My Commission From God
#1 My commission from God has a goal which I can fix my attention on
Lord, I already know that my commission is to love others, but that is everyone’s purpose. How is this a specific commission for me – different from the command for us to love each other?
My task is not to merely love others but to give of myself. It is making myself available when others need to talk or just have a friend near by. It is about true relationships with a purpose – getting down to heart matters, opening my heart and soul to others so that they may see/hear Jesus through me, thus showing them His eyes. I am also called to carry them (not their burdens) in my heart.
Lord, You’ve given me so many talents. I am fairly good at a lot of things but only great at this one (loving). Actually, everything for me boils down to love. Why is that?
Without love my other gifts are useless. My other gifts are to be used to love others. I have been blessed with them so that I can love many different people in many different ways.
THAT is an awesome job! – to love people FOR You! How blessed am I?! Thank you for that honour!
I still don’t understand how this is a commission and not just a commandment. Again, how is this different?
Looking at other examples:
Paul loved – he preached the Truth
D’s friend loves – he gives of his time and energy to help
S loves – she teaches
I love….....I give of myself and my many talents.
I feel God saying that I am “washing the feet of their hearts.” …often the dirtiest part of one, but necessary to get where you are going. (That’s a HUGE responsibility and commission. It not longer seems so “ordinary.” It also feels over my head when I look at it that way….but that is where I need to lean on God, for I cannot do it on my own! This makes it feel like more of a mission now, rather than just a commandment.) I also hear the word “vessel” – a vessel for Jesus’ love?
Is it possible that my loving to love makes a difference? Instead of feeling like I should or have to, I actually feel like I NEED to? I receive joy from loving others, but the ultimate joy comes when I bring Jesus into the picture. Much of this joy is from seeing Jesus revealed, shining back at me as a result of the love I’ve given.
Yes, I am a vessel for Jesus to make his way into some one’s heart. (He is using me to open doors that need a human form to turn the knob – a more tangible form of God’s love?)
“LOVE AS I HAVE LOVED YOU”
I have a hard time accepting this is you speaking and not my ego. Possibly because I fear myself lacking humbleness. After all, what could be better than being a vessel for you? I certainly need your strength, guidance and wisdom to do this. It’s HUGE! When I look at it as a commission, not just a way to “be”, it becomes really scary to do without you – not to mention impossible!
#2 My content is…
I think, it may go back to the statement of “love as I have loved you.” I believe Jesus IS my content. His ways, example and words.
#3 My activities are…
To love, listen, encourage, help, pray, follow up, speak with a tongue guided by Jesus, make time for people, give of myself and my time, let others into my heart as well as listen to theirs (two way road – develop trust). I think that there will be a time I am called to prioritize the friends God puts in my path. That my work with some of them will be done for a time and I need to have the wisdom to see where I need to spend my time.
#4 My way of measuring progress will be…
Seeing Jesus’ eyes reflected back at me
Seeing hearts opening up and accepting Jesus’ love (thus seeing healing in some cases)
Feeling more of Jesus in me – that “addictive high”
Relationships will flourish and grow even deeper and more easily. Trust and love will grow.
#5 My way of being plugged into God is…
While I have many ways of plugging into God in general, I think that for this specific task it would be:
Spending time in prayer with God – listening for His prompting, guidance and wisdom
Waiting on Him to respond to questions and speak into my heart
Keeping ears/eyes open for opportunities
Constantly worshipping Him to maintain perspective – so I continue to realize how awesome this gift of loving his children, my brothers and sisters, is!
Conclusion:
God is calling me to LOVE OTHERS AS HE HAS LOVED ME by becoming a sacrifice for him. I am here to do his work and so my relationships should be ones of purpose. While I can expect to enjoy them, life here is not about me. There is a greater picture. I am called to open up my heart to others, creating a reciprocal trust, so that Jesus may shine His light through me. Of course, all of this has to be done with His guidance and wisdom for I cannot do it on my own.
This song has been on my heart a lot lately, but now even more of it makes sense to me, and speaks to me as a theme song, after going through this exercise.
Lord you have my heart (I gave him my heart in a vision I had, as only he can be trusted with it)
And I will search for yours (now I am looking to Him to hear where he would have me minister to others…seeking His heart for others)
Let me be to you
A sacrifice (I am to sacrifice myself to do His will, my entire self, not just a portion of me. Loving others requires I give myself to Him completely)
Lord you have my heart
And I will search for yours
Jesus take my hand
And lead me on (I need his hand to lead me, his guidance, for I cannot follow this road without Him. I do not have the capability to do these things, but He does and He can use me – which is so completely awesome to me!)
And I will praise you Lord (Without the praise, I lose my focus on the importance of the task at hand as well as where the glory is to go)
And I will sing of love come down (Love, what more can I say…I do sing of His love…constantly. It is the only thing that really matters)
And as you show your face (He will show his face, through others, through me, through our love)
We’ll see your glory here (He will be glorified in all of this, for we, as humans, cannot love like this on our own)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Why has God been asking me to revisit this commission? For one thing, I believe I have lost sight of it lately. I have been nudged a few times in the past couple months as I haven't been fulfilling my role. I have felt like I am going through a dry spell lately with the Lord, even though I read, pray and still deeply love Him. I have been craving so much more of Him. Looking back at my measurements for progress, however, it's evident to me that my commission has not been taken seriously over the past two months. I realize that we all go through quiet times where we still love God but don't have that "connection" with Him, and that's okay. That may be the case this time for me, but retropectively I think He is drawing me back to Him. Reviewing this has been a good reminder and refrehser for me to put effort into living out my commission - not JUST love God.
My hope in sharing this is that you too may take some time to walk with God through your own commission. Some of the dreams I have shared have made reference to each of us having "work" to do on this earth. While the most important command is to love God and then love each other, part of loving God is to follow what He has planned for us. I don't think many of us know what that plan is. While prior to seeking my commission, I was aware of acomplishing something God had set before me, this has opened my eyes to a brighter light. Now, instead of walking out the door in the morning and wondering what God has planned for me, I can ask specifically who He wants me to love.
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