A Journal of Joy: Things that make my heart smile…
I hate to admit it, but my world tends to revolve around ME and all things related to ME—my home, my family, my community, my city, my state, my country, my likes, my wants, my needs, my dreams, my passions, my opinions, and my thoughts. I am the center of my world and God loves ME!
Sometimes I forget that although God loves ME, He loves everyone else, too. I may be the center of my world, but I am not the center of God’s world—and it’s His world that counts. So from time to time, I have to do a reality check. My world should not revolve around me; it should revolve around God and around others as I reflect God’s Spirit in me. After all, the two great commandments are to love God and others (Matthew 22:37-40).
When God becomes the center of my world, my worldview or perspective changes. Exclusive concepts focusing on “me, myself, and I” are replaced with inclusive Trinitarian thinking which include the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This expands to more of a “we and us” view, rather than
just me. Neighbors and coworkers are not just acquaintances but brothers and sisters in Christ.
A panhandler is not just a beggar but a child of God. A homeless person is not an outcast, but someone God loves. God loves all of us, not just me
My husband has been in pastoral ministry for over fifty years. People are attracted to his love for God and others. I received a lovely email this year from a couple we worked with in the Appalachia area forty-some years ago who were new to the area at the time. I would like to share an excerpt with you.
“We were, and still are, so appreciative of you folks. You helped us so much! We will never forget the first time we met and Pastor Mel gave us some very wise counsel right from the get-go. He said, “You don’t talk about your college experiences, your travel, your education, your anything. Get to know the people. Find something you like here and talk about that, not you!”
This is how my pastor husband lives his life and I think it explains his success in pastoring churches all over the United States—from Appalachia to inner city Detroit. People are people. They all have the same basic need to be accepted, appreciated, and loved. That’s what God does for all of us.
Am I jealous that God loves others as much as me? I shouldn’t be—not when I fully understand God’s capacity for love. God can love all of us and still have a special, intimate relationship with each one as an individual. That’s just how great He is!
When we realize how much God loves us and how great He is, we don’t just want Him to be part of our world; we want Him to be at its core and center. Apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). In Him, we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). We want to stay connected through prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17). His thoughts are not our thoughts so we try to align to His way of thinking (Isaiah 55:8). This is accomplished by internalizing and writing His words on our hearts (Proverbs 7:1-3). We meditate on scripture and apply it to our lives (Psalm 119:15).
God knows everything and we don’t so we want His will to supersede ours (Luke 22:42). He has only our best interests in mind, so we adjust to what God wants to do, not what we want to do. Our agendas decrease as His become more manifest. We focus on Christ because that’s how we survive. Remember the example of Peter? As long as he stayed focused on Christ, he walked on water. When his attention shifted off Christ, he began to sink (Matthew 14:30).
As our personal lives become more God centered, we notice our perspectives slowly changing. We start seeing the world around us through God’s eyes instead of our own. We realize we were created by God and for Him (Colossians 1:16), so we actually start thinking about God more than self. Plus, we start thinking of others more than self.
I must admit, I still struggle with wanting my world to revolve around ME. However, in my heart I know it’s not about ME; it’s all about God!
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Dear Great God, You are truly great, powerful, and mighty. You are a God of love, mercy, and grace. What a privilege it is to be called a child of God! What a privilege it is to be part of Your world! You make me feel so special that I sometimes forget that life is not all about ME; it’s all about YOU! Gently remind me of this when I try to negotiate and manipulate You into giving me what I want. Let me always willingly defer to Your judgment and place my trust in You. Allow my love and appreciation for You and what You do in my life to overflow to others.
