Living Life for Christ Alone

I sat in the back seat of whatever car I was in at the time, looking out the window, deep in thought.  Something was stirring in me. I can't explain it. You probably wouldn't understand unless you, too have had a similar experience.  The thoughts were heavy ones. Ones of death, of heaven and hell, of lost souls all around me headed in the wrong direction. I watched as cars passed us, seeing the faces inside, deeply bothered that I did not know the state of their souls.  "God, show me what You see when You see those people out there," I prayed silently.  My heart grew heavier. Tears of anguish have fallen since.  This is no petty issue I am talking about. God's heart towards others is much bigger than we assume.   The past ten or so years since this prayer have been a slow opening of my eyes in answer to it. He's wanted me to see, really see... He wants you to see too.  Since then, I thought I was called to the mission field "out there," but God se...

"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us...." (1 John 3:16) We do not know love any other way.  Until Jesus laid down His life for us, heavenly love wasn't tangible.  Most could only guess what God meant when He told His people He loved them.  But now, He proved His love, like a Lover pursuing a bride, setting aside His glory, giving up His very life, for the world. His love was on full display the whole time He lived here.  It wasn't just that ultimate act on the cross that revealed it.  It was seen in His every response to the world around Him.  It was made visible in His mission -the will of His Father- that defined every action He did.  Laying down His life was laying down not only the physical life He had on this earth, it was also laying down His time, His resources, His comfort, His sleep, His ease, His thoughts, desires and emotions....  And the disciples watched as He did so, floored every time God lowered Himself to se...