One time my friend asked me “Would you rather be the heart breaker, or the heart broken?”
After thinking a while, I knew my answer.
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When Jesus sent out the disciples before He left, He says this…
“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and you will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers.” Matthew 10:16-18
This is the cost of living in missions.
This is the cost of loving like Jesus.
The cost to love like Jesus is putting ourselves in position to be rejected and scrolled past over and over, just like Jesus did.
It’s being willing to lose Instagram followers or getting brushed aside as a dreamer, romantic, or giving too much.
The cost is death.
Jesus showed that.
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” (John 15:13-14)
We can now live as a true sacrifice to Him by sacrificing our bodies and laying down whatever our life is filled with. What does that mean?
when we’re scared: let fear die and trade it for trust.
when we’re seeking attention: let insecurity die and trade it for confidence knowing God says we are good.
when we’re #done: let laziness die and trade it for the fervent hope He has for us.
“But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and unbelievers about me. When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking- it will be the spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Matthew 10:18-20)
We aren’t doing saving, we definitely aren’t the heroes.
We are messengers who get to pass on the breath of life we’ve been given.
“Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”
We can do all these things and love with no expectations because of the kind of love that God has given to us. He’s a God of unconditional love.
if unconditional love is said too often that it’s lost its meaning, I’ll say He’s a God whose love has no conditions.
I see it like this…
the world’s “love” = transactional.
-Ex: I’ll buy you ice-cream now and you buy me some later, then we’ll be friends and I’ll love you.” (slightly exaggerated, but not far off)
-Doing FOR love
-I get what I want, you get what you want. happy 🙂
God’s love= no conditions.
-Ex: Hey!! I want to be friends with you! I’ll have ice-cream ready for you! On me. Just come over! Or, call me and I’ll come to you. I love you 🙂 “
-Doing FROM love
-I’ll love you even if you don’t love me back. I will give even if ____, because I love you and this is who I am.
We get to love freely and share a life of mercy without fear because that love is within us !
“This is My command to you: Love one another. If the world hates you,understand that it hated Me first. If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.” (John 15:17-19)
When they say leave it all on the field,
usually I would think of soccer or cross country
Playing & running with every ounce of effort until my lungs give out, and my guts do, too. (if you know me, you know..)
Now the field is different.
Now my greatest hope is that I play on the field of the world using all of the love and grace I’ve been given.
If the cost of missions is the cost of love,
and the cost of love is to be hated here for now & even hurt,
My answer is that I’d much rather be heartbroken.
God thank you that your love is always healing and restoring. In my weakest points you strengthen me to humility. i ask that you continue pouring humility over me when it’s hard for me to deny myself. Thank you that your love is SO SUFFICIENT for me and fills me up more than anything i could ever want or ask for. Thank you for constantly showing up when i don’t deserve it, just because that’s the kind of Friend you are. thank you that you’re the source of it all, and you never lead me into something that you have’t gone through yourself. i love you.amen.
cami!
