DAY 46...Total Connection
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."
- John 13:34
How do we connect with people? Christ gives us a commandment in His final days. He tells us to love one another. In a day and age when love is defined differently by each person it's hard to tell what is loving and what is not. Your version of love may be different than Joe or Anna's version of love.
Yet, Christ gives us in this instance the gold standard of love. Love one another, "As I have loved you." Look at how Christ loves. He is merciful to those in need of mercy, but admonishes when it is necessary. Even though He is king, He humbles Himself to wash the feet of His friends. He doesn't stop there. He offers Himself completely to the world and to His disciples particularly.
This is how we should love. It doesn't matter what I think love is, I need to look at what Christ does that shows real love.
- John 13:34
How do we connect with people? Christ gives us a commandment in His final days. He tells us to love one another. In a day and age when love is defined differently by each person it's hard to tell what is loving and what is not. Your version of love may be different than Joe or Anna's version of love.
Yet, Christ gives us in this instance the gold standard of love. Love one another, "As I have loved you." Look at how Christ loves. He is merciful to those in need of mercy, but admonishes when it is necessary. Even though He is king, He humbles Himself to wash the feet of His friends. He doesn't stop there. He offers Himself completely to the world and to His disciples particularly.
This is how we should love. It doesn't matter what I think love is, I need to look at what Christ does that shows real love.
While He offers Himself on the cross (more on that tomorrow), He also offers Himself to us in communion. Breaking and blessing the bread, Jesus tells His followers, His friends, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26:26-28)
Communion is Jesus' Body and Blood. (It is also still bread and wine - just as Jesus is fully God and fully man). God connects with us fully. He does this because that's what we need. He connects with us because that is the design of our very being, to be fully in communion with Him and by being in communion with Him, we grow in communion with others.
We are invited to participate in His very life, in His very being along with the rest of the Church every time there is a Divine Liturgy.
Pornography is the opposite of this connectedness and it is the opposite of how we were designed to be.
Communion is Jesus' Body and Blood. (It is also still bread and wine - just as Jesus is fully God and fully man). God connects with us fully. He does this because that's what we need. He connects with us because that is the design of our very being, to be fully in communion with Him and by being in communion with Him, we grow in communion with others.
We are invited to participate in His very life, in His very being along with the rest of the Church every time there is a Divine Liturgy.
Pornography is the opposite of this connectedness and it is the opposite of how we were designed to be.
Today's Instructions:
A. Pray for the day, for friends, for family, for enemies. Thanksgiving, Requests, Praise.
B. In the Fortify Program, Update the battle tracker. Go to Week 7. Check out, "Recharging Your Body" and "Set a Health Goal"
C. Go to the daily readings and read today's Scripture.
D. Journal the following: 1. How does taking communion help you connect with Christ? 2. How does taking communion connect you with others around you, physically and spiritually?
Today's Tips: When the urges come get up. Stop. Breathe. Pray. Open up Holy Thursday in your Holy Week book and read some prayers from either the morning or evening service.
God give you strength. See you tomorrow.
Don't ever come back to this page to start over. This is the launching pad. You've already begun, even if you fall.
If you want to review this page, please do, but do not come back here to start over.