Tag: love your neighbor

Sin

Let Jesus Take Care of the Jerks, and Don’t Be One

meghanewhite

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Over ten years ago, we moved to one of the largest cities in the U.S., Houston. Immediately, we noticed the friendliness and politeness with the people we encountered. That all went away as soon as we drove around the city. The southern hospitality ends at the asphalt.

Road warrior is no joke here. When I drive on the massive highways, and freeways I’m suddenly praying the Hail Mary. But that’s not all. There are days and times when I’m behind the wheel where I become a different person, and it’s not pretty. It brings out the worst in me. I may have worship music blaring in my car and I’m feeling great and then I’m cut off, or honked at, or nearly killed by an aggressive driver, and I’m angry. Then I’m not thinking about Jesus. I want that person to be stopped.

Justice must be served, by me. I’m cussing, and I want bad things for that bad driver who almost took my life. Then I’m brought back to reality and reminded that I’m supposed to be salt and light, wherever I go. Not very salty. I was using salty language, but not letting the Lord handle it.

We are to die to ourselves daily as followers of Jesus. When I’m on the road with a bad attitude, I’m living for myself. It’s my pride. By my selfish actions I’m saying, “Since You’re not going to take care of this Lord, I will.” I’m a wretch. There’s my confession. Good for the soul, right?

Here’s the good news, I am forgiven. Hallelujah!

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9, NKJV

This wretched sinner is under the grace of God. He is so patient with me as He teaches me, guides, and shows me how to do better and truly die to myself. I can’t help but think of what Paul wrote in Romans.

For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. Romans 7:15, NASB

God’s working on me. I am reminded that I can just as easily be a jerk too. I say this little mantra to myself as I’m driving.

Let Jesus take care of the jerks, don’t be one.

I’m a sinner in need of a Savior, daily. And He saves me, from my selfishness. My God loves me too much to let me stay as I am. From glory to glory, less and less of me, and please Lord, more and more of You.

No one but Jesus has lived a perfect life. I’m not looking for perfection, it will never happen in me. God does not expect me to be perfect. He’s very aware what I’m capable of. That’s why we have amazing Jesus. He made the way to the Father, not me.

Oh Lord, forgive me for my many sins, especially pride. Thank you for sending Jesus to save me from my sins and make the way to You. He is the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him. Thank you for your grace, mercy and forgiveness. Help me to extend that to others by Your Holy Spirit. And help me Lord, as I drive, to be salt and light and not give in to temptation. Amen!

Love you all,

Meghan

Photo credit: Meghan E. White

Prayer

Do a Prayer Walk Through Your Neighborhood

meghanewhite

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We are the church. It is not just a Sunday, one hour event. We take Jesus with us everywhere we go. The Holy Spirit dwells in every Believer. We have the incredible opportunity to step outside of the comfort of our homes and share Christ. There are many ways we can do this. One way is to pray. 

I have started walking through my neighborhood and praying. Not prayers for my own needs, or the needs of my friends and family. I have my own prayer time at home for those things. I am praying specifically for my neighbors and my neighborhood as I walk. 

I get some exercise and fresh air which is fantastic. I also get the benefit of walking through different parts of my neighborhood each time I go out. There are hundreds of homes in my subdivision. As I walk past each home it is a reminder that people live there. Families and individuals, all made in the image of God.

Some homes have Christians, Muslims, and other religions. Besides the neighbors right near my house, I don’t know anything about all the other people in my neighborhood. God does. So I pray according to His will and His word. 

It’s easy to do. You do not need any special training. You do not need any special equipment. You need Jesus and a decent pair of walking shoes. That’s it.

The main goal of my prayers is for the salvation of anyone in my neighborhood who is not following Jesus. After that, I pray whatever the Holy Spirit brings to mind. I pray quietly to myself or in my head. 

Here are some of the things I pray as I’m walking:

-Knock at their doors Jesus and at their hearts.

-Draw them to Jesus.

-Open their eyes to see the reality of their sin.

-May they have repentant hearts.

-Let them hear you, see you, and know you Jesus.

-Thwart every evil plan of the devil.

-Bring your peace to each home.

-Protect each home and our neighborhood.

-Fill our neighborhood with your presence.

-Let no one perish without knowing Jesus as Savior.

-Bring hope where it’s been lost.

-Provide for every need.

-Heal the sick and diseased.

-Protect the children.

-Flood every home and every heart with you, Jesus.

Those are just a few of the things I pray. It changes as I’m walking as the Holy Spirit brings specific Bible verses to mind or specific things to ask. Also, I picture Jesus going down the middle of the road ahead of me. He leads the way and goes to each door. 

Prayer works because we are inviting God to take over. It’s all Him. We just need to ask.

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit. James 5:17-18, NASB 

Elijah was a prophet but he was also an ordinary man. He prayed and prayed for no rain and there was no rain. Then he prayed again for rain and it rained. God heard his pleas and answered Elijah’s prayers.

What if we pray earnestly for our neighbors to come to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord?

Imagine if at least one Christian in every neighborhood, in every city, in every nation, committed to pray for their neighbors and neighborhood.

God moves when His people cry out to Him. 

I live in a place with year-round nice weather, and I am able bodied. I can easily take a short walk and pray. You may live where you get snowed in. Maybe you live in a rural area and your closest neighbor is acres away. You can still pray.

If you live in a rural area.

You can walk your property and pray for your neighbors, even if they are far away.

You can do drive by prayers for homes and neighbors.

If you are not physically able to leave your house.

You can still pray for your neighbors and your neighborhood.

You can pray through an apartment building.

Go past each door and bring that presence and blessing of God.

Pray for that annoying neighbor.

Pray for that isolated neighbor.

Pray for that friendly neighbor.

Pray for every neighbor.

If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well. James 2:8, NASB 

Love you all,

Meghan

Father God,

Thank you for your perfect love for us. Thank you for Jesus and His shed blood to save us. Fill our hearts with love for our neighbors. Help us to see them the way you do. Teach us to pray and be light to our neighbors. Give us opportunities to be kind, helpful and show the love of Christ. 

Amen 

Faith, God, Jesus, Uncategorized

Love God, Love Everybody

meghanewhite

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It’s just so simple. Love God with all you’ve got, and love others like yourself. Well, that was easy. Please go back to your normal routine, and enjoy the picture of the Nevada desert. Hahaha! I wish just reading those words made loving God and loving others effortless.

What’s the greatest commandment according to Jesus?

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-39, NIV

I think about these verses every day. For me, it all boils down to this. The greatest commandment is the umbrella under which all other commandments fall. Love God with all I’ve got and love my neighbors, which is my family and every person, the same way I love myself.

“Love your neighbor as yourself” does not mean to love myself first, before I can love others. It just means in the same way we care for ourselves and our burdens, we show that same level of care and concern for others. Our neighbor is everyone and anyone. Your family, friends, and actual neighbors are your “neighbors”. We don’t get to pick and choose who we love. Though we try, we are called to something different.

Luke 10:30-37 tells the story of the Good Samaritan. Read this story for yourself. It gives a great example of how to be a good neighbor, and to show real love.

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10-36-37, NIV 

We are to love all people. Every single person was made in the image of God.

So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27, NIV

We need to ask God to help us see people the way He does. If I look at people with my own judgements and opinions then I’m not going to love them very well. If I look at others according to God’s view and that He made them, I can see their hearts much easier.

Loving others is really hard. Loving difficult people is nearly impossible. We don’t have to be best friends with everyone, or hang out with everyone, but we are told to love. We cannot love based on our own feelings or perceptions. Our love for others is based on the love Jesus has placed in our hearts. I cannot properly show love without God. He is love.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  1 John 4:8, NIV

Jesus loved me first before I ever knew Him or loved Him.

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19, NIV

Love is so much bigger than like. The love Jesus gives us is beyond anything we will experience from another person. Jesus gave His life for us because He loves us.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8, NIV

How do we love God with every part of us? It means we don’t hold anything back from God. Loving God is a natural response from a genuine relationship with Him. The more you know God, the more you will love Him. He gave us full access to Him because of Jesus.

To love God with all my heart, soul, and mind means I put Him first in my life. I give Him everything. I praise Him. Read His word. Pray. Ask Him to fill my mind with His thoughts. It is a daily choice to love God with every part of me. Though I will never love Him perfectly, I will make a choice to let my heart be loyal to Him first and foremost.

The Spurgeon Study Bible says:

“‘With all your heart’ means intensely. ‘With all your soul’ means sincerely, most lovingly. ‘And with all your strength’ means with all our energy, with every faculty, with every possibility of our nature.”

The greatest commandment to love God with every ounce of me and to love people is impossible. If I rely on myself to accomplish these acts, then it’s a failure every time. When I rely on Jesus, I can love the way He loves.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Jon 15:5, NIV 

Loving God and loving everybody is how we shine our lights in this dark world. We have the awesome responsibility to be Jesus’ hands and feet to every person we encounter. We were never meant to do it in our own ability. Otherwise we’d never need Jesus. We need Jesus every moment, of every hour, of every day.

Let’s love our awesome God with everything we’ve got. Let’s love His kids well.

Love you all,

Meghan

 

Father God,

Thank you for your perfect love. Thank you for sending your son, Jesus to save us. Help us God, to love you and love others greatly. We cannot properly love people without You. Show us others, the way you see them. Let us see hearts and souls. Help us to see the hurting, lost, and broken. Use us, imperfect vessels, to love people. Thank you for the privilege we get to show Your love. We praise you!

Amen