As I look back at my week in Nicaragua and reflect, much like last year, the times that have stood out the most to me have been simply the overflow from the time I spent with the Lord. At the ministry I got to serve with, they highly encourage everyone to start their mornings, from five to seven, solely with the Lord. For me, this looks like waking up way before I wanted to (if I’m being honest), finding a secluded place outside, and filling my time with prayer and scripture. As much as I wouldn’t care to admit it, spending two hours every single day with the Lord was really hard. It was a discipline that I had quickly grown to love on my last trip, and I knew that I would love it again now- and praise the Lord I did!  

Our ministry host Scott, who is the wisest man I know, showed me that by taking the first two hours of your day and simply choosing into the Lord, and your personal relationship with Him, it will change every other aspect of your day. By saying yes to the hard discipline and building up the Spirit within you, you’re saying no to your body/flesh.

Often when spending time with the Lord, I ask the Lord to show me how else I can pour my oil out onto His feet, which is where this brain dump comes from; enjoy reading  :)

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“When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is- that she is a sinner.”

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Teach me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now, which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven- as her great love has shown. But whoever has been given little loves little.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Luke 7: 36-50

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How can I better pour out my oil onto the feet of my Savior? What does that look like in my day-to-day?

Love God; Love Others

Love God-

First, I must choose every day to love God. Key word here is choose; I must go against what my body and flesh want, or what might seem the most comfortable, and choose into my relationship with the Lord. Now I don’t exactly know what this might look like for you, but for me, this looks like spending intentional time with Him, daily. Sitting in awe of the Lord, who He is, and all He has truly done for me. God loves me with a greater love than I’ve ever known or could know. It is clear to me that I must love Him back. The ultimate commandment for anyone who is a follower of Christ is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt. 22: 37-38). Not only is it the ultimate commandment, but it is also the first, which once more shows its significance.

Love Others-

         Then, I should love others. This is the second commandment that is given. Loving others can only come from first loving the Lord. I often like to say that you can’t pour out of an empty glass; you can’t love others well if you first aren’t receiving and giving love to the Lord. I desire for the way I treat others to reflect my heart and love that I have for the Lord. It seems simple enough, when you love the Lord (and to love Him, you must know Him, aka spend time with Him.. maybe you’re picking up the big idea here), you are going to be able to love others.

SO, GO! Get to know the Lord! Don’t let the relationship you have/don’t have with Him right now satisfy you- desire more! Give Him the first offering of your day, and let me know how that goes. I promise you that it will change everything.