It isn’t easy being a follower of Christ.
That seems like a negative statement, but it is far from untrue.
My Grandmama consistently told me that the most important thing is to love like Jesus. Some people are hard to love. Sometimes, some people in my own family tree are hard to love.
A-hem, sometimes I am hard to love. And guess what – so are you!
It is our human condition to be self seeking – to see the world and those around us through our needs. Oh if we could just figure out how to place others ahead of ourselves!
Christ showed us, and told us, we are to be Christ and others seeking. Work at our relationship with Christ and bend our selfish desires to see to the needs of others.
Such selflessness does not come naturally. However, as with anything else the more it’s done, the easier it is to do it.
How does one manage to love and love well?
It takes knowing how to do that and it takes effort…yep, you have to work at it. Over and over again.
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.” 2 Peter 1:5-7
Read that again, slowly. Do you see that scripture lets us know flat out – you gotta work at this love thing! You can have faith and you can have good intentions, but it requires more than that – it requires knowledge. You gotta spend time in the word of God!
“For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:8
Increasing measure – that’s what I am after friends – and that takes work!
It isn’t easy being a follower of Christ – that very fact shows the necessity for His sacrifice.
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