Chapter by chapter

In Matthew 15 we hear that Jesus is wanting to go to a desolate place to be alone, and pray with his Father. When I try and do this, I’m gonna be honest - I can be quite selfish. My mindset is like this - I’ve planned this time with God, no one should get in the way of this, I don’t want to talk to you, I just wanna go put on Ascend the Hill and read my bible. So, when someone does then start talking to me, well, I get a little annoyed. I mean, I’ve planned this God-time! This is MY GOD-TIME!

And so a discipline becomes selfish religion. Again. Heard that story before.

So, when Jesus is about to go for his Dad-time, when he sees the crowds, he does what I’m supposed - he has compassion. Instead of being annoyed, and telling them to go away, he has compassion. He loves them more (if that’s even possible). Because they chose to follow him even into the desolate place.

This is the setting up for the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus wants intimacy with his Father, the people followed him, Jesus provides for them. Sounds an awful lot like the gospel to me - surprise.

It’s another story. Along with hundreds of others that tell of Jesus’s love for us.

I wanna be more like that. You know, less selfish, more like Jesus. Kinda like a disciple.

This is especially applicable when it comes to living in Brazil. Being English, and being Me (well, more the ‘being me’ bit) I’m horrendously critical, and often too judgmental on things. So, being in a different culture where a lot of things are contrary to the true ‘British-ness’ of the commonwealth and all things civilised (because, you know, us Brits are the only form of civility yeh?), I find myself being selfish in regards to culture, and my opinions.

Changing this is a long process. I mean, where’s the line between conviction and opinion? I need to ask for discernment for things which are Godly, and things which are not, and then for forgiveness where I’ve made a religion about an opinion.

#discoveringmorethanjustaculture

Only for the King.

Jx