Self-sacrificing

John 15:9-21 (NIV)

⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other. ¹⁸ “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’^[b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹ They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.

This is a tough scripture to swallow and to follow. I am going through a lot of afflictions and being beaten down from all directions: my husband, my in-laws, my work, yet I am called to self-sacrifice and turn in the other cheek and to love those who hate me, persecute me or hurt me. It is interesting how God never allows us to stop growing in our relationships with Him. He always challenges with something deeper because it`s a lifelong process to be conformed into His image. I am challenged to love those who badmouth me and gossip about me and pervert my words to use to their own advantage. It`s a very painful feeling to overcome and to concentrate on obedience to God Who commands me to love those people. I am challenged to self-sacrifice everything that I feel to justify my own rights and completely surrender to Him. I cannot afford to be weary for a second because satan doesn`t stop to attack (he is walking like a roaring lion seeking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8), and the second he sees my guard is down, he strikes a blow. Every time I think to myself that what I endured is so severe, unjust, and there is no way there could be anything worse than that, I face more and more betrayal. I got to the point where there is only one solution, and that is God`s miracle in my situation. There is nothing I can do to change the circumstances that I have except for the miracle from God to show His glory.

My goal is to concentrate on loving my enemies and to continue to turn my other cheek while He is coming out as Warrior and leads all of my battles because He is the Winner, and only He can show His glory and glorify His name through my circumstances. I love this scripture where it shows us how strong and mighty our Lord is:

¹³ The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies (Isaiah 41:13) NKJV

God is not going to forsake me, but instead he continues to reassure me with His scriptures and by sending random people on my way at the right time to point me onto the right direction to make sure that I fulfill His plan on my life. I want to glorify Him. For God to be able to use me means I have to crucify my flesh, self-sacrifice all my desires and continue to surrender and devote my life to Him every day. Once I started doing that, I saw how rewarding it is because He promised that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I experience that now, and I know that when I comply with His will and obey Him, it brings me joy regardless of how hard it was to make that first step.

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) NKJV

Our God is faithful in what He does, so if today you experience the same disillusionment, depression, you need to make that decision to take up His yoke because it`s light, and God never lies. I can promise you that based on my own experience. When circumstances tell me the opposite, I continue to press on because I know that what I see now is unfinished product, and the finish is nearing close for me to glorify my Lord through my circumstances.

Hebrews 12:1-2

 ¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I am running this race for God because I want to glorify Him and for others to see His greatness in my circumstances. My God never leaves me nor forsakes me, and everything He promised He will fulfill for He cannot deny Himself.

¹¹ This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. ¹² If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. ¹³ If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. (2 Timothy 2:11-13)NKJV

Remember, that God is for me and for you, and He will guide you when you put all your faith in Him, so persevere and hang in there whatever your circumstances are; but do not be weary, help is on a way!