Heart to Heart with God: A Journey Towards Acceptance Day 157 by Michael Bluemling Jr. 365 Days of Reflection Towards God’s Love and Acceptance ~June 4, 2014-June 3, 2015 Day 157- Richmond, Virginia: Our Compassion The way that we treat each other matters, and the way we treat one another is a reflection of the type of person that we are. Kicking someone when they are down is not a good way to treat our neighbor and it definitely is not an action that God would expect from his loving children. We are taught to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. This is not a difficult concept, yet why do we struggle so mightily when trying to have mercy on others? Having compassion and love for one another is not an idea nor should it even be a question towards how we should treat one another; rather it should be a way of life. This is especially true for those searching for direct answers from God, on how to gain access into His Kingdom. There are no secrets on what it takes to please God. The expectation is clear and our hearts become heavy we are conflicted. Does our heart have to be so diverged? Do we really have to go down that road or path that leads us to destruction? The bottom line is that we choose the thoroughfare that we travel along with or without Jesus as the navigator. From the Gospel of Luke: The Parable of the Good Samaritan “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise”. Amen. This is the type of compassion and love that we must demonstrate on a daily basis towards one another. It may not be easy on some days, but this is the expectation from God. Who are we to disagree? The truth is that some of us will understand and others will be distraught over what is required. We are given a heart filled with love by God, and cannot allow others to destroy our love towards one another. Evil is everywhere, but we must not allow ourselves to have one excuse that separates us from the Lord our God. Our love can be eternal, if we choose, and with the same compassion from God we are able to have compassion towards others equally, when we make up our mind to do so. Reflection Day #157 Three takeaways towards your journey with God: 1. ___________________________________________ 2. ___________________________________________ 3. ___________________________________________ @ powerofonellc/category/blog
Posted on: Fri, 07 Nov 2014 18:25:46 +0000
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