Today I had my initial appointment with my oncologist to discuss the plan going forward. Based on the results of my surgery and pathology, at this time, there is no specific medical treatment necessary. I have an appointment scheduled for genetic counseling and testing to explore any potential genetic predispositions my siblings and I may need to be aware of. I will have a follow up CT scan in the next few months and will follow up with the oncologist about those results. I have a follow up appointment scheduled with my oncologist in six months. Best news possible! For all the "God is good" people, and he is, let me hasten to remind you... My circumstances do not determine the goodness of God! Yes, we are excited about the news I received today; however, had the news been different, God would still be the same! Most of the text that follows is an edited version of excerpts from a previous sermon outline.
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-39. In order to fulfill the second commandment, we must first fulfill the first commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Heart, soul, and mind – with everything that you are!
Love God:
Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Colossians 3:2
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
These three verses, among many others, demonstrate to me the need to be intentional in loving God. We must be intentional in our thoughts and shift our thoughts from worldly things to the things of God. The mind is the gateway to the heart. That which we dwell upon consumes us and fills our heart. When we are intentional with our thoughts and focus on the things of God we are able to align ourselves with the heart of God and our desires give way to his desires for our life. The key to doing so is spending time in the word of God. This should be a lifelong commitment.
Love Your Neighbor:
1 John 4:7-11
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Romans 12:9-13
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
Philippians 2:1-4
Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
The command from Jesus is quite clear: Love your neighbor as yourself. These three passages simply provide further detail as to what loving your neighbor may look like. Loving your neighbor is sacrificial. As God sent his only son for us, we should live our lives for the benefit of others. Loving your neighbor is a commitment. It perseveres through tribulations. Loving your neighbor is humbling. You should look out for the interests of others rather than only looking out for yourself. In doing so, you strive to live in one accord linked by the common bond as brothers and sisters in Christ.
As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we should first love God and second
love our neighbors.
Loving your neighbor is a challenge! Many people assume that the challenge comes simply from the inherent challenge of dealing with other people. Our worldly nature through pride and selfishness will lead to personal conflict. This does indeed result in some challenging times of loving our neighbors. I do not disagree with that at all. However, I think the ultimate challenge of loving your neighbor comes from the simple yet profound phrase found at the end of the command: as yourself.
As Yourself:
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
I would argue that many people struggle to love themselves which would therefore result
in a difficulty to love their neighbors as Jesus intended. People struggle to love themselves because they are bombarded with the lies of the world that cast doubt in their minds as to who they are and what their worth is. This goes back to being intentional in our thoughts and what we are dwelling on. Too often we view ourselves in light of our failures rather than in light of Jesus' victory!
As you are intentional in your thought life and your desires give way to God’s desires, your love for God grows. As your love for God grows, your love for yourself grows. Not because of anything you have done, but because of what God has done for you. You come to a greater understanding of who God is and who you are in God’s eyes. By loving your neighbor as yourself, in light of who you are in God’s eyes, you are showing your neighbor the love of God. As you fulfill the first commandment it empowers you to fulfill the second commandment. As you fulfill the second commandment it empowers others to fulfill the first commandment. For me, loving my neighbor is done by showing up at work each day with a servant's heart and a positive attitude. I strive to serve both the students and staff of my campus and to do so with a smile on my face. In doing so, I am able to foster relationships built upon trust that enable me to love and encourage others. When the work day ends, the command to love my neighbor does not. My personality, passions, and preferences lead me to love my neighbors through the extracurricular involvement of students on both my campus as well as at the high school level. By choosing to show up to support athletes, managers, trainers, cheerleaders, artists of all kinds, coaches, directors, administrators, SRO's, parents, and siblings, I am able to love my neighbor more. I am able to further strengthen relationships already developed with the purpose of loving and encouraging others. That's the plan! PRAYER REQUEST: Praise God for healing! Praise God for the wisdom and guidance of the medical personnel team! Praise God for all those who have been able to support me! Pray for the many who did not receive good news today or are in the midst of treatments; the oncologist's office was full! Pray that God will continue to open doors for me to love my neighbor! Pray that I willingly and eagerly walk through the doors he opens! Pray for continued physical healing and recovery from my surgery.
Pray for my mental health, stress, and endurance as I return to work Monday 3/14. Pray for no unexpected medical bills to arise and for insurance to wrap everything up smoothly.
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