Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
Summary: In this meditation, we transition into a discussion of heaven. Interestingly, Jesus’ construction of the first two words of the prayer prepares us for understanding what heaven is all about.
Over the past month we have looked at:
• The man who gave us the Lord’s Prayer • What he said about how to pray • A bit of theory about the process of praying • The first two words of the Lord’s prayer, “Our,” and “Father.”
Today we begin with the part of the prayer that points to God’s home; heaven.
Some of the questions that come to mind are:
• What is God’s home? • Where is it? • How do you get there? • Can you see the earth from there? • How far away is it? • What is it like?
I am sure more questions will present themselves as we go forward. For now, we have some good basic ones to start with.
As we pray the Lord’s Prayer, knowing that we are not alone is, for me, an astounding revelation. As we begin with the words, “Our Father,” I discover that all of Scripture is coming into focus for me. Our Father wants us to be always mindful of him first and aware of the rest of Creation second (Matthew 22: 37-40). There is no “great commandment” about focusing on “me.” In fact, I realize that focusing on me is the definition of sin.
Keep in mind that Jesus summed up “all the Law” with “Love the Lord your God” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If John is correct and “sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4) then anytime we take our eyes off of God first and then our neighbors, we are sinning. It is not possible for us as a human to focus on ourselves first without breaking God’s Law.
When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden before there was sin, all they thought about was God’s presence and the beauty of the garden around them. It was only after they sinned that they became aware of themselves (Genesis 3:7).
Our journey to heaven is really about getting back to the way God intended things to be. There is no “I” in heaven. Heaven won’t be impressed because “I” or anyone else who isn’t Jesus shows up. It is all about God and all about loving others as ourselves.
Application: Do what Jesus tells us to do. Pray as he taught us to pray.
Food for Thought: How does it feel to leave “me” behind and focus on God first and then our neighbors as ourselves?
Gteat! There should be no ‘I’ on earth either!🙏
Hi Jim,
Absolutely true! 🙂
How does it feel? Hard to know. Your devotion this morning highlights our need for a Savior. It is nearly impossible not to care about myself ahead of God or other people. I can make decisions that are sacrificial and focus on others, but even in doing so I often think of myself. We have to intentionally leave our narcissism behind. It is not until we shed this earthly tent and the sin nature that we will be perfectly and completely free of our narcissistic tendency. We still need our Savior. Maranatha. Lord come.
Rich,
You make a great point. This “I” centeredness is not a condition we can correct on our own. It is a direct result of eating from the wrong tree in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3: 1-7).
It’s kind of hard to leave me behind when I have been created in His image. Jesus did pray that we would be as one as He and His Father are. God is with me wherever I go so it is hard for me to leave me behind, I feel like I wouldn’t have Him with me because I left myself behind. How can I move forward without God? If He is in me then it is I that needs to keep moving forward so others can see His light that shines through me and come to praise Him as I do.
Hope I am not out of line here, but that’s my take on it. How can I be of any good to others if God is with me and I leave myself behind?
John,
I apologize for not being more careful with the wording of my question. You are absolutely correct. We cannot leave ourselves behind.
The intent of the question, what I meant to ask, was more like “How does it feel when we focus more on God’s will than our own?”
So yes, you are absolutely correct.
11-06-2022, How does it feel to leave “me” behind and focus on God first and then our neighbors as ourselves?
Feels like I am where I belong.
Ah yes, Ron.
We called that the “sweet spot.” 🙂
When I read today’s devotion the phrase that popped into my mind was “FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).” It’s a phrase used often today in media, but it expresses the same old lie that the enemy has been telling us since the Garden of Eden: you will miss out on something if you don’t “take it” or “hold onto it.” But these things are always self-centered, and only serve to keep us distanced from others. In loving God first and our neighbors as ourselves we lose everything that doesn’t matter and gain everything that does.
I don’t really remember what I have spent money on, or what happened to all “my gadgets”…they really didn’t bring me joy. I do remember the times that I have helped others. I do remember asking of the Father and receiving, and the lasting joy that comes from knowing I have walked according to His Will.
So, I reckon the short answer is joy.
Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Chris,
Well said! You remind me of when I was young and how I stressed over FOMO (even though I didn’t know it had a cool acronym!). Christ is the answer because he points us to God and to helping others.
Difficult at the moment. Sometimes it’s easier. I like solving things. So right now, when my mood is a mystery even to me, I want to solve ‘me’. So right now I am ‘me’ focused since I keep trying to figure out how to fix me.
I am exhausted regardless of sleep, so should I prioritize other’s needs or mine? I might only be able to meet one of those needs, just like the last week. Should I keep meeting everyone else’s needs and leave my own? Should I stop meeting anybody’s needs? Should I? Should I? …. Notice the theme is ‘I’. The question itself may be solved by balancing a schedule, but my fix is a series of ‘me’s’ and ‘ I’s’.
It is a perspective change that can be subtle. We may address a problem with an appearance of other focus and yet still be me focused. It’s exhausting in and of itself to catch them all.
Sometimes it’s easy because of His refreshment. And it feels like you multiply your abilities every time you help someone else.
Dear A,
You remind me of a time in the past when I struggled with similar situations and feelings.
I do not know the details of your struggle, so I am not giving advice here, but I do want to share a bit of my experience in hopes of encouraging you.
Job hadn’t done anything wrong and there was nothing he needed to “fix.” God allowed troubles to come his way and afflict him and in the end he restored him to being even more “Okay” than he was in the beginning. Along the way, Job pondered the righteousness of God and when God appeared he was humbled even more than he had been before.
Sometimes the need is just to endure the trouble and plod along. Satan, in my experience, loves to use these times of discomfort to drive us away from God and into ourselves, just as he tried to do with Job. He does this by focusing us on the “I.”
At the end of the Book of Job, Job says:
“My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes.”
The Hebrew word translated “despise” also means to “reject.” As I understand this Job is rejecting himself, the “I,” and focusing totally on God.
Be encouraged! God is faithful.
Now, about others…
The Greatest Commandment says:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
(Matthew 22:37-40)
Jesus does not say that we are to forego caring for ourselves. We love others “as” ourselves.
I remember taking a Red Cross lifesaving course one summer (about a hundred years ago!) and learning the importance of protecting ourselves from being pulled down by others. Approaching a drowning person is very dangerous because they tend to want to save themselves by grabbing on and pushing themselves up by pushing you down. Sometimes we need to keep our distance both physically and emotionally. We can’t help others if there is nothing left to give from.
When Jesus is anointed with expensive perfume in Mark 14, Judas chastises the woman (and Jesus) for allowing this to happen and “wasting” such a valuable resource. Jesus says, “The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.” (Mark 14:7)
Was Jesus being selfish?
No. He was allowing her to care for him. In a sense, caring for himself.
I hope you find something in these words to be helpful. 🙂
All great points Jeff. I’d like to add that you should be taking care of the temple that God has given you.
Thanks, Tim!
I’m doing my best. 🙂