Luke 6:37-38
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Take a moment to settle into your surroundings and then begin to recognize your breath. As you breathe in, call on the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
In today’s passage Jesus continues teaching on relationships in God’s Kingdom. Read Luke 6:37-38 noting any thoughts that come to mind.
Universal truth is truth whether we choose to believe it or not. It is, for instance, true that if you walk off the edge of a cliff you will fall. The truth about gravity doesn’t need to be defended; the outcome will be the same for both believer and skeptic.
In this passage, Jesus isn’t laying out some kind of mystical system of reciprocity. He’s pointing out the inevitable, universal truth of what happens when we either violate or validate God’s design for humanity.
If we choose to judge rather than love as God intended, others will find us hard to love and easy to judge. And if we refuse to admit our inability to know the motivations of someone’s heart, and we step into the role of judge and jury (a role that belongs to God alone) it will be all the easier for other people to condemn us without knowing our deepest motivations.
Stop to think about your own tendencies when it comes to how you view other people and their actions. Then talk honestly with Jesus about this.
Read Luke 6:37-38 again.
It’s not just the violation of God’s design for humanity that creates a ripple effect. It’s also true that when we act in accordance with God’s shalom blueprint and love others with no strings attached, others will find us easier to love – though with humans, this is not always the case.
But regardless of the relational outcome, when we validate God’s way with our lives we will be blessed because we are being the people God created us to be. We will experience the joy of discovering our true identities and purposes and the joy of being in sync with our Creator.
Get still for a moment and let your thoughts settle. When you feel centered, picture the goodness of God “pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap.”
Stay with this image and see if Jesus has anything he wants to say to you through it.
What do you sense Jesus inviting you to do today?
How do you plan to follow through on that?
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The Everyday Jesus Follower’s Guide ebook can help you learn how to recognize God's voice, how to read and understand the Bible, how to develop deep spiritual friendships, and how to become the person you were meant to be. Use it alone, with a friend or in a small group.
