Hang in There!
by: Sarah Glover
Have you ever heard this statement?
True JOY…Jesus, Others, Yourself.
In Philippians, the Apostle Paul instructs us to “regard others as more important than yourselves,” and Jesus, well, he’s the ultimate servant. He “emptied & humbled himself” for humankind.
I’ve been contemplating this idea of identity and being a Christ-follower, and I’m wondering if we haven’t gotten this a little backward or, at the least, misunderstood. We quote a set of verses consistently at our church. It’s the foundation of all we do. These scriptures keep us focused and re-centers us when we get off track.
[su_spacer size=”10″]In Mark 12, an intriguing scenario takes place. A scribe asks Jesus, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important? Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this…‘The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”
[su_spacer]Do you see it?
[su_spacer]If we look closely, Jesus seems to be saying…God, yourself, others. Now, that doesn’t make for a cute and easy acronym, but let’s look more closely. The first thing I notice is, The Lord is first. Everything starts with loving YOUR God. It’s an intimate relationship. It’s knowing and being known.
[su_spacer]”With all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength” encompasses the whole person, from the inside out. Every part of your being & identity passionately pursuing YOUR God. There’s not a part of who you are left out of the pursuit of loving God because you can only love someone you know.
[su_spacer]”The second is equally important: love your neighbor as yourself.” Did you catch that little word “as”? It means “to the same degree or amount.” Therefore, to love others, we must love ourselves first. This is an “equally important commandment to “loving God.” In fact, the only way to love others well is to love yourself first.
[su_spacer]What’s interesting is the assumption that everyone knows how to love themselves. We women, especially, sometimes struggle with loving ourselves. Whether it’s the cultural messages, our feelings of inadequacy, or our tendency to compare, what often happens is that in our brokenness, we skip loving ourselves and rush out to save the world (our neighbor). We haven’t learned to live loved, to let God’s grace flow to us, then to others.
[su_spacer]I’ve often thought, especially as a woman in ministry and as a pastor’s wife, that I need to sacrifice for everyone else; the church, my family and friends, and put everyone else’s needs above my own. To take time for me or to say ‘no’ is selfish, not godly or biblical. Typically, there brings with it a heap of guilt, and I don’t have to look beyond my own nose to find it. BUT (and I love a big but), that is not what Jesus is saying, and I think Paul would concur.
[su_spacer]To love others well, we must know who we are and whose we are. This “knowing” needs to be part of the fabric of our lives. We need to experience God’s love for us in ways that nourish and nurture us. That is not being selfish, it is being wise.
[su_spacer]He is Father, and we are daughters.
[su_spacer]We are showered with kindness and grace.
We are adopted and have an inheritance.
We are redeemed and have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.
[su_spacer]So, here’s the thing; we are already loved, so we have the choice to experience that love. We get to use the rest of our lives to journey with Christ for freedom, rest, and wholeness in Him that no one can take from us.
[su_spacer]Freedom happens when you regularly make time for yourself and the one who created you.
[su_spacer]When we live & serve from a place of love & rest, we then are free to love and serve others without guilt, no strings attached wholeness.
[su_spacer]Take a walk or exercise regularly.
Spend time with God first!
Get good sleep.
Choose food wisely.
Say no!
[su_spacer]If you are empty, depleted, and overdone, then you are of no use to anyone. And I know we hear this A LOT but listen to it again. Being in love takes work. Loving someone, even God, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, will slowly fade if not fostered and tended. If the relationship with YOUR God is not managed and whole, then your identity will not be fully realized, and your love for others will be dull at best and insincere and fake, at worst.
[su_spacer](1 John 2:6 “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”) Even Jesus regularly stepped away and withdrew from the pressing needs all around him. He had a regular habit of getting alone with his Father (Matthew 14:13; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16), so why would we think we can do anything less?
[su_spacer]Love gives–and it gives even in difficult, betrayed and spiteful times.
[su_spacer]Anybody?
[su_spacer]But love given with a grudge or attitude is no love at all. It’s a slap in the face of the God we love.
[su_spacer]Prioritize time to foster your relationship with God, which will cause you to love yourself well and then love others, including your enemies. All for the glory of God. Stay connected to the vine.
[su_spacer]Love God=Love Yourself=Love Others
[su_spacer]Sarah Glover is a daughter of the king, wife, mom to 5, sister of 5, and pastor/wife to the DC3 (Deep Creek Community Church) family in Punta Gorda, FL, where she and her husband planted this church over 17 years ago.
[su_spacer]She is passionate about Jesus, the local church, authenticity, and finding wholeness and health in all areas of our lives…from the inside out. She loves to lead worship, pray, read, bake healthy treats, exercise, and be outside, especially a deserted beach.
[su_spacer]There are typically clothes on her couch and dishes in her sink but she’s learning to embrace the imperfections of life because that is where Jesus has met her in the greatest and dearest way.
