Don't Just Pretend.

The Lord has been faithful in continuing to conform me to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29) by addressing issues of my heart that are not of Him. The part that sucks is this is not fun. You see, I really really like the encouraging, walk beside me, father-like love that I naturally lend to be sum of who God is and what he does for me. He does encourage so well. Romans 8:31 undoubtedly says that He is FOR us. But His love comes in so many other ways.


He will not watch his children walk down a path He knows they shouldn't be on and look the other way. And so Romans 12 has recently been brought to my attention. I read it this weekend for the first time in a while and I haven't been able to get away from it. Literally the Lord has been faithful to put it in my mind Romans 12:9, "Don't to pretend to love others, really love them". I mean, am I really listening or just looking for the next opportunity to talk? I want to walk with the fervency and compassion of Christ. I'll try to explain.

There is no doubt that Christ had purpose in everything that He did. One example is Mark 5:21-34 when Jesus was on His way to heal a man's son who was quickly dying. With large crowds following and surrounding Him, one woman who had been sick for a long time made her way through the crowds to touch His clothes knowing she would be healed. He was in a hurry to get to this boy and to move through the crowds but He stops as she touches his clothes and He addresses her faith and heals her.
That's the fervency and compassion that I want. Father, conform me to that.

Another thing I have continued to pray is to see everything with eternal perspective. God is always at work and His purposes are different than our own and often beyond our understanding. How encouraging are these words that we know...

Isaiah 55:8-9

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Cross reference that with Romans 8:28, that He is working all things for our Good and there's fuel for eternal perspective. When all I see is today, it's hard to trust his ways beyond what I see. He's also promised us light for the next step (Psalm 119:105). Just trust me for the step you can see and know that I'm doing the rest. Be faithful with what you know and you can be trusted with more (Luke 16:10).

I guess my aim was to encourage myself and us to have compassion and eternal perspective to love others based on these verses.

Father, make it so.