Here is what I am thinking: Perhaps the mindset shift I need is to know and believe that time is not what makes a difference in the world. Love is the most powerful thing in the world. Time is simply one context one part of the expression of love. But time is not love and love is greater than time. The power God has given me is not my time, its my love.
Its 1 Corinthians 13:
If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
I have read it so many times but it didn't hit me until now.
The Spirit says to me:
If I live a whole life of faith and obedience, but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give all my time to the poor and discipleship and evangelism and give my purpose over to God's work that I may feel important, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
for Love unlike everything else in this world is eternal.
1 Corinthians 13:
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
My days are numbered, my time is passing like a mist. It will be gone in the blink of an eye. For that is the irony: the thing I hold tightest and try to use so fully is the one thing that is so certainly passing away minute by minute hour by hour day by day. Here today and gone tomorrow.
My days are numbered, but If I love then love will last forever, it will never fail, it will never cease, it will never pass away.
So God I pray: teach me to love as you loved me, teach me to love others as you love them.
If I try to hold onto my time: I know so well that I can hold onto none of it, but if I give it up and lean into really loving perhaps I will experience love that really lasts forever
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ReplyDeleteGod I pray you would continue to work this out in my heart and my mind. God help me believe this truth that a little love goes a long way. Teach me that I don't need much time to truly love. God I am tempted to still be stuck in my perspective of scarcity of time. But the time I have is a gift from you for my joy, and that I would love you God and love others deeply from the heart. Love is not about the numbers. Love never fails. Love always hopes. Love perseveres. If I have love I gain much. Love is patient, I can slowly patiently love. God teach me to love not in sprints but in deep consistency. God teach me to love a few deeply and be ok loving others with less time but no less deeply. For Jesus the Messiah himself loved all deeply but loved a few deeply with a lot of time and consistency. He loved others with compassion, intentionality but he didn't give them a lot of time. God let Christ be my example of love vs time. Amen
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