One thought hit me as I read today’s study is that Jesus notices the motivation of our hearts. It’s one thing to take note of what is happening in the public arena of life, how many seek to be noticed for their good works and how many are never acknowledged for their sacrifices. But Jesus knew what took place in the widow’s heart. At times my motivation for doing something has been out of guilt, but also out of a desire to be recognized. Neither are appropriate in light of His love. Guilt and pride are each a selfish pursuit. Love and worship re-route my entire being.
“God goes out looking for you, like any parent of one who is lost, like a compassionate father heartsick for his prodigal child. God’s kind “Where are you?” invites you to pay attention to what’s happening within, to attend to the storms that churn and the fog that dulls, disorienting and disconnecting you. And this requires courage. Too many of us grew up being taught to evade and avoid our ache, to be strong, to suffer alone. Too many of us are offered a flannelgraph faith story that minimizes the pain, that ignores our sense of alienation from ourselves and one another, that even cheapens the reality of God’s compassion in our profound need. But God’s “Where are you?” also invites each of us to remember who we are, at our core.” - Excerpt, Healing What’s Within
Chuck DeGroat
“A disciple builds his life on the truths of the kingdom that Jesus taught, finding in it the authority for all he does.
A disciple’s focus is learning and living the ways of the kingdom, not protecting his power, position, or standing in the eyes of the world.
A disciple’s life is marked by authenticity. He does not engage in pretense and deception. A disciple finds her identity in being the child of God, in being created in God’s image, in being a follower of Jesus, and in the indwelling, empowering presence of the Spirit.” - Excerpt, Following Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark by Steve Langford
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