GraceCreates

By Jon Walker

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. Colossians 1:18 (NIV)

Our testimonies are validated – or invalidated - by how we get along with other believers. It is our love for one another that proves the Holy Lover is alive in us, transforming us into Jesus-like lovers, Jesus-like one anothers. (John 13:35)

If our love for one another is not energized by Jesus, we’re doomed to slide from the promise of “All You Need is Love” into the push and shove of “I, Me, Mine.” Our love can’t stop at ‘let’s get along’ connections because the deep and ancient God-love never emerges in compromise.

It comes through submission – and not submission to one another, although that will often be required — but an uncompromising, wholehearted submission to the head of all us ‘one anothers’ – Jesus. Our Lord, our brother, and our King.

Jesus is the “head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” (Colossians 1:18, NIV)

The ancient wisdom demands there can only be one ruling mind – a mind that was there from the beginning, firstborn among the ‘one anothers,’ and with this one ruling mind operating within us, a deep, fathomless, supernatural love, one that passes all human understanding, starts to flow from and among the one anothers.

What does this mean?

• Submit, then love – Submit to Jesus, the head of our body of one anothers, and in that submission, you’ll begin to love with the depth of Jesus-love.
• Let Jesus decide – Jesus is the head, and it’s the head, not the legs or the hands, that decides what the body will do. When you’re faced with someone who seems unlovable, take it to Jesus and do what he tells you to do.

If you’d like to receive these devotionals regularly, you can sign-up at www.gracecreates.com/subscribe/. Jon Walker writes from www.gracecreates.com. He is a Zondervan author, and the former writer/editor of the Purpose Driven Life On-Line Devotionals. This devotional is copyrighted 2008 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.

By Jon Walker

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Matthew 16:21-22 (NIV)

As Jesus approached his final days on earth, he told the disciples he would soon suffer, and be killed – and then, he’d be raised to life on the third day.

But Peter wasn’t listening. Perhaps he thought he’d heard it before. Perhaps he thought anyone who thought differently from him simply couldn’t be correct. So, the apostle who was first to walk on water, now rushed to be the first to set Jesus straight.

The problem is Peter completely misunderstood the situation. If he’d been correct in his judgment, Jesus would never go to the cross and we would be chained to our sins forever.

That’s a hefty consequence for being slow to listen, which may be why James says we should, instead, be quick to listen – slow to speak, slow to anger – but fast at focusing on what someone else is trying to say to us. (James 1:19-21)

This means we quickly seek understanding his position or her circumstances; his fears or her anger. We rush, not to judgment, but to open-mindedness, as we seek the whole story and the whole of the facts. We seek first to understand, then to be understood (a phrased used to explain quick listening in the book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey).

Even now, Jesus says, “Listen and understand.” (Matthew 15:10, NIV)

What does this mean?

• Quickly listen to God - Open your ears to the voice of God. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, our God, but we can hear him now, and he acts on behalf of those who listen and wait for him (suggested by Isaiah 64:4, NIV).
• Quickly listen to others - Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry ….” (James 1:19, NIV) Quick listening is a Jesus-trait, and it “speeds the cause of righteousness.” (Isaiah 16:5, NIV)
• Quickly seek to understand - Throughout the New Testament, Jesus concluded a parable with the phrase, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (ex. Luke 14:35, NIV) God gave us the ears so we could hear him, and hearing is the first step toward understanding.

If you’d like to receive these devotionals regularly, you can sign-up at www.gracecreates.com/subscribe/. Jon Walker writes from www.gracecreates.com. He is a Zondervan author, and the former writer/editor of the Purpose Driven Life On-Line Devotionals. This devotional is copyrighted 2008 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.