Quote:
Originally Posted by Nell
Obey what he has already told you to do. Will he trust you with another "assignment" when you haven't obeyed what he has already told you to do?
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To me this is "Part 1" of the answer. You already have an assignment. You already have a mother, father, siblings, extended family, people nearby, childhood friends etc. Your assignment is to bring them love. Let them know someone out there cares about them, respects them, appreciates them. Just listen. Do some small favour. Just go a tiny bit out of your way to be a blessing to their day. Not with ulterior purpose, to "get them saved" or "to come into the church" or whatever. Just meet them where they are, give them the love and respect they need today. Basic stuff, really, but vastly overlooked and forgotten in today's pell-mell me-first world.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OBW
... it says that the most important commandment is in two parts: - Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength
- Love your neighbor as yourself.
This two-part commandment is said to sum up the whole of the law and prophets. That means that if you really do this, you will live a life that is salt and light to the world. That is righteous. That is slow to anger and quick to forgive. That would not slander another to hide your own failure but speak the truth.
And "love your neighbor as yourself" does not mean "tough love." I bet you don't love yourself that way.
I know that God has a purpose. And because he is eternal, you can call that purpose eternal. But when a God with a host of worshippers creates an environment for a new creature, man, to inhabit, and then sends him to take care of that environment while only coming to talk with him for part of each day, I begin to wonder how we are supposed to assume that the purpose was to become people who simply spend all day declaring "Holy, holy, holy, . . ." It looks like we got sidetracked. |
And Part 2 is this, to ask God how you can serve others. That is the key. How can you pour something of yourself out into the world, with no thought of return, so that your reward in heaven is great? Do you understand what I mean - like, how can I be defrauded of my life, pour it out on some worthy mission, to really "love my neighbour" as God wants me to?
If you do, you will find the Holy Spirit meeting you there. And He will guide you every step of the way home. It is the most fantastic journey, beyond all human will and wish. It's not "magic", it's better. It's God.
Now, all this isn't to say that I've laid hold of this. Rather, what little and feeble that I have bumped into it, has been so incredibly satisfying. Like OBW says, Where's the promised transformation of "Just keep eating and drinking"? Where's the wonderful life that supposedly follows PSRP of HWMR every day?
But if you orient not to "me" but "me serving others" the whole thing changes, in the twinkling of an eye (cf 1 Cor 15:52 KJV)