Galatians 6:17
From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.
“My generation is gruesomely lonely, but in response, we don’t need another handout, another kind gesture, or a better bible study. We don’t need more people that will merely know our name and address or care for us sporadically and at arms length. We need big, reimagined, Jesus kind of love, and people willing to sacrifice themselves in order to live it with us. We need people who will love us enough to get messy. So be deeply involved. Be covered in someone’s tears. Be the person who gets the call at midnight. Be the person who hears the gory details when someone’s marriage or career falls apart. Be the person who tells someone the hard stuff that they need to hear but no one wants to say. Be the person who repeatedly gets someone else’s mud and blood all over you. Be the person who goes home a little uncomfortable at night, not because of your behavior and thoughts, but because you’ve been near enough to someone else’s. Be a family member to the lonely, messy people of this world, and to my generation.”
Instead of condemning people, let’s try to understand them. Let’s try to figure out why they do what they do. That’s a lot more profitable and intriguing than criticism; and it breeds sympathy, tolerance and kindness. “To know all is to forgive all.”
As Dr. Johnson said: “God himself, sir, does not propose to judge man until the end of his days.”
I don’t know what it is about trusting people. It usually backfires. People will fail you. People will leave you. People will fall short of expectations. But you need to trust anyway. Because the only thing worse than being in community is being alone.
i feel like there’s a cloud of apathy sitting over me, keeping me from where i wanna be. maybe i need more faith, more fasting, more prayer, more _____. is there a formula to these types of things?
jesus, stir me from this apathy and rhythm of life. disturb me. why doesn’t the weight of the world disturb me? i’m looking for a new standard, God.. i don’t want to live on the faith of yesterdays, and the encounters of the past.
take me deeper, or i’m just running in circles..
wipe the slate clean, that i may see things as if i’m seeing them for the very first time. maybe only then will they hold power to truly move my heart. return me to the simple simple things of relationship with you, but may it be like the very first time i heard you call my name.
