Radical Surrenderedness
Galatians 5:13 You,
my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to
indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
Erin sat before me in tears. She
was part of a Luke 10 (POP Hunters) team we recently facilitated as well as a
potential recruit for another Strategy Team of CPM focus.
Erin shared that the love of Christ
she had experienced on this trip was part of her healing process. Her former
cross-cultural Missions experience had left her disillusioned. She had desired
to be part of the expression of the beautiful Bride of Christ declared among
the ethne. What she experienced instead was the bludgeoning of the underbelly
of the Bride of Christ, something which any of our hearts are capable of in the
flesh.
Where there is hurt, wound, or
misunderstanding in ministry relationships there will be opportunity to indulge
the flesh. Galatians 5 is a great manual for how to be team and how not to be
team all wrapped into one power packed passage.
Ways We Can Serve One Another in Love;
1) Choose humility. The reality is that
you and I are just as capable of injurious behavior apart from the guarding of
our hearts.
2) Choose surrenderedness of personal
rights. The Cross of Christ and personal rights are non-coexistants.
3) Choose to be consumed by God’s
perfect love, no matter the conflict or situation. That which we allow our
hearts and minds to be consumed by, will consume us.
4) Choose to speak words of life,
words of affirmation. To demonstrate the love of Christ and to speak in such a
way as that which compels others to Christlikeness rather than repels is an
opportunity for serving one another.
5) Choose: to suspend judgment, gain
understanding.
6) Choose to forgive, though reconciliation
may not be available. This is a process.
7) Choose to handle others’ hearts in
tender ways, just as the Father is longsuffering toward each of us.
Our lives are a blip on the screen in
light of eternity. There is a time to speak honesty bathed in humility in a
mutual desire to be pressed and shaken into God’s choice instruments. There is
also the opportunity to daily embrace the reality that we live not unto
ourselves but in debt to His incredible mercy, forgiveness, and boundless love,
which transforms us for His glory. Indeed, it is for freedom that Christ set us
free. Therefore, let us embrace His perfect love. And by the empowerment and
filling of the Holy Spirit let us demonstrate His beauty one to another. The
ethne are awaiting the demonstration of this one and only incomparable love of
Christ.
RA
Extraordinary Prayer
Also, check out the Global Prayer Digest (prayer focus for UPGs magazine of U.S. Center for World Missions) feature on UUPGs/UPGs in CPM ladened intercession and narratives. Begin on page 46 for the focus http://www.globalprayerdigest.org/uploads/pdf/2013-05-06-english.pdf
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