January 19th

January 19th

So leaving a legacy of love isn’t just a feel good, happy legacy. It is a legacy of sacrifice. Sometimes that sacrifice will pinch. Sometimes it will burden us. Are you brave enough to walk that path? There is a worship song that has a lyric that tugs at my heart strings:

“Break my heart for what breaks yours.” Are you brave enough to pray that prayer this year? Walking in this world with the heart of Jesus in us will break our hearts. We will no longer be able to ignore the pain around us. We will no longer be able to walk oblivious to the lost souls around us and the pain riveted hearts around us. But the reward will be far beyond the burden of grief. The fulfillment will be far greater than the inconvenience. Our fellowship with the heart of Jesus will be well worth the burden that accompanies it.

So we must choose. What kind of life do we want to live? What kind of legacy do we want to leave? Do we want a feel good, middle of the road life that goes through the motions of Christianity but doesn’t intrude on our happiness too much? -OR, do we want fruitful, sacrificial, at times burdensome, but always rewarding, fellowship with Jesus that calls our hearts to higher purposes, stretches our emotions, finances, and time, shatters our complacency and tests our faith as it brings us so close to Jesus that we can feel and see the evidence of His breath on our life and in our heart?

He calls us on a journey with Him that witnesses the miracles of life while almost always ditching the luxuries of life. We will witness the miracles of forgiveness and restoration after wrestling for someone in prayer for days and nights. And despite our lack of sleep will feel more energized and alive because of our participation in that miracle. We will sacrifice our happy go lucky life for one of intercessory burdens for others who need heart healing.

But all that we will face will be more than worth it, both here on earth and even more so when we get to Heaven. Are you brave enough to pray and ask the Lord to break your heart for what breaks His?

If you do, you will leave a legacy that is far greater than you could imagine. Allowing the Lord to give you His love for others will pay off exponentially. The lives that you are involved in healing will impact other lives and so on, and though you won’t know it this side of Heaven, you will be involved in the rescue plan of millions of lives in a very short time period. It doesn’t take long to get from 1 to 1 million people affected when each person you affect, affects others.

Are you willing to love the Lord will all of you and love others the way Jesus called us to when He was here? Are you willing to be obedient in that? Remember it isn’t mustering up love, it is asking the Holy Spirit to let that fruit flow through you, but it will shake up your world.

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Hosea 14:4 “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.”

Matthew 5:43-47 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor i and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?”

We live in a broken, fallen world, that God desperately wants to love and heal; will you be a part of that?

Jesus, I know I can’t even wrap my head around your love for me, it is hard to imagine that love flowing through me to others. Help me to be willing to be a part of your plan to love others to wholeness. Help me to let go of my selfishness and pride and stubbornness and be willing and brave enough to ask you to break my heart for what breaks yours. Thank you for that perfect love and your patience and healing in my life.