Wednesday, August 30, 2023 Some material from An Uncommon Why
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:14-17
Following Jesus Should Change How We See Others
Our lives should look completely different when we become Christ followers. There should be a shift in our why, who we live for, how we view ourselves, and how we see the people around us. We may think we don’t have a problem with how we see the people around us, as long as we like the people around us. But in real life, we daily rub elbows with lots of people, and some of them might not be our favorite people. Some of them may even live in the same house we do. This takes on a whole new meaning of how we see the people around us.
Following Jesus should change how we see others around us. When we become Christians, what we want and how we feel no longer dictates our choices, and actions. We become focused on everything through the perspective of God’s love. It changes who we live for, how we view ourselves, and how we treat others. If we are truly living for Him and setting aside our flesh, then we can see the people around us through the scope of God’s love.
What does it mean to see the people around me through the scope of Jesus’ love? If we are no longer regarding anything through the flesh, then we cannot regard people the same. We are supposed to see them as Jesus sees them. We are human, and this is more difficult for us to do, but we can pray that God will help us to see them the way He does, and we can pray to love them as He does.
When Jesus looks at us (people), He sees souls and lost sheep - who He would leave the 99 for. He sees sons and daughters of the King - His joint heirs. He sees people He died for. How do you view, treat, and talk to them or about them? Is there something you are doing or saying to them that would make them think that there is no way that the God of the universe could ever love them? That is a strong question, and one we should keep in our thoughts at all times.
Our flesh wants to hurt others who have hurt us. Our flesh wants us to say hurtful things to someone who says them to us. Our flesh wants us to treat others they way they treated us, not the way we want to be treated. But following Jesus means we set our flesh aside. We are no longer serving our flesh, we are serving our Lord, who has heaped abundant love on us. This love is what compels us to see others how Jesus sees them, to treat others the way Jesus would treat them, and to love others the way Jesus would love them. This compelling love that overwhelms us presses us forward, not in our own power but in His, to love like Him.
This compelling love that never ends for me, even though I don’t deserve it, compels me to give it to others. His grace upon grace for me is the same grace upon grace that all the people around me deserve to know. We are his vessels and through our words, actions, and treatment of them, may all those around us know the scope of the love of Jesus Christ.
