Thursday, September 13, 2012

do i stink?

ephesians 5:1-2
therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. and walk in love, just as Christ loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

this has been my memory verse for the past week.
and here is why:
sometimes i struggle to love people IN ACTION. what i mean is this: i love my children and my husband and my friends and neighbors but sometimes i do not show it. sometimes my emotions get the better of me, better yet, my sin nature gets the better of me, and i am a wild, crazy person who says mean things and yells. (not usually at the neighbors). let me help you envision this by suggesting you imagine a woman with huge eyes and hair that looks as if she's been electrocuted.

so when my accountability partner and i decided what our verses would be last week, i chose this one. i want to imitate God. i want to be like Him, love like Him, forgive like Him. Christ loves us so much that He gave Himself up for us. and i can't even be bothered to do an extra dish, wake up a little early, pick up an extra toy. i act like it's an insult to my person to be asked to give anything above what i am already giving (because apparently i think of myself as quite the sacrificial lady). i want to give myself up for HIM. because HE deserves my everything, my all.

and are you ready for the kicker? when i read "an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma," i thought to myself... i'm holding back, often giving God my leftovers, and sacrificing little. and i'm pretty sure that instead of a fragrant aroma, i stink. my offerings stink. --of leftover minutes, last fruits, and little sacrifice.

so with this conviction came a lot of prayer. --that in the minutes when kids are yelling, crying, hurting one another again and again with their words and wrestling, i would be an imitator of God. that i would WALK in love when my husband asks me to sacrifice "my" time and effort to help him with something. -- not begrudging what my family or friends ask of me when i don't feel like doing it. i want to sacrifice myself for others and do so joyfully for the glory of my King, willingly because it's the least i can do when He's given up so much. i want it to be out of love and not out of obligation.
no stink here. i desire for the love that i act out on a daily basis to be a fragrant aroma to God.

and i'm putting this out there so that y'all can hold me accountable.
friends, share with me how you are walking in love this week, offering and sacrificing your life to God as a fragrant aroma...





1 comment:

  1. So so so needed this! Yup, needed to read that right now, thanks,

    ReplyDelete

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