Leon, that was a great kindness to share that with me. I had
zero recollection of that verse, but I find it massively affirming
of my walk.
My experience of life is that there is, there IS, a Path, before,
during, and after Jesus, put there by the
Creator. But as Newton pointed out Gravity,
Jesus discovered and pointed out the Path - Loving, Universal Family. If two
people walk the Path, one found it (Jesus), pointed it out, walked it, but the other
was too stupid to understand (me) his words, too cowardly
to follow his Lead, at first, had to find it, learn it, learn the Hell
of all the other wide open Errors...
When the 2nd, the stupid one (me), the cowardly
one (me), finally has walked the Path for a
long time, figuring it out for himself, he becomes of the
Path, and Knows it, if by different words than those that went
before.
AND WHEN HE HEARS THE WORDS OF THE EARLIER MASTERS,
[IN THIS CASE, PAUL] HE KNOWS THEM, EVEN IF HE HASN'T
'HEARD' THEM BEFORE.
Thanks Leon.
Loving
----------------------------Leon's Fwd to me ---------------
In 2 Timothy 2:4,
Paul tells us that “No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the
concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the recruiter.” We somehow
have forgotten about this part of scripture. It’s always far more
convenient to only talk about those areas that are comfortable for us,
or the commands with which we don’t struggle. In the passage above, the
recruiter is obviously Jesus. He loves you and has been drawing you
towards Him your entire life. Getting “entangled in the concerns of
civilian life” means becoming obsessed with achieving success outside of
His kingdom or constantly striving to acquire all the stuff that your
neighbors and society at large have convinced you that you need.
We were called to be different (John 17:14; 1 Peter 2:9).
Our lives should not look like that of our neighbors. Our lives should
look like Jesus. The things we live for make no sense to the world at
large. Nor should what they live for make any sense to us. What
difference does the size of your television make in the grand scheme of
eternity? Whose life will be changed by the type of car you drive? Will
anyone’s eternal destiny be secured based on what brand of purse you
carry?
Nothing we achieve or acquire
in this life counts for anything in the Kingdom of God. All that matters
is what we do for Jesus. Instead of buying that new television, what if
you made it possible for someone without food to have a warm and
nutritious meal? In lieu of purchasing the new BMW, how about putting a
roof over the head of a homeless person? And before dropping several
hundred dollars down on that new Louis Viton bag, perhaps instead
consider providing clothing for the poor family down the street.
Our lives must look
different. Our motives must always be to serve and to love. We have one
goal in life: to further the mission of Jesus and bring glory to God.
Few would think joining the military was just an easy paycheck and they
could do whatever they wanted. No, signing up for service necessitates a
great responsibility and commitment. If you get recruited into the army
and decide to live your life in direct opposition to what you are told
to do, you will find yourself court martialed, disgraced, and eventually
kicked out.
If we would serve God, we bear
the responsibility and commitment to do the things He commands us to do.
Our lives are no longer ours. Everything we do is for His glory and His
purposes. We can’t be dedicated to Christ and remain loyal to this
world. Don’t worry about what the neighbors will say. You’re not here to
please the neighbors. We’re either on mission for Christ or living in
direct opposition to Him. Don’t be foolish. Be devoted to the One who
has called you to serve Him. Do it well, and do it with all your heart.
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