God's word can be tough to swallow.
"I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God ... Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will... " Romans 12: 1 -
Paul goes on to tell the followers of Jesus to be humble, work as a ONE body with many different parts, to love sincerely, pray faithfully, be joyful in hope, patient when you are being afflicted, share with whomever is in need, practice hospitality (PRACTICE... meaning you won't get it right the first time necessarily), bless the people who are mean to you, don't curse them (even the people that drive ridiculously on the highway or the Shaw's parking lot), and as much as you can, to live at peace with everyone (everyone meaning, everyone... even people that don't like you and try to hurt you...). God says then that He will avenge wrongs done to people, it is not up to us. Instead we are supposed to feed our enemies (interesting to think about what that would mean if we actually fed those we call our "evil" enemies on the other side of the world) and to give them drinks when they are thirsty!
... God have mercy on me! Your love is so much bigger than I can wrap my mind around!
This is what the early Christians taught. This is what they meant when they said they followed Jesus! The more I read this the more I realize how much my mind needs to be renewed not to mention my heart and my actions.
I am the furthest thing from a reflection of Jesus' love. All I can say is He's got a lot of work to do in my heart, but I am pumped to know that when He is able to love people through me like THAT it's going to transform the people around me, whole communities even because no human can love like that on their own!
Thank you God for your mercy, grace, love and hope that is ours through the life and death and life again of Jesus Christ of Nazareth!
