Today, I am delighted to welcome my wise friend, Lori Schumaker, to encourage us as we pray: Lord, help me die to self and love like Jesus. 

Her fierce little eyes glared at me across the crowded hospital cafeteria. I felt the heat rising into my cheeks with each angry word she shouted. Although her words were in Bulgarian, there was no doubt this little girl was cussing her mama out!

Her red punch splattered across the floor, she blamed it on me. I hadn’t touched the drink, much less spilled it, but that was irrelevant in her eyes.  

In the eyes of my daughter, I was at fault for everything wrong in her life. Even though I knew the trauma she lived before becoming a part of our family, I felt defeated. I think I’ve shed a million tears over the years as I’ve prayed and begged God to help my daughter recognize my love, rest in the safety of it, and find it in her heart to love me back.

Loving well often cuts deep.

God doesn’t call us to love only those who are appropriately grateful, who will love us in return, or those we deem deserving.  Loving well means digging into the tough stuff and making hard decisions. It’s messy and often painful. But it’s far more difficult in reality than it is on paper.

But God’s love is a different kind of love. He takes what is broken and gives new life.

He began teaching me how to love, sacrifice, and fight for our daughter even if she never loved me back. God began teaching me in a new and different way, how to die to self and love like Jesus.

The details of your story may be different. But chances are you’ve experienced a time when it hurt to love. Maybe you’ve struggled with your rebellious teenager who has turned from you and God and is walking a dangerous path. It could be your spouse, friend, work, church, or anywhere you’ve invested yourself and your heart.

Friend, we are wired for love. Not just to receive love. But to give love, as well.

However, when we rely on that need to be fully met by earthly means or of our own strength, we have a problem. Human love is imperfect. It’s not God’s love. Our love is fickle and eventually falls short.

God’s love shines brightest in the darkest places. He reaches into pain and guides us out with the light of His love.

God fills our hurting places, giving us the strength to love well. And He reminds us that when those we love cannot return our love as we need them to, He can.

The enemy tries to tell us differently. He wants to distract us from the unconditional love of God. He wants to pull our eyes off Jesus so that we will lose hope and believe lies.

When others betray us, forget us, or fail to acknowledge us, Jesus doesn’t. He will never betray or forget us. And He will always acknowledge us when we go to Him.

Do for other people everything you want them to do for you. If you love those who love you, do you deserve any thanks for that? Even sinners love those who love them. If you help those who help you, do you deserve any thanks for that? Sinners do that too.  If you lend anything to those from whom you expect to get something back, do you deserve any thanks for that? Sinners also lend to sinners to get back what they lend. Rather, love your enemies, help them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then you will have a great reward. You will be the children of the Most High God. After all, He is kind to unthankful and evil people. Be merciful as your Father is merciful. 

~Luke 6:31-36

Our goal as followers of Christ is to grow more like Him each day. That includes dying to self and loving as He loves. Jesus is often slighted, forgotten, and placed at the bottom of our to-do lists. Yet, He continues to love and bless us. What if we make this our prayer and our challenge? What if we declare today to love even when loving isn’t easy? And what if we declare today as the day we stop looking anywhere else but Jesus for a love that defines our worth?

Dear Jesus,

Help me die to self and love like You. Help me love when loving isn’t easy. When I’ve put the weight of perfect love on imperfect people, turn my eyes back to You, Lord. You love me unconditionally and your perfect love fills my every need. Thank You for that. I want to seek that love from You alone. Please give me an unquenchable thirst for Your Word and guide me to wholeness and victory through each precious Word.

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen

If we could all die to self and love like Jesus, what a beautiful world it would be! Broken hearts would be extinct and evil would be erased. As believers, we have the privilege of knowing that a world like that awaits us in Heaven. But for now, what if we do our part? What if we bring a little bit of heaven down to earth?

Lord, help me die to self and love like Jesus.

As a wife, adoptive and biological mom, teacher, writer, speaker, and coach, Lori’s heart is to encourage others to meet the challenges of life with the hope of Christ. Wherever you find yourself today, you can find the encouragement you need through her work at www.LoriSchumaker.com. In her award-winning book, Surrendered Hearts, she weaves lessons on letting go, trusting, and living surrendered to Jesus through the telling of her family’s adoption story. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Amazon.

The Pray Big Sisterhood

Every morning, I wake up and lift my heart to God in prayer.

I praise Him for His glory and goodness.

I surrender my agenda and expectations to His greater kingdom purposes.

I yield my desires to do His will.

And, then I ask for Him to move a mountain.

I cry out to Him for that mountain to crumble.

I believe that God is bigger than any obstacle or stronghold.

Yet, my mountain remains — immovable and unyielding.

Do you have a mountain?   I bet you do.

Like me, you may be discouraged by the darkness that looms large in your view.

You aren’t alone. If we sat down today in my kitchen and shared our stories, I bet we would see similarities.

Together, we would ask God to move two mountains.

With worshipful hearts, let’s keep crying out to the Lord for those mountains to crumble.

Let’s pray big!

To help you get started, I’m sharing a copy of My Pray Big Prayer Calendar with you. Join the Wildfire Faith Community and  grab a copy in our Faith Fuel Library. Print out your copy and start each morning inviting God to strengthen your step and breathe fresh wind into your weary spirit.  

 If you are visiting from Lori’s today,

welcome to my little space on the web!

Here you will find fuel for a wildfire faith to help you

• • LOVE DEEP: Fervently extend God’s kindness and grace to pesky people.
  • PRAY BIG: Go down fighting on your knees with fire in your bones.
  • HOPE FULL: Stay tethered to a confident anticipation that keeps your heart ablaze.
  • STAND STRONG: Rest courageously on God’s promises with red-hot resolve.

SIGN UP TO GET WEEKLY #FAITHFUEL IN YOUR INBOX.

YOU’LL RECEIVE “4 SUREFIRE WAYS TO IGNITE YOUR FAITH” AS MY GIFT TO YOU.

YOU’LL ALSO GET ACCESS TO THE PRACTICAL RESOURCES IN OUR PRIVATE FAITH FUEL LIBRARY.

Challenge:

Begin each day this week by praying: Lord, help me die to self and love like Jesus.

ARE YOU STUCK IN A SPIRITUAL RUT?

Want to love like Jesus, but need help?

I CAN PARTNER WITH YOU TO HELP YOU SPARK A TRANSFORMATION IN YOUR LIFE.

CHECK OUT MY COACHING SERVICES TO DISCOVER STRATEGIES TO REKINDLE YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE.