Scriptural Foundation:
Mark 12:30-31 New Living Translation (NLT)
And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
Reflection:
I have a bunch of “grace growers” in my life. There is person in particular that throughout the years doesn’t seem to be changing despite my constant prayer for him or my change in approach to our interactions. Sometimes it is like talking to a brick wall. A couple of months ago, I had another challenging discussion with him, then I distinctly heard the Holy Spirit say. “He is going to hell.”
Me: What Lord?
H.S: He has so much control over his life there is no desire in him to reach out to Me. Is your temporary annoyance with his pride/arrogance worth the eternal damnation of his soul?
Me: When you put it that way, Lord, no.
H.S.: Your assignment is to love him and God will bring deliverance. Anger/annoyance jams the signal between you and the Lord. God loves him so much that he sent you to be a witness. Do you love God enough to be a good witness? Will you obey His commandments?
Shortly after he said that, the Holy Spirit dropped the mic with our reference scripture Mark 12:30-31. Really…how can anyone argue with that? It is so disarming when it comes to staying annoyed. Then He proceeded to explain that in life we run across only three types of people:
- People going to hell – self-absorbed (outwardly focused)/they have a narrow field of vision/this current life is all that exists for them
- People that are saved, but living below their God given potential – walking out of step with the Holy Spirit
- People that are saved determined to reach their God given potential – walking in step with the Holy Spirit
That is it saints on a daily basis three different types of people cross your path and it is up to you to be ready when the Lord taps you on the shoulder to minister to them. I pray the following over myself all the time:
I get poured out solely for the joy of being filled back up by the presence and power of the Lord.
Seeking Revelation:
Grab your notebook:
- Create three columns. Place at the header of each: people going to hell, people out of step with the H.S. and in step with the H.S.
- Proceed to think about the family members, friends, co-workers/associates.
- Ask the Holy Spirit, what category each individual falls in.
- Then ask Him to help you love them right where they are.
Plant the seeds of love and watch God work!