Who is your neighbor?

Love the Lord your God

with all your heart,

with all your soul,

with all your mind, 

and with all your strength...

And

Your neighbor as yourself!

Have you wondered why we have arguments and disagreements, even with those we love?  You think... we love each other so
we should get along... all the time.  We should think alike.  We want the same things in life.  Well you did when you started this life together as husband and wife.

The same stands true with friends and children.  Who is your neighbor?  The person in your life at the moment.  

If we are honest we are always leaning toward our desires and longings.  It can be a subtle attitude of disapproval.  The silent treatment, where you don't voice what is really going on in your thoughts. It can be distance put between you and others.  You don't have to confront what you maybe struggling with.  Denial that there is even a problem.

 When others stand in the way of that coming to pass our will surfaces.  It demands its way, even if in a subtle way.  Passive or aggressive   All those you love, you and those are being refined as you rub against each other, wanting different things out of life, in life.  Demanding your way...Your wants are being stripped from your hearts hold, while you are becoming a person that loves others more than yourself. 

We are iron sharpening iron as we want different things and have different desires.  In and through the relationship our wills and desires rise to the surface.  It is a tug of war to see who gets their own way.  We are grown children in many cases in the way we handle our... constructive conflict...we think it is beneficial anyway.

You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.

So the fighting and arguing is, I want what I think will make me happy.  OK, I reason and say, I want the right thing.  I know what is best.  

I am being a mini god.   Manipulating the situations of life to get what I want.

  So we push and pull with our wills not asking God, just what is His will.  Assuming me and God want the same thing.  It is up to me to get it.  The life I think I deserve.

Not only do those we love stand in the way of our happiness, but we stand in the way of theirs.

by not giving them what we think we need to make us content,

happy and satisfied.

So who in your life is standing in the way of you getting the idols, the things you think will make you happy?  How is your coveting robing you and them of peace?  

Remember all people are being true to themselves.  The Spirit is bringing us out of a double life.  To be true to who we are in Christ.  

As I was meditating on these things I began to question...What in life really matters?  How am I in the will of God and working for His purposes in my life.  Surrender.  Jesus surrender is mine.  I am too self centered and strong willed to surrender on my own.  

 My real battle is with God and not the people in my life.  They are in my life for the purpose of breaking my will for one thing.  The Spirit shows me my heart.  I pray Lord don't leave me to myself.  Please break my heart and let there be no bitterness or anger.  Rescue me my Jesus.

When my will is no longer the center of my heart and life, I am then yielded to God.  Then am I able to love.  I am able to love others without being a needy person looking to others to make me happy.

God then has my heart.   Jesus is the sweetness of life,  I am after all along. Only He can satisfy the heart of man.  

So how do I live?  In His shadow.

I do good because He is living in and through me.  I am to be merciful, act justly...and walk humbly with my God.   

And the beat goes on as the dance of the Trinity is ever before me.  Left foot, right foot...repentance and faith.  The music completes me in Jesus.

Two steps left, one step right...Let the music begin and love pours from within me.  Heaven even in this life with Jesus.  I begin to weep tears of joy.  He did not leave me. Your will be done Father.  May your Kingdom come.