Yesterday we wrote that wanting to bear the mark of Jesus’ love, joy and peace requires inviting Him to live IN us as Lord and Master. It is more an act of believing that what He said is true and living accordingly. This is how we, ever so imperfectly, try to live out this walk with cancer. People remark about our positive attitude or strong spirit. We remind them it is our great God, our Lord Jesus who does this work everyday. It is not within our own power.
But belief always drives action and so there are things we do to bear the mark of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control. Jesus spoke to His closest disciples in Matthew 16:24-26, instructs his closest followers saying, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”
In this sense, there is something that we must do. In the progressive unfolding of our lives we must bring our thoughts, speech, and actions in alignment with Christ. Denying self means we put God and others first. This theme is spoken consistently throughout the bible and most notably when Jesus summarizes the two great commandments, “Love God…love others as yourself.” (Matthew 22:36-40) Denying self demands that our self interests are ALL servant to our love of God and others. Picking up our cross entails, amongst other things, keeping our focus daily on Jesus and carrying the burdens that He has for our holiness, and His love for others. This should provide great motivation to transform what we think, say, and do and even our personal ambitions and goals, to make these obedient to Him. And finally, following Jesus means staying in the path,and when you wander, confessing it and getting back on the path right away. You will be told there are many paths. The entertaining movie The Life of Pi seems to propose this message. But Jesus says there is only one path that leads to heaven. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Peace and patience are God’s gifts to us when we surrender our control to Him. Know Jesus….know love, joy, peace, patience, and so much more. I appreciate prayers for my donor as they collect his stem cells today, that he will be well, that they will be able to harvest a sufficient number of cells, and send them by courier to Iowa City for my use on Thursday. May his joy be full in making this sacrificial gift.
Thanking God for this hand picked donor…and for my hand picked brother and his bride, too!
You are right, of course…it is Christ at work within you that gives you power to overcome every challenge and the full range of emotions that accompanies it. But still, and always, there is the choice you have to choose your response to this and every circumstance. Choose this day whom you will serve…your choice is obvious and provokes me to consider my response to much less significant circumstances. Thank you for sharing your journey! I love you!
Jane, you are absolutely right. It is in the small things of life that we make the difference of whom we serve. Believing little lies leads to graver errors. There are consequences to compromosie in all aspects of our lives. Let us each make Joshua’s proclamation, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
Amen Bryan…prayers going out for your Donor Partner…Blessings as you travel on this path!
God holds your hand and holds you in the Palm of His! Here but for the grace of God go we….all of us. Have Safe Passage! Blessings in Love…
Thanks Jan. It is an unexpected journey but one filled with unexpected blessings too. That’s how God designs these things.
Blessings to you and your family. Bryan
Bryan, Know that your friends at Progress Industries continue to ask about you and offer support for you. Consider us on your team. And I know you have some very important peole on your team. Many blessings for you and Marcia. Dave
Thanks Team PI! It is a sometimes lonely journey but we are doing well. While unpacking this cancer we have also unpacked some unexpected surprises like increased sensitivity, growing closer to each other, discovering mission fields here in the hospitals, and God’s sustaining love that keeps anxiety in at bay – most the time! Keep in touch. It helps me stay focused and also to get out of the cancer box. I am determined to not let this become my identity! Sign up for updates at http://www.GoLightYourWorld.org (click follow) and share with others if you like. Miss y’all. Bryan
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
2 Corinthians 1:3 – 7
Thanks for your willingness to see the mission field in the midst of your circumstances!
Amen Bonnie. This is a good reason we should not be too quick to shy from suffering, sometimes it holds God’s blessing for us and for others. What robbers we would be to pursue happiness and quick pleasure only.