Thursday, October 25, 2012

Matthew 5: 43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 6: 5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

I think almost everyone in the world is guilty of these two things... I think we all would also swear we are not...
it is easy to love someone who is loveable... and those are the ones we love.. but when we have the 'sandpaper' people in our lives... the ones that rub us the wrong way.. the ones who are abrasive... those are the ones we would just rather avoid than to love... yet I really believe these sandpaper people are put in our lives by God... if we allow Him to change us.. using these people... we can learn to overcome the constant need to satisfy self... and give in to others above our own thoughts...

I think that we also all think we do not draw attention to ourselves for the things we do for someone else.. yet somehow... we still desire that recognition on some level.. if we didn't.. then the lack of recognition or attention wouldn't bother us... while this scripture is talking about prayer.. it is still the same principle... we want recognized for our contribution.. even though we really believe we don't.. I found this out about myself just recently....

someone sent me an email today that said what we give out is what we draw to ourselves.. so if we give love.. we draw love.. if we give peace.. we draw peace.. if we give kindness.. we draw kindness... maybe we are not as good at these things as we imagine we are...

Father change our hearts.. purify us so that we can stop thinking of self.. and be the selfless person you are calling us to be.. in Jesus name I ask it.. amen.amen.amen.

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