Several years ago, I had a little “come to Jesus meeting” – with Jesus! He brought some much needed correction in my life by saying, “I didn’t tell you to love others more than you love yourself but AS you love yourself.”
“You are to love the Lord Yahweh, your God, with every passion of your heart, with all the energy of your being, with every thought that is within you, and with all your strength.” This is the great and supreme commandment. And the second is this: “You must love your neighbor in the same way you love yourself.” You will never find a greater commandment than these. –Mark 12:30-31, TPT
From this encounter, I began to understand that every problem, without exception, is a manifestation of a violation of the law of love. Every struggle in my life, at its very root, revealed an inability to love and be loved by God, an inability to love and be loved by others or an inability to fully love and honor myself!
As I meditated upon this life-shifting revelation, Holy Spirit began to pour out grace to see every relationship and every situation through the lens of this Law of Love. I began asking if what I was doing or not doing accurately reflected loving Him with all my heart, loving others and loving myself. I saw that, for most of my life, the church had taught a slanted version of laying down your life for others that supported the running of programs and ministries… at the expense of the laborers. In the midst of this untangling, I even had a powerful encounter where I saw myself lying on a counterfeit altar of self-sacrifice. Yeshua set me free from that place, healed me in a moment and led me to the legitimate place of servanthood and dying to self. For every real there is a counterfeit… one that will never produce the same fruit as the real. Yet, the mind of man often cannot tell the difference. The Spirit of Truth must reveal the nuances of subtle deception.
As my journey continued, my relationships became healthier and my life more balanced. I was beginning to experience that easy and light yoke Yeshua spoke of:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” – Matthew 11: 28-39, MSG
Today, I invite you to lay down those heavy burdens and to take up the legitimate yoke of His Three-Fold Law of Love.
Until next time,
Virginia