Embrace love – because when you live that out, everyone in your home and community benefits. The only way to obtain this kind of love is to receive it from the author of love – Jesus.
If you really want to help the world, your foundation – the well that you draw from – needs to be love.
When you pull up your bucket from the well, what spills out from it needs to nourish and fill the cups of the thirsty ones around you. It needs to put out fires.
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
1 John 3:16
What does that look like?
That kind of sacrifice comes in all forms – from helping someone when you would rather do something else (being inconvenienced) – to defending the weak or outcast (putting your reputation on the line for someone else).
It means standing up for someone who’s hated because they’re different.
Sometimes laying your life down for someone else means looking like a fool to your friends or family.
It won’t make sense to everyone. People will misunderstand you – and that’s ok. God sees.
Jesus laid his life down so that we could have access to God without fear. He did it for the greater good. If you approach life from a place of love, you will also do things for the greater good.
What did God do?
Did you know Jesus wants to have a brotherly relationship with you? He does. You don’t have to worry about what you’ve done in life. Just talk to Jesus. He will meet you with love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness.
I know, because I had the foulest mouth, was a chronic liar, and loved only myself. Jesus came to my rescue and changed me from the inside out. Now I have peace and joy in HIM. I will forever be grateful because I was going down a path that led to destruction, and now… Now, all is restored. I don’t fear death because my new reality is eternal life.
He’s near and is waiting for you to look to Him for forgiveness and mercy. He has that in abundance for all of us. He has enough for you and me and for all who would call on his name. And ALL means ALL.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Romans 10:9-10
What can we do?
I’ve been wondering the same thing as you. I want to help and not be passive. At the same time, I don’t want to add to the drama or fuel any fires. I want to be putting fires out – not starting more.
So I asked my friends.
I reached out to my friends, who are the most affected by what’s going on today. I told them that I could have no idea what they must be feeling and processing in their minds. But I let them know I love them. They are my sisters in Christ. They are black, and they are beautiful. Inside and out. They appreciated me reaching out to them and asked me to pray for them. One asked me to pray against hate, racism, and the violence that’s going on – and to keep them (the ladies) in my prayers.
I woke up this morning with all of this heavy on my heart, so let’s pray:
Heavenly Father, please help our country (and the world). Hate, violence, and racism is a human heart condition all over the world – not just in our own country. God, I pray you would intervene and show yourself to us all. May your love and mercy triumph – and may you bring many sons and daughters to yourself during this time. Please have mercy on those who don’t know you and are spreading hate. Please rescue many as you did for me. God, I know the most powerful thing we can do is raise our praise and prayers to you – and speak out against sin. Some may feel like it does no good to pray, but I know you have a plan and purpose that we cannot see. Help us to trust in your unfailing love. Help us to look to you for all the answers. Help us to dive into your word to renew our minds and have you guard our hearts. In Jesus’ name, I pray – amen.
God bless you all. Until next time – JoJo