Just a Thought

I often think about my past; remembering things that I used to do, not because they haunt me but because those thoughts remind me of whom I am now in Christ Jesus.  Remembering my old ways aids to advance my current life.  It helps me to abscond further and further away from the lifestyle that I once had.  I remember not too long ago I was living with a friend who would often aggravate me to the point of where I just wanted to fall off from the map of friendship with him.  My response to an irritating person was always “silence.”  I would simply ignore whoever was bothering me.  I tried hard not to be exceedingly cruel but to be honest I think keeping silent in a moment where words are needed can be beyond excruciating.  In fact I believe that silence can be the beginning downfall of many relationships.  When extremely annoyed I would act as if the person who brought me to that point of annoyance did not even exist.  Literally they would enter the room, ask a question or try to start a conversation and I would just walk away as if they were invisible.  It’s silly and childish to do things like that but it was the way I coped with frustration, annoyance and many other issues. 

I remembered a girlfriend I once had; she would walk into my house after an argument we just had and act as if nothing was wrong.  Now I'm not the type of person who likes to argue but I like all matters to be solved before I could move on.  And because certain issues were not taken care of, I just kept my silence thinking to myself that I won’t say or do anything until that certain person sees their fault.  I wanted them to figure out the mistakes on their own.  Christians must try hard not to let the ways of their past dictate their lives.  We should not let our past be part of who we are now.  With the help of our Lord and Savior, everything that we used to be should quickly demolish, leaving behind our old worldly self, and advancing in excessive growth through Christ.  By allowing Christ to destroy our anger, frustration, lunatic obsessions, and any other outrageous ways that us humans have, we open a passage to a new beginning  living as Christ asks us to live.

This past week God placed a passage on my heart that put a great challenge on the hearts of the people I shared this with. 

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”  “Yes Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” then Jesus said, “Feed my Lambs.”  Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”  He answered, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.”  Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”  The third time Jesus said to Peter, “Simon son of John do you love me?”  Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” said Jesus.  “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”  Again Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.”

I want to put your focus just on a few words from this passage; “Feed my sheep.” The idea of these words is far beyond the majority of what people think.  The profound meaning of these words I believe touch the very essence of what a Christian must be.  What did Jesus mean when he told peter to feed his sheep?  Why did he repeat himself three times?  “Do you love me,” said Jesus, “then feed my sheep!” 

Lately here in Spain I have seen that more and more people own a dog.  In fact the majority of all my Spanish friends have a dog.  These dogs have become more than just a dog; they have become part of these peoples family.  I have one friend in particular who treats his dog like a true friend should treat another friend.  Every morning he wakes up to feed his dog breakfast, but before he does he lovingly welcomes him into his arms caring for him as if he was his beloved companion.  This friend of mine not only cares for his dog once or twice a day but all day long he serves this dog in a compassionate way as if they were the only two beings left alive on this planet.  He cheerfully provides care for this dog as if this it were a king. 

Now I don’t want to compare us to dogs or say that we should serve them but I want to simply illustrate what Jesus was saying when he said, “feed my sheep.”  I read this passage one day and the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart explaining the very meaning of what Jesus was saying.  Another translation of the word feed is “to supply nourishment.”  Jesus is saying, “If you declare that you love me; then go! Rain heavily in a nourishing way upon all my sheep!  Feed them the love that I have poured out upon you! Hold MY sheep in high honor humbling yourselves before them cascading your very being upon them as if they were a chosen king! Offer yourselves in a serving manner so that they may know my name!”  If we truly love Jesus, there should not be even a hint of immorality, impurity, greed, anger, malice, deceit, hatred, annoyance, discrimination, or anything else that does not come from the Holy Spirit to reside within us. Apostle Paul writes to the Ephesians that such a man does not have any inheritance in the kingdom of God.  We cannot act in any such way toward any of Christ's sheep! But instead we must feed them with a loving kindness, building them up according to their needs in such a serving way that God may be glorified through our actions. 

How often do we find ourselves so occupied in our own world that we forget the true meaning of our calling?  How many friends do we walk by without lending a hand or our heart for their needs?  Better yet how many Lambs that need to be fed daily do we come in contact with and simply walk by like they don’t even exist? If you love me, then feed my sheep!

Colossians chapter 2:20; “Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”?  What is it about us that we eagerly talk the big talk regarding our profound love for Jesus Christ but we don’t even come close to living the life the he called us to live?  Why do we still submit to the principles of this world, touching with our own hands in a desperate way, tasting everything that this world offers in an overindulging way, and even handling what God calls sin with our own heart and soul which one day praises God and the other day abuses him?!!  The devil hurriedly comes and offers us a buffet of sins with a pleasing approach and we rudely push others out of the way so that we may taste just a little.  James the brother of Jesus says it best; therefore get rid of ALL moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly except the word planted in you which can save you… …with our tongue we praise our lord and father, and with it we curse men who have been made in Gods likeness.  Out of the same mouth come both praise and cursing!  My dear friends if you love our precious Lord Jesus Christ, then your patience, loving kindness, gentleness, compassion humility, etc. should saturate entirely over the lambs of Christ so that they too may learn of HIM and share in the heavenly kingdom.  Blessed are those who nourish Christ's sheep!!