As If Your Life Depended On It





This year, the theme for MOPS is PLUNGE, Love as if your life depended on it!

 MOPS International tends to use The Message translation of the Bible for their themes, mainly because it speaks so easily to us.  Here is the verse passage that we are using this year:

“Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless — cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help. That way, God's bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he'll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything — encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!”  1 Peter 4:8-11 (The Message)

Did you read that passage?  Good.  Now go back and read it again.  Yes...I'm serious.  Read it again and take a few moments to really meditate on it. 

Peter believed that the Lord was coming back soon and was imploring Christians to serve and suffer in God's name, for His Glory.  This means denying ourselves and thinking of others first.  It's a lot easier to write or talk about than to put into practice!

Peter pleads us to have a serious prayer life.  Do you pray?  Or do you just talk about praying?  Do you "pray without ceasing?"  Is your speech pleasing to the Lord?  Do your words in daily conversation coincide with your belief that God is always present?  Don't get wrapped up in using big words or "churchy" speech in your prayers.  Be real with God and pray anywhere, all the time, silently or out loud.  You will draw nearer to Him that way...and your strength will come.
     
Peter pleads us to love our fellow believers.  Do you often find yourself thinking about what you SHOULD be doing, and then convienently forgetting about it, ignoring opportunities, waiting for things to pass or blow over?  Do you see your friends hurting, suffering from loneliness?  Are you denying self in the interest of reaching out to them, to ease their burdens, their pain?  Do you take the time to even notice that they are dealing with these issues?  Are you overlooking them because they are different than you are and that makes you a little uncomfortable?
      
Peter pleads us to show hospitality to one another. Are you inviting people into your home? Are you taking what you've been given and using that to bless others?  Can you lift someone's spirits by sending them a text to let them know you are thinking of them?  Can you comment on their facebook posts to let them know that you are interested in them?  Can you grab an extra drink at McDonalds or Sonic and drop it off to a friend's house to let them know that they crossed your mind?  Can you make a double helping of your dinner and bless a busy Mom with a nice, home cooked meal?  Do these things without thinking of what it may add to your already busy schedule.  Do them with a cheerful heart.  It will end up blessing your heart at the same time you are blessing others.  I guarantee it.      

Peter pleads us to use our gifts to serve.  This is where we all usually insert a heavy sigh.  We are ALL tired.  We are ALL busy.  We are ALL capable of doing more.  Quit using so much of your time and effort to serve things that don't matter.  Don't get huffy and puffy because I just wrote that.  Use your time and efforts to serve the Lord, in His name. 

LOVE as if your life depended on it.  LIVE as if your life depended on it.  After all, doesn't it?  Doesn't your life matter?  Don't you want to make an impression on this world, on your community, on your friends, on your family?  Decide now to make a difference, more of a difference...take the PLUNGE. 

This past year has been a difficult one for me.  We uprooted our family from the only home, the only friends we have ever known and moved to a community where everyone and everything just seemed different than us.  At first, I dove head first into trying to make new friends, new connections.  It was so much harder than I thought it would be.  Honestly, I took a long break...a very seflish one.  I decided maybe I didn't need new friends, new connections.  I told my husband, "what do we need new friends for?  I still maintain daily contact with my old friends.  My best friends will always be there for me.  I can live with that.  You and these kids are all I need to be happy."  Have ya'll ever been in that place?  Told yourself that you didn't really NEED close friends because all you ever need to be happy is to be with the ones you share your home with?  I believe that can work for awhile.  I believe that you can be satisfied that way for long periods of time, maybe forever.  I do NOT believe that you can be truly happy, truly fulfilled, truly YOU without giving up a little of yourself to the ones around you.  I think that, after almost a year of living here, I've finally gotten over myself enough to realize that I need to make myself vulnerable again.  I will be happier reaching out to others.  I want to make more friends.  I want to have a deeper connection to you girls.  Get to know me and I'll get to know you.  We all owe it to ourselves to dig deeper, to be pursuant of each other, to make ourselves a little uncomfortable in order to gain long term blessings of friendship.  This is what the new year, the new theme is all about. 

MOPS released this statement on their website:

Taking the plunge in relationships is being authentic and going deeper. In a MOPS group, relationships offer hope to moms, especially as moms go deeper and take risks to create authentic community. All facets of relationships can be strengthened through taking risks, going deeper and showing authentic love – neighborhood, friendships, marriages, extended families, the world around us and ultimately relationship with God.

 God designed us for community.  He even sent people like Peter to give us instructions: “Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless — cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help. That way, God's bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he'll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything — encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!” 1 Peter 4:8-11 (The Message)

So...join with me in taking the plunge...lets get over our insecurities, be transparent with each other, show each other our weaknessess along with our strengths.  Commit to digging deeper and showering each other with the blessings of our time.  Ready, set, go!