The Divider

"Do not suppose

that I have come to bring peace to the earth.

I did not come to bring peace,

but a sword."

Matthew 10:34

Jesus would not have won the Nobel Peace Prize.  The winner of the prestigious award should have, in the words of Alfred Nobel*, "...done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." 

Instead, Jesus came to turn, "a man against his father, a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household." (Matthew 10:35-36)  The reason for this division is simple.  There is no fence-sitting when it come to Jesus.  His words as recorded in Matthew 12:30 proclaim, "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters."  I must make a choice; "Yea" or "Nay."

My Will or His Will

Jesus is a divider in the way He requires His followers to not just know about Him, but to choose to follow in His footsteps by obeying our heavenly Father at all costs.  Jesus did not have the problem that I do of choosing His own comfort above His Father's will. 

Even when faced with abandonment by the ones He loved, humiliating and torturous treatment all ending with an excruciating death on a cross and separation for a time from His Father, Jesus chose obedience. He prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39)

I am faced with this dilemma throughout my day.  Do I listen to the still small Voice telling me to not buy that certain something that I've wanted for a long time and finally have the money to purchase?  How about when a desperate neighbor rings my doorbell when I'm in the middle of something important and don't want to be bothered?  Or when it's pouring down rain and I'm late for an appointment, passing by the mother and three children walking alongside the road?

Jesus pits my will against that of His Father's.  It's a choice between my will or His will.

My Flesh or His Righteousness

I have often heard it said, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And in fact, this is what Jesus said to his disciples as recorded in Mark 14:38 when they were struggling to stay awake and pray for Him in the Garden of Gethsemane before He was taken away.  Later, the apostle Paul addressed this problem with the weakness of our flesh.

Paul explained the cycle of futility in which we want to do what is right, but our flesh desires the opposite.  He concludes with, "So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin." (Romans 7:25) 

The good news is that we are freed as slaves to sin! But that only means I am not forced to follow my fleshly desires.  I have a choice to prefer God's righteousness over my natural inclinations.  But it's still a choice.

I am often faced with this quandary.  Do I give into the frustrations that well up within me when things don't go my way, or do I turn to my Father and instead focus on Him and His hand in my life?  Do I continue eating because it tastes so good and I don't feel satisfied with what I've already consumed, or do I look to the Father for genuine contentment?  Do I draw my sense of security from the money I have saved up and the investments I have made, trusting in these things to give me a secure future, or do I trust my Father to supply all my needs by giving it all away to those who need it now?

Jesus pits my natural inclinations against His Spirit.  It's a choice between walking in the flesh or walking in His Spirit.

My Heart or His Heart

My heart is often filled with anxiety, judgmentalism, and fear.  It's not a pretty place.  Even though I often hear the advice to follow my heart, God teaches otherwise in Jeremiah 17:9.  "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (KJV)  I have a choice to follow my heart which will lead me away from God and His ways, or I can follow the heart of Jesus. 

Jesus taught me to, ". . . not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me." (John 14:1)  Putting my trust in Jesus means choosing His heart over mine.  Where was Jesus' heart?  It was with the downcast, the poor, the outcasts of society.  He came to save the lost, not those who think they already have it all together.

Who do I choose to hang out with?  It is usually with people like me, people who desire to grow closer to God and learn more about Him.  People who have a similar upbringing, beliefs and values.  In essence, people with whom I am comfortable.

What about the drug addict who sits on his front porch at all hours of the day and night, alone and despondent?  Or the single mom struggling to raise her children on her own?  Or the Muslim family who prays five times a day to a god made of stone?  Are these people I would choose to hang out with as Jesus did, revealing His heart?

Jesus pits my heart against His heart.  It's a choice between following my deceitful heart, or going after the things that touch the heart of Jesus.

Following Jesus is not easy.  It is filled with difficult choices that take me to the will, the desires and the heart.  I can take comfort in knowing that the struggle is not in vain, however, for it will bring me a crown of life!

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I can choose Jesus above all other things.

Where do I follow my heart, desires and comfort without giving a second thought to God?

How often do I seek God's will throughout the day rather than functioning on auto-pilot, choosing to do what comes naturally? 

* http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/

Why am I Here?

"For even the Son of Man 

did not come to be served, 

but to serve, 

and to give his life 

as a ransom for many."

Matthew 10:45

Jesus did not have an identity problem.  He knew His purpose and the position He chose in this world and this knowledge shaped His life as a man.  When He entered His creation as the long awaited Messiah, many were expecting a King who would be exalted over all the nations and a Savior who would save them from their worldly troubles.  What they didn't expect was the reality of God's plan for the King of Kings and Savior of the world!

Servant  I learned how to serve my husband by watching my younger sister in her marriage.  When it's time to eat, she dishes him up first, no matter how hungry she is.  She thinks of little ways to serve him throughout the day by anticipating his needs while he's at work, or getting certain chores done that she knows are important to him.  She possesses the heart of a servant.     Jesus possessed this same spirit.  He chose to lower Himself to the position of a subordinate in order to please His Father.  He did not expect to be treated in a certain way, but instead humbled Himself for the sake of those He loves: His Father and His people.  In this season of giving that generates incredible stress and high expectations, how can I humble myself for the sake of my Father and those He has placed around me?

Donor  I have heard stories of people who have given vital organs, such as a kidney, to a complete stranger in order that they might live.  These kinds of stories always make the news because they are so rare, but there is always some kind of pay off for the donor.  It could be simply a feeling of goodwill that they receive as a result of this selfless gesture, or it could help them move beyond some feelings of guilt for past wrongs that they have committed.  Whatever the reason, humans are incapable of selfless sacrifice in and of their own strength.  Jesus, however, gave His life selflessly and He deserves to make the front page headlines each and every day.  He was only thinking of His love for His Father and His desire to obey Him, as well as His love for mankind who is powerless to repair his broken relationship with God the Father.  Jesus gave His life so that I might live, and live a full and meaningful life, not just an existence. "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." (I Peter 2:24)  Christmas has become a time when I focus on meeting expectations and creating memories for my family and friends.  How is this honoring the sacrifice Jesus made for me?  I am redeemed by His blood and are free to live for Him.  In living for Jesus, all other pressures will fall away until He is all that remains.

This Christmas season I will remember the reality of Jesus.  The King of Kings became a servant, and the Savior of the world appeared as a life-giving donor.  This did not meet the expectations of the people, but it was just as God had planned and this plan can change the way I view my purpose as His child.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I can focus on God's plan for me and not on the expectations I have for myself, or that others may hold over me.

How do I minimize the sacrifice Jesus made for me, especially as I celebrate Christmas?

Where am I exalting myself above those around me in the attitude I carry?