I Lay Down My Life For You

You cannot take my life because
I lay it down willingly.
I give my life, so that you may live.
No, you don't deserve it,
but there is no greater demonstration of love
than to lay down my life for His people.

Though you despise me, I love you.
When you persecute me, I forgive you.
Though you tell lies about me,
I know it's not about me.
It's all about Him.

I lay down my life for your sake.
I offer my life as a living sacrifice
because His love for you is so great
that I willingly pick up my cross
to bear the burden of the gift of His love.

Although the gift of His unconditional love
is burdensome at times,
I am keenly aware that it is, nonetheless,
a gift.

I lay down my life to be closer to Him.
I am willing to endure the pain of your rejection,
to be favored by Him.

Because I am His friend, I gladly lay down my life
because in laying down my life....
I am buried with Him,
I am resurrected with Him,
I am victorious in Him.

In laying down my life,
all authority is given unto me
in His name...
to conquer,
to claim,
to declare,
and to cast out.

In laying down my life
I am reborn into eternal life.

Therefore, I gladly lay down my life
to have eternal life in Him
making this temporary discomfort worthwhile
because it isn't about me.
It's all bout Him.

In laying my life down,
putting myself aside,
making his love for you more important
than any inconvenience that you may pose for me
in this moment .....

I can love you without condition
no matter how you treat me,
no matter what you say about me,
no matter how you feel about me.

Because He loves. I love.
Jesus, I lay down my life for your people
because you love them.
and I love you.

c2007 Arletia McInnis, The Prophetic Scribe

"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." 1 John 3:16 [The Outworking of Love]