So, I was listening to a song about the death of Jesus Christ today, and started contemplating his life, my life and the state of the world. And i realized, it's just as the scripture says in the last days men will be "Lovers of themselves more than lovers of God." And how true that is. People drive selfishly, talk loudly on their cellphones in public (selfishly), are nasty and rude (selfishly), will hurt others just for the sake of it (selfishly), are not willing to commit to their families, responsiblities and most importantly God. I believe, that at the root of every war, is one selfish act. No matter who is on the offense and who is on the defense, somewhere someone(s) have acted selfishly. And i belive what pleases God more than anything is, to have our love. He wants to have our devotion, undivided attention, affection, dedication. He wants it all. He wants to be our friend, lover of our soul, confidant, the JOY of our DESIRE...the OBJECT of our AFFECTION. And in order for him to have that, we ...I...cannot be selfish. What a sad world we live in. People are depressed, angry, misunderstood, and grossly misled. And all the time God is waiting to heal. Heal the nation and heal individual hearts, but people aren't turning to him. They want THEIR WAY, THEIR RELIGION, THEIR IDEAS, THEIR OPINION, and it's all rightheousness in THEIR eyes. I've never seen so much justification of wrongdoing in my life. People feel that the are ok, Holy, and a good person if they harbor prejudices and hatred and even stereotypes of another race. They feel like they are justified to seek their own happiness(a happiness that is never really TRULY receieved), even at the expense of others.
I love the Lord, Jesus Christ, he gave UNSELFISHLY. Can we even comprehend that kind of love? From time to time i hear religious people get indignant about "Why did they do my Jesus like that?" "Why did they HAVE to kill him?". It was his way. It was his whole purpose for coming. What is more important, his birth or his death? "If it had not been for the shedding of blood there would be NO remission of sin." So many thoughts are running through my mind now. So many feelings i want to express, about the deep deep love of God. How can we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Jesus, gave ALL he had. He suffered more than he HAD to for a world who would reject him time after time. Do we understand that kind of love? Do we understand how we are rejecting his love everytime we say and do a mean or spiteful thing? Do we understand how we are rejecting him, when we choose our way over his? Do we understand how we are rejecting him when we get impatient in waiting on God and murmur and complain about "Why do I have to go through this God?". Do we understand how we are rejecting him when we choose to be impatient with those around us? Do we understand how we are rejecting him when we choose to harbor a grudge or a bias? Do we REALLY understand? Do we REALLY know what Jesus did, and why he did it, and what we need to do and WHY we need to do it?
The world is full of many problems. I was thinking about Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of the Christ" today. I never saw the movie, but i do remember reading once an interview someone had with Mel Gibson. He was asked what change would he hope his movie brings, and he said "War Ends". A noble, beautiful answer. BUT, what if we asked Jesus Christ...."Jesus, what change would you like your death to bring about?". Perhaps he would say "Sin ends!!!" War is not the problem, selfishness is.
James 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Do we ask God for strength, to hurt others? Do we ask God for blessings, for ourselves, our flesh?
My prayer lately has been, "Lord teach me how to love you. Show me and tell me the things that please you. God i want you to be happy, happy with me, not because i'm doing the things I want to do, but because Lord i am seeking with all my heart to please you. Show me how to win your heart Jesus. Lord teach me to love everyone like you did. Lord, I know that means that sometimes i'll love and NEVER receive love in return. Teach me Lord how to give myself over to love. Love for my family, love for your people, and love for souls. That's my prayer and my one desire."
