“I understand. We will have to agree to disagree.” I have heard this and said it myself. NOT the right answer for the civility of unity. Maybe, we don’t know what we think we know. To truly understand, we should completely lay down our point of view, and take the time to listen up.” KimberlyMac
Lay Down Your Rights ~ Invest In Others
In order to add value, we must invest some of ourselves, so we can clearly hear and see other people’s perspective; own and respect their feelings; and walk with them, in their shoes. Then, we will truly understand and respond with the heart of God, with His love in the fullness of His truth. Jesus did exactly that for us. He laid down His Kingdom rights and heavenly perspective and He came to us, to this side of heaven, and walked in our human viewpoint. If you listen up to Jesus, our Bridegroom, empathy is something He definitely has, because He experienced our human condition first hand.
Deeply Or Shallowly Invested?
Am I willing to be invested in the lives of others, grow through with them with a heart wide open? Or am I just going through this life to get through bearing a shallow acquaintance façade? Relating or Relationship? Jesus did not come here to just relate with us, He came here for the sake of relationship and if you listen up to Jesus on a regular basis, He is all about speaking what is true to us in a relational way. Jesus makes it personal with us. Relationship takes time invested, genuine effort and sacrificial vulnerability, three things that are scarce in times such as these. Jesus invested all in us. It was incredible how He owned our emotions, listened to us and walked with us. Jesus, incarnate, God in the flesh, knowing we were flawed, still sacrificed all for us; dying our death so we could live His life. How can we ever get over the fact that Jesus, He came to us, for us and His Holy Spirit is still with us speaking what is true into our hearts.
Philippians 2:4-8 Abandon every display of selfishness. Possess a greater concern for what matters to others instead of your own interests. And consider the example that Jesus, the Anointed One, has set before us. Let his mindset become your motivation. The Example of Jesus Christ~ He existed in the form of God, yet he gave no thought to seizing equality with God as his supreme prize. Instead he emptied himself of his outward glory by reducing himself to the form of a lowly servant. He became human! He humbled himself and became vulnerable, choosing to be revealed as a man and was obedient. He was a perfect example, even in his death—a criminal’s death by crucifixion! The Passion Translation
Jesus Was Invested ~ How About Us?
On this day, in our world, we experience the topsy-turvy truth. We hear from our culture a lot of false narrative, as right is being lifted up as wrong and wrong is being lifted up as right. In times such as these, how can we mirror what Jesus did, how He walked among us so wisely, so caringly and with a genuine heart? Jesus loved us just like He had never been hurt by us. In our generation of no tolerance and extreme compassion fatigue for our differences, how does genuine effort work out? How does time invested look? Where does sacrificial vulnerability fit? If we look at Jesus, He never compromised His way, truth or life. How then did He invest value in others? Jesus went where they were, he genuinely listened to them, accepted them where they were at and then spoke truth with love. Do you truly want to change it up the way Jesus did? Dig Deeper In These Scriptures.
Invested In Commonality
What holds us back from investing our time, prayer, talent and care in those who are flawed, considering this is all of us, this is the common denominator of our human condition? One thing that helps, is we have another cohesion. Therefore, the hope is we will yield our “rights” to be right, building on the one good thing about us that will always be the same. Deep within the core of every human being, God placed His Image. Every single one of us were created by God in His Image. He wrote eternity on our hearts and His living truth in our subconscious soul. Everything about us may be different, but deep inside, we have commonality. The person you are arguing with because your worldly viewpoints are polar opposite, you may be the One God has divinely placed in their life to call out the Image of God in them. In knowing this, is being right about your worldly viewpoint more important than the divine appointment with them, which God has put in your life path? Invest, yes, but make sure it is in followship of God as you listen up to Him.
Great God Investment – Great God Adventure
Invest your life in Christ, put your identity wholly-holy in Him, in a vital-vertical relationship with Him. Flip-Flop the lie the enemy speaks as people hate you for no good reason and you hear the enemy speak that you are the victim of unjust, inhumane behavior. Don’t react to bad behavior, respond to God, and shake off the victim mentality the enemy of your soul wants to steal your joy with. You are not a victim, you are a Child of Almighty God, full of promise and possibility. As you listen up to God, and stay in a constant conversation with Him, you will find yourself on a great God adventure. As you journey with Jesus, He changes things up in you from the inside out and uses you to reach others for His Kingdom in ways you can’t even begin to imagine. Invest in God, Invest in others. Listen Up:
Thanks for stopping in The Bridegroom’s Café, Listener Table. It is always good to “Listen Up” to God. He still speaks and His Holy Spirit is still teaching us. Everyday is a good day to listen to “The Bridegroom’s Voice”, Jesus shares so much with us, we just need to take time to hear His Voice. The Book, “The Bridegroom’s Voice” is the perfect devotional tool for learning to listen up to God’s Voice. I highly recommend you begin your “Journey With Jesus” to developing a better listening ear and hearing from God daily.
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