The Hardest Part

I was just reading a story about a 7 year old boy who successfully completed a swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco's shoreline this weekend. Yes, you read that correctly, a seven year old boy. Braxton Bilbey has had that feat as a goal ever since he read about a 9 year old doing it last year. So he trained, got the right equipment, and lined up a support team. Everything was in place for him to succeed.

When they asked Braxton what the hardest part was, he said "the swimming."

LOL

I was reading today how the religious people in Jesus' day had developed a series of rules - 613 of them in fact, to "help" people please God . When pressed by them to give His understanding of what someone should do who wanted to please God, Jesus said:

29-31Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these." Mark 12 (The Message)

What's the hardest part of all of that?

The loving.

It's not easy to sustain all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy, is it? And there's the fact that to love people you have to... well, love people.

It might sound impossible, but remember, nothing is impossible with God. Give Him your everything, and you'll lack for nothing. Including everything you need to live a life pleasing to God.

Grace!

David
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