Category: Loving Like Jesus

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Forgiving, Even The Hard Stuff.

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I made this sticker as a personal reminder to CONTINUE forgiving.

Forgiveness can be REALLY HARD. When we love deeply we can be hurt deeply. It is especially hard to forgive when betrayal, abuse and trauma, and other really hard situations are at play. As someone who is choosing to follow Jesus moment by moment through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, I am still called to forgive because of what Jesus has already done for me. Both healthy boundaries and forgiveness is biblical.

This is my reminder to KEEP forgiving…

To continue to forgive when people don’t know the truth and choose gossip over truth.

To forgive those who choose to slander and use their words to intentionally hurt.

This 70 x 7 sticker is the reminder to forgive those who I have put my trust in who proved to not be trustworthy.

This sticker is my reminder to forgive those who have hurt me and done things to me, I would never even think of doing to them.

I forgive those who has abused me, betrayed me, used me for their own selfish desires, and YES, I choose to forgive those within the Body of Christ who used positions for power, control, and manipulation, rather than servanthood.

I choose to forgive, moment by moment, and sometimes minute by minute.

Why?

Because Jesus went to the cross innocent, and took the punishment for MY sins. He did what I could never do for myself, SAVE ME.

If He can forgive me and chooses to forgive them, I can surely forgive them too.

Can I do this on my own?

Absolutely not,

But I can choose to forgive 70 x 7 with the help of Holy Spirit.

So…this is my in my face reminder to walk in humility, ask for help when my heart is cut deeply, and forgive because I am forgiven.

He didn’t just die for me, He died for them too.

Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?”

“I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.

-Matthew 18:21-22

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The Great Warning Of Apathy Through The Book of Jonah

I was reading the Book of Jonah this morning and Jonah’s heart posture stood out to me in greater measure than ever before.

(If you haven’t read the Book of Jonah, I encourage you to stop reading and go do so. This will help tremendously as you continue to read. )

What I came to see was that after Jonah had reluctantly obeyed God and after Jonah had been shown mercy, He had a really hard time dishing out to Ninevah what He has just been given. In fact, Jonah was angry at God for forgiving the people of Ninevah so much so He wanted to die. But, God came back with a question and I believe it is important for us to ask ourselves too.

We need to ask ourselves this question, do I have a right to be angry about this? Or is this what God has ordained?

We should never look at someone angrily because of a repentant heart. It doesn’t matter the weight of the sin, God looks at murder, gossip, and a white lie all the same. It is sin that needs to be forgiven. And truth be told, we all have fallen short and are in need of forgiveness.

You see, Jonah had became apathetic towards God’s own work-God’s people. We can learn from Jonah’s example that it is important to watch ourselves for pride or a biased expectation in the way we believe things should go. We must watch when we attempt to take place of God in judgment if we are not looking through the same heart of love God has for who He has created.

Rather, we should have an eagerness to willingly obey God and trust Him for whatever results obedience may bring. He desires no one to perish. We must look at everyone through eyes of love, mercy, and forgiveness.

If we cannot do this, we must check to see if our hearts have grown cold towards the very thing God loves most, His creation, His people.

When we are going through conflict we should remember these two things:

1. As God asked Jonah, do we have a right to angry about this? (See Jonah 4:4)

2. We also must remember the heart of the Father.

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
Psalms 86:5 NKJV

Unlike the example of Jonah, let us willingly obey the Lord without reluctance or apprehension and through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, give what God has delighted to give us.

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Continually Bearing His Image

Five minutes into scrolling into your news feed you are filled with 10 different media outlets interpretation on one story. Aunt Lucy is yelling at someone she has not talked to since high school and someone just went live to give another end time word. Social media can be used for the good or it can be used for evil. We can use the words we speak to bring life or death and we get to choose.

Let Your Light Shine

As Children of God, we are called to bear the image of Christ. In fact, the term Christian is known as being a ‘little Christ’. We live in a fallen world that desperately needs your light to shine for the world to see. It is as simple as speaking what God told you to speak. Bearing his image is biting your tongue and asking God what he thinks about someone rather than lashing out like Aunt Lucy. Being the light and salt of the earth is praying for those who are spiritual blind to be set free. Being a little Christ is freely extending the same grace and mercy you so undeniably need.

Renewing Your Mind

In order to do this, we must not rely on our own strength but the power and might of the Holy Spirit. The only way we can really reflect him and his nature is by spending time with him. We do this by what the word of God speaks as “renewing our mind”.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” -Romans 12:2 ESV

As we renew our mind, we will be able to know what is true and what is false is through a filtration of the Holy Spirit. This type of wisdom is also known as discernment. When the end time prophet gets on or we see the 10 news stories all with different twists due to bias views, we will be able to test the spirit. When we test the spirit, we are able to know if what they speak is true or false by already knowing the truth.

Not only are we able to discern, but we are transformed by the renewing of our mind. We are being transformed to look more and more like him, the light of the world, and less like the rest of the world. You are called to stand out and be a bright light that was not meant to be hidden!

Go & Bear His Image!

How do we go out an be ‘little Christ’s’? Being a Christian starts with your own personal relationship with the trinity itself. Not investing in your relationship with God is like any other relationship, it grows stagnant. We are able to be the light of the world and speak life by knowing the light and life of the world himself! We must get back to the secret place, a true place of intimacy with the father. God has given us assignments to bring heaven to earth. We can only fulfill these purposes and plans he has for us by sitting at his feet.

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I Should Not Have Said That-Power of Our Words

Show of hands, how many of us have spoke something and immediately regretted what we spoke? Yes, me too. Thank you Lord for your mercy and grace! On the flip side of things, I have also felt Holy Spirit shut my big mouth. If you are wondering how, continue to read! There is one scripture I declare every single day, if not multiple times a day. It is…

“Lord, set up a guard for my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips” -Psalm 141:3 CSB

Do not get me wrong, I have made my fair share of mistakes. I think we all have. However, through this simple prayer, Lord put a door over my mouth so I may not speak thoughtlessly. I have felt the Holy Spirit come alive and shut my mouth so I didn’t say anything I would later regret. My pastor once said, “Do I want to eat the fruit of this later?”. As we speak, even as I write, we need to have an awareness that the words we speak are going to produce something. Are we going to choose to speak life or death?

This blog used to be called Speak Life until Holy Spirit led me to change the name to Let Love Be My Motive. When I first came to Jesus I realized how much of an impact words had on me growing up. The family, friends, coworkers, and others that surrounded me spoke things into me that shaped me as a child. Ultimately, many words that were spoken over me shaped many of the decisions that I would make further on in life.

Our words have power, and it is wise for us (with the help of the Holy Spirit) to keep watch over what we are speaking into people. When people do not have a relationship with Jesus, they do not have any sense of identity. If they do, it is usually made up of what others have said about them. There are still things people have spoken to me years ago that I have to refuse accept lie and replace with God’s truth about who I actually am.

It is essential that Holy Spirit lead the way with what we are speaking. We are to edify one another. Even if Holy Spirit is leading you to correct someone, this MUST be done in love. The words we speak have the power to build up or tear down. Let us be diligent to ask Holy Spirit for help and put a door over our mouthes so we may not speak thoughtlessly.

Do you have any scripture that helps you remember to speak life? Comment below!

More Scripture To Chew On:

  • Proverbs 13:3
  • Proverbs 18:21
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:11
  • Proverbs 15:1
  • Proverbs 16:24
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Love In Action

In the United States of America, we all have at one time made a god out of comfort. We can see it embedded everywhere in our culture. Many of us have this idea that the next vacation will give us the peace we need, if only we had more time we would find what we are looking for, or if we had that job we have been dreaming of that everything would be great. In reality, would the peace we are so desiring come from the next big thing?

Absoltuley not.

True peace can only be found in the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

We live in a day and age where we are always looking for the best best thing. But, did you know that if you make over $2 a day, that your are apart of the world’s richest…

Here in the United States we often get caught up in the trap of comparison. When in reality, we are better off than most of the world. If you do not have to go on a hunt to find clean drinking water today, you are doing better than 780 million people. According to WASH, 2.5 billion people lack access to sanitation. That is 35% of the world’s population.

I want us to look together at the example that Jesus left us when it comes to giving.

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Jesus, the spotless lamb, God in flesh did not come into this world and find comfort. He came into this world and was treated terribly. He was spit upon and accused when he did no wrong, and ultimately beaten and crucified. So, where did we get that life was going to be comfortable?

In my walk with Jesus, I have never been without. He does promise we will lack for nothing and that HE is our provider. I firmly stand on the word of God and that his promises are true. However, if Jesus gave up everything including his own life for us, shouldn’t we be doing the same for our brothers and sisters and even who is our enemies?

I am not saying all of us are missing it. But, I do believe that many of us are. We have made a god out of comfort.

When we see someone in need, do we help them or do we pass by?

The word of God says that we are going to be known by if we love like Jesus. In 1 John 3, it says we are to love in deed and in truth. Which means, we are to put love in action that carries out God’s inner desire and purpose for our life in an undeniable reality that cannot be hidden.

We need to love like that.

In a country we have so much, we should be be giving and giving some more. If God is our provider, why are we scared to give?

As Christians, followers of Jesus, we need to actually follow him and his ways. To love people in the way that he loved. We have Holy Spirit to guide us in how to love in action. But, we must be obedient to what he has called us to do. Will you give up your morning Starbucks to provide a meal to someone today? Will you go and buy shoes for someone who has none? Will you give up your time to the lonely and brokenhearted? Spread the Good News to those who have not heard?

Many times God wants us to be obedient in the small steps Holy Spirit gives us, which in turn make a huge impact.

Let us put love in action today, laying down our comfort, and giving ourselves unto others in a way that people know it is the love of God that they felt.