January 12, 2014

Living lonely in the midst of the crowd.

Mark 12:29-31

Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this:‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Personal Challenge...

How can it be that even when we live our lives in the midst of a crowd, surrounded by people, people that we know and people that we may not know much about bur are trying to befriend, that our lives are full of loneliness. We live in times where people live such independent lives. We live in times where we often live thousands of miles from our families and loved ones, parents, children, grandchildren, and siblings. Even though we have so much technology to help us connect it is still not the same as being in the same room holding them, laughing with them. I am so thankful to have a wife who loves me and is my friend. With her by my side and me by hers we are able to live a life built on love. I am also so thankful for wonderful children and grandchildren, those nearby and those far away and am so proud of them. We are so blessed to have them as such important parts of our lives. Even with such a wonderful family we still desire to be in community, to be in relationship with those God brings into our lives.

As I read through these verses today I was reminded that our Lord also lived His life lonely in the midst of the crowd. He left His Father and same to live amongst us. He gave of Himself to mankind and demonstrated how to live out these two great commands. And even after that He was rejected, falsely accused and ultimately killed. If we are to live our lives in the image of Christ, attempting to be like Him, is it not possible, even very probable, that our lives might be lived lonely in the midst of the crowd?

Loving the Lord our God and our neighbors as ourselves...sacrificially and completely. And for me and my household, living our lives that begins with love for our LORD, love for each other, love for our children, and love for those whom God brings into our lives.