Saturday, March 2, 2013

How Smart Are You?

My Utmost For His Highest
He said to him the third time, ’. . . do you love Me?’ —John 21:17
‘Have you ever felt the pain, inflicted by the Lord, at the very center of your being, deep down in the most sensitive area of your life? The devil never inflicts pain there, and neither can sin nor human emotions. Nothing can cut through to that part of our being but the Word of God. “Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ’Do you love Me?’ ” Yet he was awakened to the fact that at the center of his personal life he was devoted to Jesus. And then he began to see what Jesus’ patient questioning meant. There was not the slightest bit of doubt left in Peter’s mind; he could never be deceived again. And there was no need for an impassioned response; no need for immediate action or an emotional display. It was a revelation to him to realize how much he did love the Lord, and with amazement he simply said, “Lord, You know all things . . . .” Peter began to see how very much he did love Jesus, and there was no need to say, “Look at this or that as proof of my love.” Peter was beginning to discover within himself just how much he really did love the Lord. He discovered that his eyes were so fixed on Jesus Christ that he saw no one else in heaven above or on the earth below. But he did not know it until the probing, hurting questions of the Lord were asked. The Lord’s questions always reveal the true me to myself.’ CHAMBERS
Jesus asks us the same question.  ‘Do you love Me, (Fill in your name)?’ Jesus said "If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)  As a Christian, love is more than an attitude.  The greatest commandments are to love God and love others. (Matthew 22:37-39)  Jesus said that the greatest demonstration of love is to lay your own life down for another .. to consider them more important than yourself.  (John 15:13) So how is that working out for you?
 
There is a saying “I am looking out for number 1.” Meaning that I am looking out for myself, first.  Jesus turned that thinking upside down.  He said of you want to be first .. be last .. be a servant.  He said to follow Him .. to do what He did … to love God more than anything .. including your family, your job, your hobbies, your possessions .. well, anything else you might imagine.  Psalms 111:10  ‘The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.’
 
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

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