Heartily part 4
The issue of life flows from the heart. The issue of life... is love. If you're doing things heartily--to the best of your ability, because it's in your heart to do it--then you're letting love guide the way. It is God working in us both to will and to do of HIS good pleasure. I think one of the biggest truths we need to accept and understand is tha nobody can live Jesus's life... except Jesus. No matter how hard you try, in your own strength, you can't be anybody other than who you are. So the key is to find out who you are. Who you REALLY are. Which is who you are in Christ. Which is who Christ is in you. Letting Jesus live His own abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of love in you, and through you, and as you. That's how this whole thing works. Receiving and releasing the gift of God that we have already been given. Not trying to get anything, or earn anything. At my old church we used to say, "I have no lack because my God has no lack." We don't have to have that poverty mindset. We can live out of our abundance. Look at Genesis 12:2, "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing." God gives us what we need... so that we can give it to those who need it. God blesses us... so that we can be a blessing. We receive what He has given us... and we release it! We receive it BY releasing it. We release it by receiving it. You can't give what you don't have, and you can only give what you do have. So if you give someone something (say, love, for example) that means that, on some level, you believe you have loved. You believe you ARE loved. Because if you didn't have it, you couldn't give it. So love is an act of faith. Believing that we love because He first loved us. Believing that we have something to give. Something worth giving. Something that others need. And, yes, everybody needs love. Especially the people that seem the most unloveable. They need love the most, because they aren't getting it. Because they're hard to love. So don't look on the surface. Don't judge by appearance. Judge rughteous judgment. Understand that "deserve" has nothing to do with it. Nothing to do with anything. Just love whoever you come into contact with the best that you can. Let the love inside of you come out without worrying about who, what, where, when, why, or how. And, listen, I'm not saying you shouldn't use wisdom. Love comes in lots of shapes, sizes, and flavors. People express love in different ways and people receive love in different ways. The five love languages, right? So, to me, the easiest way to do it is to simply see a need and meet it. If someone is cold, and you have more than one coat... live out of your abundance. Bless them with the blessing you have been blessed with. That's practical. That's where the rubber meets the road. That's simple. And it doesn't even always have to be a physical need. Sometimes someone just needs an ear to hear. Sometimes someone just needs a hug. Or just needs you to be there for them. To know that--even if you can't "fix the problem" for them--at least they don't have to go through whatever they're going through alone. I think lonliness is one of the hardest things in the world to deal with. It is not good that man should be alone. So get in where you fit in. Do what you can do. Do it the best you can do it. And do it for love. In love. By love. Because of love. A little bit of love goes a long way. Especially when people feel like they have NONE. So follow your heart. Let what's inside come out by knowing and believing it's in there. Whatsoever you do, do it as unto the Lord. Heartily. To the best of your ability, because it's in your heart to do it!