Extra Mile part 4
If the greatest expression of love a man can have is to lay down his life for his friends... that tells me that PEOPLE are worth going the extra mile for. PEOPLE are worth giving all you have and all you are. It may not always seem like it, because people do some silly stuff. People can be self-destructive. They can let you down. But the thing about love is, it's not dependent on outside circumstances. Love isn't about getting. Love is about giving. Because love IS giving. For God so loved the world He GAVE. Jesus GAVE His life for us, and He GAVE His life to us. It's not about getting. It's about giving. Giving what we've got. Which, of course, behooves us to figure out what we've got. And that's what I think Matthew 6:33 is all about. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." I don't think we are to seek the Kingdom in the sense of seeking to get something we don't have. I think we are to seek the Kingdom in the sense of EXPLORING what we DO have. And when we're so focused on the things above, not on the things of the earth, that's when all those other things are added unto us. Basically, you can either chase it... or you can receive it. You can try to do it yourself, or you can let Daddy take care of you. And here's my point for today: It's impossible to take care of someone else when you're spending your three t's (time, talent, treasure) on yourself. You can't go the extra mile for someone else when you're too busy running around in circles trying to get for yourself. And, listen, I'm NOT saying you should run yourself into the ground for others. I believe there is something special about ministering out of your hurt, or your weakness. But I also understand that when you're on a airplane they tell you to put your own oxygen mask on first before you try to help anyone else. What I'm talking about today is the simple truth that says, "If I take care of you, and you take care of me, neither one of us has to take care of ourselves." It's the difference in being self-centered, and Christ-centered. Being Christ-centered is being PEOPLE-centered. Jesus said whatever you do to the least of them you do unto Him. Because we are all parts of HIS body. We are all connected. Helping you IS helping me. Because we're all in this together. And when I put my three t's to work for others... that's when I truly feel alive. Going the extra mile doesn't mean I'm going past the point of exhaustion, or anything like that. It simply means I'm doing everything I can to be exactly who I am. To touch those around me in the way that only I can. Focusing on others instead of focusing on myself. Being humble doesn't mean thinking less of yourself. It means thinking of yourself less. Thinking of others. Putting others first. Laying your life down for your friends, and realizing that you destroy your enemies by MAKING them your friends!