Ephesians 5:2; "and life a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

It's not easy to love someone that we don't really get along with. It might be a person that rubs us the wrong way, or it could be someone that wants to dominate a conversation, or maybe brags about themselves or their kids. But one thing that I have learned from group, is that we must listen, and not let our preserved notions of the person cloud how we listen to them.

Jesus was like that. Of course He knew what was the hearts of those He talked with. He knew their pain, sorrow and trials. So, if we truly listen to others as they speak, we can learn so much about them, taking in their tone of voice and body language, we begin to see the pain and hurt and trials that they may be going through.

In loving others, we follow in the foot steps of Jesus, showing others a life that is led by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Living a life led by the power in His word, our hearts must reach out to those we listen to. Showing them love and compassion, just as Jesus did when He spoke to those who searched for Him.

"Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people)." Ephesians 5:15 AB. Others watch us, how we live and act and speak. Here Paul writes to the Ephesians that there lives must be lived with a Christ centered purpose. Listening and relating to others as Christ did, sharing with them the power that comes from His word. We must never forget that at one time we were living in darkness, guided by our sinful desires. By living that way we did nothing but hinder the advancement of the gospel. When we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, our minds began to think sensible. We became wise, not only in His word, but in the life we led and people that we associated with.

See at our acceptance of Jesus, and at yours too, we finally became aware of the love Christ has for us. By daily reflecting on that, through our study of His word, it starts to become ingrained in us, and that leads us to tell others who are entitled to the same thing. As the Lord's love grows in our hearts, telling others of His love for them becomes our main purpose. And, we are assured, that Jesus Christ will give us the power to do just that. His love for us pushes us to love others, even when it is not "socially acceptable." Just as Jesus spoke with the social outcasts, in His time, He did so because He was aware of the purpose that He came earth for. His example is one that ALL believers must follow.

Jesus went freely to the grave and died for us. And He went for everyone. We need to tell that to others, who may feel unworthy to come to Him because of their past life, driven by the sins that they have been carrying. Our mission is to love others as much as we love ourselves, caring for them enough to earnestly listen to them as they speak. Pray for them as needed. Helping them to see the Jesus you know, a loving, caring, merciful Father that is calling them to repentance, through the shedding of His blood on the cross. Just as Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross, we too must sacrifice ourselves on the cross of un-comfortableness, in loving those around us. Christ gave of Himself so that others could come to him, and be forgiven, so we must sacrifice ourselves, getting out there and bringing Jesus to a dark and hurting world, telling them of His love.

                                                            He looks for us always

Matthew 18:12 "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?"

         Has anyone lost something before? A ring? Maybe your car keys? A child? When that happened didn't you search and search and search? That is what God does with us, He searches until He finds us, never quitting to look, never giving in to exhaustion. He is relentless, just as we are when we are searching for something.
         In this parable, Jesus uses the metaphor, sheep, to describe us, the people He created. And because of our sinful nature we stray at times from the path that God has put us on. "For you were like sheep going astray...," 1 Peter 25. We will always want to go off on our own, traveling in life on a path that we think is right for us. Like sheep, we see green pastures and wonder off to them, not seeing the danger that lies between ourselves and that pasture. That is why God is there to guide us, herd us in the direction that He has set, because He knows the correct and easy way for us to go.
        See each one of us are part of Jesus' flock, His sheep. No matter our pasts, He guards us and keeps us safe. Now many might say, "What! Look at my life, at who I am and what I have done. Christ could never love me." Or, "My life, up to this point, has been so terrible, how could Christ even begin to love me?" Well, take it from me, He does love you. He died for you and me. He died for your Uncle, Mom, Sister, next door neighbor. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." John 10:11. Here is proof that Jesus Christ loves you! He laid down His life, so that you may live.
         Jesus knows all and sees all. Well, you say, if He knows all about me, then He should know what struggles I am having in my life now. Yes He does. But, it is our responsibility to go to Him and lay our struggles at His feet in order for Him to take care of them. He knows that we are weary and worn out from those struggles. His desire is to help us to overcome. But, again, we need to come to Him and surrender those sinful desires. Be willing to admit that we are powerless to overcome anything in our lives. We need Him. "When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, life sheep without a shepherd." Matthew 9:26
         This parable is told again in Luke 15:4, but lets look at the next 2 verses 5 & 6. "And when he finds it. he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbor's together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost Sheep." See this? Jesus searches, and when He finds you and me that have strayed away from Him, He puts us on His shoulders and carried us back to the fold. No matter how far we have strayed, no matter the sins that we have committed. He searches for us, in order that He can bring us back into His arms.
         When He finds us, takes us out of the sin that we are in, He carries us. He gently puts  us on His shoulders and lovingly brings us back to the fullness, that He died for. Yes, we will never be good enough to come to Jesus, but that is okay, because He is right there with us. He knows the pain and struggles that we go through, because He was born in human flesh, going through the same temptations and trials that we face, but He did so without sinning.
          I urge you today to allow Jesus to take you back to His fold. To be a dynamic part of His creation here on earth. You have wondered aimlessly long enough. Allow Jesus to put you on His shoulders and bring you into the fold. Then pray, and allow your heart to open up to the knowledge of the love that He has for you, knowing that you no longer need to wonder, to walk alone, to repair your life on your own. Jesus loves you and you need Him in your heart, so that you can experience His closeness, and began to be led to those greener pastures that He has for you to feed on.