies the place of highest honor in your life.
The great news is, you have been empowered to do what Jesus did.
Undeserved Mercies
When someone hurts you or, worse, hurts somebody that you love, revenge can seem appealing. After all…
They were mean.
They were selfish.
They talked behind your back.
They broke a vital promise.
They lied about you.
They criticized you.
They ignored you.
They did the unthinkable.
They walked away.
They deserve to be punished, right? To feel some of that same pain? They deserve a consequence that will not only help them learn, but will be just as severe as the inflicted wounds.
And yet—because God sees things differently, both His standards and tactics can be surprising. And that’s why the apostle Paul, writing to the believers in Thessaloniki, said:
“See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.”
1 Thessalonians 5:15 NLT
Paul’s words sound a lot like Jesus’ words—to love your neighbor as yourself; to do to others what you’d like them to do to you. (See: Matthew 22:38-40)
God’s ways ...
