I can see it now.....

There's a worship song that says:

"Oh I can see it now
 Oh I can see the love in Your eyes
 Laying yourself down
 Raising up the broken to life"

Last night we sang this song in church and these words really came to life and began to challenge me.  These words are about Jesus laying down His life for us.  And the manner and attitude in which He did it.  He did it with such love in His eyes. He didn't despise us for the sacrifice He was having to make.  There was no bitterness or anger.  No regret or feeling of something owed.  But He laid down His life, with love in His eyes, so that our brokenness could be raised to life.

As believers we are also called to lay down our lives to help raise the broken to life.  We are called to lay aside our selfishness and help others.  We are called to be representatives of Jesus in a lost and hurting world.  The thing that challenged me last night though is this: am I laying down my life with love in my eyes?

I think often times we do decide to surrender and lay down our lives, but we do it with attitudes that are not what Jesus intended.  Maybe we surrender but with bitterness that someone else isn't having to give up as much as us.  Or we lay things down with the mindset that God owes us something for our sacrifice.  Or perhaps we lay down our lives simply with the thought that God is some sort of demanding and demeaning God that wants to punish or keep us unhappy.

The truth of the matter is that Jesus laid down His life with love in His eyes for you and I.  And we are called to do the same.  We are called to lay down our lives with love in our eyes for God and others.  We should be laying down our lives because we love Him so much!  And we should be willing to surrender our lives out of love for others, that we may help raise the broken to life.

As you surrender and lay down you life, what has been in your eyes?