What would it be like if, for one week, I did EVERYTHING the Lord asked me to do?

This question was asked in our ladies life group a few weeks ago and the thought intrigued me.  What if…the body of Christ did all the things that Holy Spirit whispers into our ears or speaks to our hearts?  You know that ‘still small voice’, the thought that comes into your mind to give someone a call, or the person you just can’t get out of your mind. So many of these thoughts I tend to just push out of my mind thinking it’s ‘just me’, but is it?  Or could it be that God, through Holy Spirit, is speaking to me, asking me to step out of my comfort zone and into His sphere of influence?  Could it be that God placed in me the ability to lift someone else’s spirit or to encourage someone along their walk, or maybe, just maybe, He wants me to go see my neighbor down the road who doesn't really know Him that well to tell them how much Jesus loves them?  Could it be that I just might be able to get through to the person that no one else could?

I don’t always have the confidence to do these things and sometimes I even simply do not do them because it’s an inconvenient time. I just have too much on my plate already or it’s just to hard. I don’t want to embarrass myself or those around me.  But the truth is, God never promised following Him would be easy.

When He told us to ‘take up our cross and follow Him’ what exactly did He mean?  Is it possible that He was trying to tell us that following Him was not going to be a walk in the park? That instead it would be hard and somewhat painful, that people would not always understand where we are coming from, that in fact they may even make fun of us for following Him or perhaps despise us, and yet He still expected us to love?  To love like God the Father loved when He gave His only Son as a sacrifice for our sins. To love like Jesus did when He willingly went to the cross to suffer for our sins even though it was difficult for Him. After all Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen to Him before He even went through with it.  Would I be willing to love like that if I could see what the outcome would be?

I’m not so sure. But when God asks me to step into the places that are hard, painful and sometimes smelly or dirty I know one thing…my heart’s cry is that God would break my heart for what breaks His because I so desperately want to be like Him. I not only want to be loved, but I want to love like He does. The only way for that to happen is if I listen to His voice and do what He asks. be ahead of time?

Lord, help me to truly be your hands and feet, and give me a heart that loves like you do.