You can find the video here: https://www.facebook.com/RichlandNaz/videos/2641969716039233/
Something that will help us all stay connected - keep up the discussion – on the Live Stream. Like, follow, and share these morning devotions. And don’t forget to check in @ Richland Church of the Nazarene.
Many of us have an immediate family that we love and care for every day. We strive to love them well. And then we try love well the friends in our church groups, our coworkers, and friends on social media. But how often do we proclaim love for our surrounding community? We should remember and acknowledge the fact that we don’t live alone but in a shared space with others. We should think of our neighbors, and surrounding communities, as people God has entrusted to us.
God shows us that he has put our neighbors into the trust of our hands by creating laws that protect them and us. All of this begins with loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Mark 12:28-34 (NIV) One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
Yesterday we talked a bit about this same account told by Luke. And then went further in that account and talked about the example that Jesus used the parable of the Good Samaritan. And it brings us to think for a moment, about a couple of things. First – we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. And I believe that implies something, that we know how to love or take care of ourselves.
And I briefly alluded to this the other day. Bobbi and I have flown a bit, mostly to see our kids and our grand-kids back east. Every time I get on a plane, there’s always an attendant who talks everyone through a few safety things, before they check to make sure I’m buckled in, my seat and tray table are in the forward position, and we take off. And the one thing they say that gets me every time is, “in the event of cabin depressurization an oxygen mask will drop from the compartment above your seat. Place it over your face and secure it in place. Make certain to secure your own mask before you help others with theirs.
Huh…? If you’re a parent flying with Children - are you seriously going to expect them to secure their mask first? Man – I’m likely to not do that before I make sure my kids – an probably other people’s kids have their masks secured. It truly a hard thing to think about doing.
But maybe it isn’t or maybe it shouldn’t be. Growing up in church, I’ve heard this acronym repeatedly: J.O.Y – Jesus – Others – You. And I’m at a point in my spiritual journey where I sort of want to call bologna on that.
So, before we talk about taking care of our neighbors, which we will get to tomorrow, I’m going to ask you today, what do you do to take care of yourself? Not just spiritually – but also physically, emotionally, and intellectually.
Confession time here for me, I haven’t really taken much time for just me lately. If there’s one thing I’m going to do it’s just sit and play an instrument or sing – do something musical. And it may not have anything to do with worship music or church music of any kind or shape.
I love, jazz – easy piano jazz music. I could listen to it all day long – you know the stuff they play in the elevators. Now, I know that jazz piano standards really does nothing to connect me to the Holy Spirit. But there is something in me that just relaxes and enjoys myself when I sit and tickle the ivories.
I recharge spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally in many different ways. My point is, before you can help someone else put on their oxygen mask, you’ve got to secure your own. And that means take some time for you.