Be Active/Intentional

My emotions are high today and I feel VERY passionate about some things....that's your warning.  My FB status today "Being a christian does not mean you sit on a "holier than thou" throne and judge and belittle people!!  Beyond the meaning of following the beliefs of Christianity, It means you let God's unconditional, free love shine on and to others and to serve other people.  IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU or ME!'  I want to see Christian's active in showing God's love instead of just saying we're Christians!  BIG DIFFERENCE!  I am so thankful for a church that is teaching me how to become active in my faith for God and how to truly LOVE other people regardless (I'm FAR from perfect)...I am not on any throne! We are all servants...no one is above scrubbing any one's feet.  I pray a lot that I can become more active and more alive in my faith and in my relationship with God and I want that for EVERYONE!

I/we are to love ALL people...All people are God's people, Christian's or not. We are not to be tearing people down, Romans 12:3 talks about not thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought. Romans 12: 9-21 sums up "Love in action".  READ THAT!  Let God's love radiate through you. I promise you this...you will be rewarded in heaven but also on earth. I have lived through some tough things and whether I feel justified to have hatred doesn't matter, if I responded with hatred....well they win, evil wins, and I am just wasting this precious gift of life on earth away, respond with love and your heart will be joyous, wounds begin to heal.  Please make efforts with me to love other people, show kindness in all areas of your life, mend broken relationships, don't let petty or even big things get burrow hatred into your hearts.  You only have this moment, you are not guaranteed another year, another month, another day, another minute.  If someone your acting in meanness or hate to dies tomorrow....do you have regrets?  Regrets eat at you, get rid of them!  I speak from experience so learn from me so you don't have to learn the hard way.

My 2nd point I want to encourage everyone is be active in your faith. In the past I have been in the "idle" phase of my faith at points in my life. And now that I have been experiencing what it is like to grow and be active in my faith it is SO amazing. I love rejoicing to God of His great works. What are we here for?  Is it not to Share God's love and His good news? His Love, His Son's sacrifice is not meant for us to hoard and keep to ourselves.  Let God's love fill your heart and overflow into the other's hearts and lives around you. I am far from mastering this but I can tell you the more I love people and work...yes work at not judging people, at lending an ear, at loving people for who they are...my heart fills and beams with Joy. If you aren't active in a church find one, any church, read some scripture, let it sink in, help some random people, open doors for others, pick things up that someone else dropped, buy someone a coffee, pray a few times a day, smile at strangers and say hello as you pass by them, help someone move, make someone a dinner...do any of it...not for recognition but just to grow in loving people, to grow in loving God and having a relationship with God.  The kindness that I try to show others fills my heart, (someone called me selfless today...ha)...I'm selfish.  Helping people makes me feel happy because I love to see smiles and warm hearts....Helping people is my way of showing others God's love and just maybe there are doors that open that let's me share some of God's good news. 

I hope that just one person reads this and lets go of some anger towards someone and can show them love even though it's hard, I hope that someone might read this that is idle in their faith and relationship with God and will find someway to reignite their flame and their beliefs so that they can become a source for God to share His love through.

Dear God, Thank you for your love that cost me nothing, for loving me although I'm a mess, for proving to me that you never waste a hurt.  It hurts me to see others of faith not honoring your love and I hope that you will use me to help others see the big picture.  Please help me serve your people, keep my mind steadfast on you and your love and your purpose for me.  Help me stay active in loving you and loving others.  Help us Christians be what you called us to be, an image of you.  I love you.  Amen.

1Peter 4:8-9 NIV 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.