Loving with a guarded heart!

"There are no shortcuts to authentic friendship. Relationships are messy and unpredictable. We can't fake love just to get someone to come to church. That's manipulation and hypocrisy, and sooner or later it will backfire." Judah smith 

I've been struggling with the reality if this statement, "There are no shortcuts to authentic friendship. Relationships are messy and unpredictable."

The struggle begins when you love people and then get hurt by them. People hide things, they lie to your face, you open up in a time of vulnerably and then they divulge that with malice in there hearts. And there begins the conflict between being open and genuine and guarding your heart. 

My prayer today was quite honestly, "Lord what do I do with this desire to truly love but the reality if being hurt?" And God brought these two verses to my mind. 

1. Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another. (Ephesians 4:2 AMP)

2. Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves; be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent (harmless, guileless, and without falsity) as doves. [Gen. 3:1.] (Matthew 10:16 AMP)

Why these seemingly two opposite scriptures? 

Ah yes the word "Boundaries" came to mind!!! Boundaries are necessary in order to have healthy loving relationships that don't violate the principles of God! 

My prayer today is: God help me love like you love, always being genuine in all my relationships. That the hurt and betrayals I've experience don't make me callus. God help me to protect my own heart by standing on you word and not allowing others to cross my boundaries.

Make Jesus famous

After posting in Facebook last night I wanted to expand on my thoughts...

Only one time in scripture does Jesus tell anyone to go and tell what he has done (Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: (Matthew 11:4 NKJV) but over and over you see that Jesus told other not to tell anyone what he had done. 

( Matthew 12:16 and Mark 3:12 after healing many people.

Matthew 16:20, Mark 8:30, and Luke 9:21 after Peter’s proclamation that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah)

Mark 7:36 after healing a mute and deaf man.

Mark 9:9 after the transfiguration.

Luke 8:56 after raising a girl from the dead. & more) 

(From The Berean Call)

People made Jesus famous, through the sharing of what he had done, who he was and that drew people to him...

Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. (Matthew 4:24 NKJV)

He didn't make himself famous, people did! We have to continue it by doing just that "telling others about his love". 

But more than that, showing them his love. 

We need to tell the world everyday about the crazy love, mercy and grace of God! It's radical but it's what the world needs. We have the remedy so let's share it!!!