When I was younger, I used to tease my female classmates. A lot!
For instance, I once asked them how they would feel if on their wedding day, the officiating minister read John 4:18, instead of I John 4:18.
The latter reads:
‘There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love’
And the former reads:
‘For you hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly’
Needless to say, the very prospect of that scenario sent shivers down the spines of those ladies. Bless their hearts!
On a more serious note, the most memorized Bible verse is John 3:16. It talks about God’s love for humanity and how God sent His Son to give everlasting life to as many that believe in Him.
However, not many Christians are familiar with I John 3:16:
‘Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren’
For some reason beyond me, we all have been indoctrinated with an attitude of selfishness.
Our 4 cardinal points seem to be: Me, My, Mine and Myself. For others, it’s worse: I, I, I and I!!!
We all naturally want to amass and amass for ourselves to enjoy alone.
But alas, we are instructed to walk in the steps of Jesus.
Jesus put aside the splendour of His glorious heavenly majesty and came to the earth as a full man. Yet He was without sin. This fact alone should motivate us to be less self-oriented.
But Jesus didn’t even stop there!
He went on to die for our sins and imputed us with His righteousness. And we’d never be able to repay Him for His act of love.
Now, it’s highly unlikely that you are going to die for another person. Christ has already done that!
But are you willing to get ‘spent’ for the benefit of the less priviledged?
Are you willing to offer yourself as a living sacrifice in whatever manner that seems neccessary at any point in time?
Remember, you can’t walk with God and stay alive (to your Self-ish Cardinal points)
Lose your (Self) life, and you’d find your (God) life. The difference is so clear!
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