Good morning on this cool, wet Wednesday! What place do we take in each other's lives? Should Christians put others first or second? The answer is not first, God must take first place in our lives and hearts. Second place then? Jesus told us to love others as we love ourselves, so second place tie at best. However, we also may have spouses and family. Certainly we wouldn't expect our brothers in Christ to put us ahead of their wives. We would not expect a Christian mother to put us ahead of her children, not even on a day when the child's behavior is so bad that she is seriously contemplating how much the kid might sell for on E-bay. :-) How about the church? Should a friend in Christ put us ahead of the church as a whole? No, for we serve the body of Christ while we serve individual friends. We sometimes think that we should put others ahead of ourselves, but then we run into what Jesus told us again. Paul told us to think of others as better than ourselves, but that is to keep us humble, not to love them more than we love ourselves. So where do we fit in this scheme of things?
This is one where it might be best to turn that question around. Why do we think we have to be ranked somewhere in the affections of our brothers and sisters in Christ? Much of the issue is already decided anyway. God must be first in the lives of all Christians or they cannot claim the title of Christ-one. Of course our brothers and sisters in Christ will put their spouse ahead of friends and other obligations, or they will not long be married. Children must be cared for daily, whereas an adult friend should certainly be able to care for himself. None of this is to say that when an event or emergency occurs that we won't rush to the aid of a friend. The devil would like us to believe that we take a distant place in the lives of our friends in Christ. This could not be less true and is a part of our adversary's strategy of dividing us from one another. The adversary's ultimate goal is to separate us from God. The Bible makes it clear that nothing can separate us from God's love. The only thing that will separate us from God is our own decision to walk away. Believe in Jesus and there will be no separation. Don't worry about some imaginary ranking in the love of other Christians. If you have a serious need, the Holy Spirit will make sure that you have a prominent place in the hearts and prayers of your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Every one of us has a special place in the heart of Lord and Savior!
Bucky
No comments:
Post a Comment