Caring part 2
If you care about somebody, loving them is eay. Giving everything you are and everything you have doesn't feel like a sacrifice. It IS a sacrifice, but it doesn't feel like it. It isn't a hard thing to do. Love is not a ball and chain that drags us down. Love is the only thing that can lift us up! And the cool part is, as we lift others up, we find ourselves elevated as well. Because we're all in this together. Its not good that man should be alone. But when we have that relationship--that connection--that can only come from unselfish, Christ-centered (people-centered) love... when we truly begin to care about people... when we stop worrying about ourselves so much and just simply see a need and meet it... that's when we begin to experience the everlasting, eternal, abundant, Resurrection Life of God. The life of love that can only be experienced by Jesus living His own life in us, and through us, and as us. And I'm telling you, if you read the Gospels you'll notice one striking thing--Jesus CARED about people. He wept when His friend Lazarus died. Even though He knew He was about to go raise Lazarus from the dead. His friend was dead. People who cared about him were sad. And Jesus wept. In another story He knelt down and washed His disciples's feet. Because He wanted them to be clean. And He wasn't above getting down and dirty to make it happen. You've heard the expression, "Jesus wasn't afraid to get His hands dirty" because they were piereced and bloody on the cross. In yet another story Jesus turned water into wine so the guests at a wedding could have a good time. Not earth-shaking, perhaps, but another example of Jesus caring about us. Another time He raised a girl from the dead and then made sure she had something to eat. He didn't just care about the big stuff. He cared about the small stuff. And when you consider how big God really is... to Him, its all small stuff. But its also all big in the sense of importance. Let me say it like this, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7). And I don't think this necessarily means your prayers should be full of complaining all the time. I think prayer is simply talking (and LISTENING) to God. To love. But if there's something on your heart... you can, and should, talk about it. To God, or to someone you trust. Burdens are easier to bear if you aren't doing it alone. If you have someone who cares for you helping you out. I think what I'm trying to say is that asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of wisdom. We CAN'T do it alone. And we're not supposed to. We need each other. And that's ok. When it gets a little twisted is when we start to expect things from people. I'm convinced that a lot, lot, lot of our problems come from unrealistic expectations. We expect (or want) things to go one way, and when they don't we struggle with disappointment. But my point is: God will never disappoint you. He might not always give you what you (think you) want, but He will always make sure you have what you need. You can cast your cares on Him, because He cares for you. You can lean on Him, because He will not fall down. Or let you fall down. He can (and will) hold you up. And its what He WANTS to do. Because when you care for someone, doing things for them isn't hard. Its a pleasure.