Today’s New Covenant Nugget is from Ephesians 5:1-3
Be imitators of God in everything you do, for then you will represent your Father as His beloved sons and daughters. And continue to walk surrendered to the extravagant love of Christ, for He surrendered his life as a sacrifice for us. His great love for us was pleasing to God, like an aroma of adoration—a sweet healing fragrance.
Friends, are you walking in His love, demonstrating His heart, representing your Father?
You may ask, “How do I get to be an imitator of God in everything I do?” I’m so glad you asked…. We get to be imitators of God in everything we do. We need to STOP and ask the Holy Spirit how we should respond BEFORE we open our mouths and respond to others when they are being inappropriate… before we text a response to someone when we have a problem with how they are doing things, and before we reply to an email that may have been rude, abrupt or in the flesh.
I love to ask the Holy Spirit and say: “Holy Spirit help me to only say what You would have me say, help me be fine-tuned to your voice, and Lord, I will not say anything in response unless you release me and unless I have peace in my heart”.
You know how you get the feeling where you just know what the Lord is leading you what to say and you ‘just know‘ what the Lord is leading you NOT to say, text or email. It is called ‘yielding’ to His voice. You get a check, you stop, you yield to the check, and then you ask the Holy Spirit what He would have you say instead of you responding to your carnal nature. (By the way, do not vent to others while waiting to be led by the Spirit, lol)
The passion translation says it so well when it says: ‘surrender to the extravagant love of Christ.’ Friends and family in Christ, let us allow His love to flow through us, even when others are not deserving of our love, they are because of Christ, all in need of our love.
Do not reject others, do not push others aside, but walk in love, especially to those who you may be offensive in things they say and do things… there is always an opportunity to respond with so much of the love of Christ flowing out of you that you cause people to change at their core because they are being loved instead of judged and loved instead of being rejected.
Did you know you can correct people in a loving manner that represents the heart of the Father,? You can correct people as you flow in the anointing of God, yielded to the Word of God and surrendered to everything that the Holy Spirit has you impart… but again, pray first, receive compassion, grace and love… and then be led by the Spirit in your response.
Today, step out and love the unlovely, If led by the Spirit, don’t be afraid to correct in love if you need to, and most of all, believe God to see His love, grace and compassion flow through your life, like a healing fragrant river to others – Selah.
In His amazing love, Esther
