Today it seems that everything in this world promotes the idea that all things are about us. It is all about our selfish desire to get what we want and making sure everyone knows we feel good about doing it. Too many churches nowadays preach solely on love alone, but not a reciprocated love, only the saving part of His love. They also need to remember, Christ died for us in order that we could be wiped clean of our sins. Not so that we could sin again, then to ask forgiveness with the intent on further sinful actions.
So many times I find myself in my mind going back to the analogy of fatherhood. His love for us and our relationship with Him is the perfect example of a relationship between a father and a child. When children misbehave there are consequences to their actions. The father must allow the consequences to happen out of love for his child. not because he wants them to endure the repercussions, but because he desires for them to reach into wisdom that is on the other side of the punishment. And standing with that child making sure that they know the only reason for it is love and love alone. Not anger, not frustration, but a true love and will for them to receive a gift of wisdom.
We can then take a look at Jesus and who He is. He is the firstborn of God's family. And much like the firstborn of any family, He was the example for all the children to follow. Someone to uphold the laws of the house and to show righteousness in his Fathers eyes. Many Christian ( and I have been guilty of this myself) are always complaining about their struggle and expecting God to come, swoop in and take them away from everything bad. it is not that He won't or can't do this, but it is a simple matter of this, "If you love me, you will obey what I command" John 14:15 Then continuing on in verse 21; "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." God gave His firstborn authority, having full trust in His one and only son. So again, it is not that we MUST do these things in order to be loved. We are already loved. But when we receive His love, we should want to give it back! Being unselfish with it, wanting to show Him through the actions we perform selflessly unto others. And yet at the same time doing it only because the spirit within us drives us to do it, and through this glorifying God further. So for Christians during struggle, what is it that we are learning, are we sitting there just whining to Him? Or are we speaking life into others with our words and our actions? In faith that what we are going through is simply the wrapping paper for a greater gift of wisdom and understanding? We are to follow in His image, and His leadership. Which now brings me to this point as far as following him and seeking to walk in his image. Not His SHADOW not behind, not below, but IN His image as though we are one with Him in every motion of our body. We could look at Christ like this, He is cookie-cutter and we are all this dough that life has just rolled flat, pounded on, rolled over again, and repeated. A big nasty blob of gross. He then cuts out all the crap around us that is not our true form. Everything that is not us, that is not WHO we are. He forgives and cleanses us of everything. We then become not a giant blob of ugliness, but through grace have the ability to become re-created in His image. However, we cannot become so focused on the fact that he has accepted us for who we are, that we forget His love truly does deserve a love in return. There is a great image of Christ's Love for His father in Philippians 2:6-8;
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
One of the most touching forms of Love is humility, Christ sacrificed absolutely everything for his father, and the knowledge of His love for us. Christ humbled himself all the way to the cross. Our Love should reflect the same, becoming humble to ourselves in order to be servants. Not that we are slaves, but because the love we have within us requires us to act in such a way that it would please Him, Because of the love we have for our older brother, the Son of God Himself.
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