As this blog has stated before, I have been trying to work on more actively loving people- like consciously trying to live a life enveloped in love. Maybe this should not have to be a conscious thing; maybe if the Holy Spirit is in my heart and Jesus is guiding my life I should just naturally gravitate towards love. I do feel like this is the case on some level, but for me at least, I need to actually move loving to the forefront of my brain in order to do it in a bigger way.
I don't feel like my life has radically changed for the better since starting this blog, and that saddens me. I know it's a process and no one can be perfect, but I guess I was hoping for more change. Some people still annoy me; I still say certain things that I shouldn't; I still put my needs and wants first in virtually every situation. So what's the deal?
I don't know but I am going soak this in prayer and ask for help from God because I really do want his love to determine how I live my life.
Now to what I actually wanted to talk about: bigger issues. Since the Passion 2011 conference my eyes have been opened to the horrible conditions of people around the world and the complete comfort and wealth that we have in America. I used to be aware of these things but pass them off as big issues that were just always going to be there. "I want world hunger to end!" *rolls eyes* Ok Miss America...
But the fact is, horrible things are going on and they are not big broad issues. They are affecting individual lives and individual people, children of God are hurting- badly. So I did a speech a few weeks ago so that I could have incentive to find ways to help and I did! Here are a few websites to just get educated on issues and to see how you can get involved to help (that does not necessarily mean donating money!):
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/split_screen
http://www.ijm.org/
http://www.worldvision.org/
http://www.toms.com/ (yes, it CAN be as easy as buying a pair of new shoes!)
God calls us to love. God also calls us to love by serving and to help the least of these.
Luke 3:11 "John answered, 'The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.'" (I would say the majority of Americans have at least two shirts and a little bit of extra food.)
Matthew 19:21 "Jesus answered, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'"
And speaking of the early Jesus followers, Luke writes in Acts 2:45 "Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need."
There are so many more examples...
In the end, God calls us to help people who need it. He tells us to give to people who have less than us and if we are able to help, we MUST! I need to learn this as much as the next guy...probably more actually. But I just think it's important to remember now and then the people who are suffering all over the world every day because of large situations that a lot of people just decide to forget or shrug off as things that will always be around.
