I would argue life truly begins, true joy really comes when we pour ourselves out for another. So maybe joy-joy indescribable, comes with the emptying? John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Loving one another, pouring out our lives for another, is a ‘worth-it-hard’… resulting in joy. Galatians 5:22 says, ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. When we partake in the bread and wine, when we take time to remember Jesus’s sacrifice, what does it mean? Is it just a ‘religious’ act? Going through a religious motion? It shouldn’t be. The bread represents Jesus’s body-broken for us; the wine-His blood-spilled for the cleansing of our sins. Like a grape, crushed to make wine-Jesus became the grape for us-crushed, spilling His blood-to wash us clean as snow. Unthinkable when you ponder what He did for us, willingly with joy, focusing on the reconciliation that would result. A ‘worth-it-hard’.
How do we decipher then when it’s the voice of God prompting us to say the inconvenient ‘yes’?
What is the difference between being guilted and heart-piercing conviction, notifying us that an action is required for all the right reasons? Does the Lord want us to perform out of guilt or with a willing heart? Does His Voice drip with guilt and condemnation when we are facing that uncomfortable, decision-making fork? He delights in a joyful giver. Whether we give the resources of time or money, whatever we bring-He wants us to be ‘all in’. He wants us to let our ‘yes,’… be a whole-hearted yes!’
So am I suggesting that we not have a ‘No’ button? Are we to say ‘Yes’ to everything and aim for a life of overwhelmed and depleted? No. That said, sometimes life gets ‘lifey’ and we do get depleted. One more ‘yes’ seems like tipping point territory, flirting with implosion. I think we need to treat everything case by case. Balance in life is great to strive for. But, truth be told, we interact with humans. If we are blessed we have many humans in our lives that we interact with. Those humans have needs. As a result, life isn’t tidy and not everything hums along in accordance with ‘my plan’. Nice. Tidy. Orderly. Predictable. …….if only! If my plan isn’t subject to His plan and interruptible, then perhaps, it might be good for me to look at my heart, my priorities, and be willing to be out of balance at time, joyfully inconvenienced.
When we look at Hebrews 12:2, it says, ‘Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith. For the joy that was set before him endured the cross, scorning the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ Jesus endured. He modeled the ‘worth-it-hard’. He was joyfully inconvenienced. So will I, by His grace, for the joy set before me, pour myself out, for His grace is sufficient when my tank is seemingly on ‘E’. If you think I am a self-purported, selfless, grace graduate that gets this right every time, let me help you reframe your impression of me. I coach. I share truth to encourage you and spur you on to good works. I also need to hear these words myself every day. I need to be reminded every day to endure, to run the race with the right attitude for the right reasons. Not with a ‘yes’ action accompanied with a ‘no’ attitude, a spirit of a martyr, or a victim as if I had no other choice. That isn’t joyful giving. Ugh, how I needed to hear this and still need to be reminded. Do you find yourself saying ‘yes’ but inwardly screaming ‘no!’? Stay tuned as we unpack this further in following posts.
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