Set the world on fire.

There is a fire that burns inside of you for Jesus.  Once you’ve invited Him to make a home in your heart, it’s a fire that you'll want burning forever bright, for Him. You may feel small, but He is BIG enough. He gives you joy, "that your joy might be full."  (John 15: 11).

One of Jesus' commands was to love others, even our enemies.  "bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you." (Matthew 5:44).  If we love as Jesus loved, and pray for our enemies, our joy will be complete. I spell JOY  like this: 

Love Jesus first, and do as He commands.  

Love, Others. 

Love Yourself.  

Jesus wants to carry all your burdens so you can have Joy complete. "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:30).

We have to remember something very important so we don't get stuck at O: loving others. It's that you can’t change anyone but yourself. Stop trying, move on and keep your Joy.  It hurts to see people, especially family members, who don’t see Jesus for who He is. But if you’ve done as He commands -  told them about Him, love and pray for them - you have to leave them on His potter’s wheel and trust Him. You don’t make them see anything anyway; God is the one who opens their eyes to the truth, and sometimes it's through circumstances brought on by their own choices and stubbornness.

Take the story in Numbers 22: 21-34. Great story of how God used a donkey and an angel, to try and turn someone in the right direction. Sometimes, I feel like that beaten donkey: God uses you to try to protect someone from dangers they don’t see or don't even want to see. So why even do it?  Your love and obedience to Jesus, is reason number one. Your love for Others, (them included) is reason number two. Reason number three is for Yourself.  Satan loves to keep whispering in your ear, trying to keep you from the joy Jesus wants you to have.  Do all that God leads you to do, and let go "[Cast] all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 

(1 Peter 5:9).

Remember, after telling people the truth of God's word, "if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you." (Matthew 10:13).  Now as God’s word says in Rom. 1:20, "they are without excuse.” 

“[Since] they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a [depraved] mind.” (Romans 1: 28).  Not God’s choice, not your choice, but theirs. It doesn't mean you or God doesn't love them.  

Don’t keep getting beaten up, and don’t stop setting the world on fire, many will respond.

Grace and Joy to you

Kim