3 Daily Habits to Filter Your Life through Jesus’ Love
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Legs aching and lungs burning as we meandered through the valley of our hometown, the water flowing out of a hose at the corner gas station tasted like heaven. That pit stop refreshed us before we faced the final mile uphill towards home. We laughed and crouched down to avoid being seen as coach’s big van rolled by to assess our progress.
The very Creator of the Universe speaks to us through His Living Word! One day at a time, we have the grand opportunity of coming close to God through those ancient words, and connecting with Him intimately as He applies it to our everyday, modern lives. It’s miraculous, because God is the God of miracles – not coincidences. When we sit down with God’s Word, we can pray because the Holy Spirit helps us to understand it properly, and apply it faithfully.
The power of the Holy Spirit helps us to interpret, recall, apply, and remember the Truth of God’s Word to our everyday lives. Why would we want to read and apply God’s Word? For the peace and joy we are promised in the full life Jesus died to give us.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Carolyn V
Faith doesn’t sit still. We may get quiet to pray and stop to study God’s Word, but our lives are an active example of the work God is doing in us. From inside to outside, we become more like Christ, daily. God created us to bring glory and honor to Him. Even Jesus came to serve, not to be served (Matthew 20:28). We unlock a great joy by serving others in His name.
The world is set to a selfish default. As Christ followers, we choose instead to see beyond ourselves, praying into our place in the world and daily tasks the Spirit leads us to. God purposefully places people in our lives, sometimes to serve us in love, and sometimes for us to serve them in love. I believe both simultaneously exist in our daily lives, both opportunities to serve and to receive love. Love is reciprocal, flowing through us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Christ is Living Water. That same hose behind the local gas station that once tasted so refreshing, now waters others as we tell of its location. As new freshman joined the team, the upperclassmen were anxious to show the newbies the delight of sneaking a break to be refreshed and rejuvenated before the last mile-climb uphill.
We serve others in a variety of ways, through many different gifts God the Father knit in us before we were born. The purpose of our lives is no secret to the Father. He knows us, and sees us through the purity of who He created us to be.
When one of my daughters has a tween fall-out with a friend, it’s my joy to lead their conversations in grace and forgiveness. I know, as a wise old adult, what they don’t yet know. Watching their eyes light up as they witness the power of love, forgiveness and grace over bitterness, unforgiveness and blame is amazing. Choosing not to be offended, but instead, “how can we be Jesus to this person.” Sometimes, we have to recognize conflict for what it is – the enemy’s lies and attempts to isolate – and choose the harder work of love instead. We have a job to do, after all: The Great Commission. To love people for Jesus. When we seek to serve others everyday, we can ask, how do I love them for Jesus?
This is how we serve one another. This is how are faith moves. We pour the wisdom of God, which He fills our hearts with daily, out to the ones He has given us to disciple in faith. We work hard with the gifts and talents He has given us, trusting Him to open doors and expand our territory according to His will. We may never know the extent of the love we have sprinkled around on this earth. We are unable to see from a heavenly perspective all the purposes God has for every obedient act of faith.
His ways are greater than our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. These three daily habits help us to filter our lives through the love of Jesus.
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Related Resource: Listen to our FREE podcast, Reframed: The Power of Perspective. In each episode, Carley provides practical techniques for identifying and reframing negative thinking patterns. Listen to an episode below, and check out all of our episodes on LifeAudio.com.
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