I’m learning that loving people is the path to helping others find a meaningful relationship with Jesus. When I love as He loves, others can actually experience who God is through me. As I reflect God's love, people can’t help but be introduced to Him. I used to try to share my faith with a lot of words and scriptures. I tried to live out (as well as impose on others) godly principles, obligations, and rules. I thought a relationship with God was all about “doing what’s right and avoiding what’s wrong”. I thought the goal was to get to heaven and avoid hell. I lived in the question that the pharisees lived in, “What must I do to have eternal life?” Then I realized, the reason Jesus always seemed to be answering a different question than they were asking was because they were asking the wrong question. They were looking at life through the wrong lens. Jesus was trying to get them to change their whole paradigm. If you think that you have to “do” something to earn it, you will stay on that exhausting treadmill that never gets you anywhere. You will always feel conditionally loved (which is not love at all). It’s not about what you must do, but about seeing what’s already been done. It’s about opening your eyes to how loved you are. About seeing your true unsurpassable worth through His eyes as well as seeing others unsurpassable worth.
Our salvation is not based on being good or bad, right or wrong, in or out. Salvation is a work that was done for us 2000 years ago. It's not something to work toward, but to wake up to, so we can walk in security and freedom, manifesting who we are... children of God. We are loved no matter what choices we make, that is settled. Our choices matter in so far as they carry natural consequences that can bring us and others either pain and suffering, or healing and wholeness. God cares about our choices because He cares about us. He, like any good parent, only wants what will bring His children the fullest life possible.
Language like “right/wrong, good/bad, in/out” all have to do with eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We were never meant to eat from that tree. When we eat from that tree, we ask all the wrong questions because we come from a place of fear and judgement instead of from a place of love. When we live our life from the tree of knowledge of good and evil instead of the tree of Life, we are deceived and live independent of Him. We end up trying to save ourselves. We don't see the truth of what has already been done for us, and therefore, can't enjoy the freedom and security of walking with Him and resting in Him.
My husband and I have 5 children, three biological sons who are now in their 20′s, and 2 daughters we adopted from China that are 10 and 6. As my older children hit their teen years, my religious world came crashing down. The “formula” didn’t work. I couldn’t understand. We raised our children in church from birth. In fact, it consumed most of our time. We fed them scriptures and tried to model the “good” christian life… When my children began to struggle, I felt frustrated. When they did wrong, I was disappointed in them, and when they did right, I was proud of them. I figured that's how God felt about me when I did right or wrong. I reflected the image I had of my Father. I viewed Him as a conditional lover, someone to fear if I didn’t do what was right.
As I'm getting to know my Father's true nature, I’m reflecting a completely different image. I’m beginning to love my kids where they are. I'm learning to crawl into their pain with them and really listen to them. I'm realizing that I can validate their feelings without condoning their actions. As I reassure them of their preciousness in the midst of their mess, and remind them that our love and God’s love for them never changes, it sets them free to be honest with themselves. I'm discovering that walking with them in love has far greater impact than shaming them ever did. Shame and condemnation seek to control external behavior. Walking in love opens a door for trust and influence.
Psychiatrists say there are only two primary emotions: Love and Fear. All other emotions stem from one of these two primary emotions. Fear and love cannot co-exist. As I begin to get a glimpse of how perfectly I am loved, fear is being driven out. God says, perfect love drives out fear. I have spent too much time in the past operating from a place of fear because I believed it was more powerful than love. I was wrong. Love is much more powerful. The best fear can offer is temporary conformity. It never actually heals what is driving the behavior. Love is a better way, love transforms.
Our salvation is not based on being good or bad, right or wrong, in or out. Salvation is a work that was done for us 2000 years ago. It's not something to work toward, but to wake up to, so we can walk in security and freedom, manifesting who we are... children of God. We are loved no matter what choices we make, that is settled. Our choices matter in so far as they carry natural consequences that can bring us and others either pain and suffering, or healing and wholeness. God cares about our choices because He cares about us. He, like any good parent, only wants what will bring His children the fullest life possible.
Language like “right/wrong, good/bad, in/out” all have to do with eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We were never meant to eat from that tree. When we eat from that tree, we ask all the wrong questions because we come from a place of fear and judgement instead of from a place of love. When we live our life from the tree of knowledge of good and evil instead of the tree of Life, we are deceived and live independent of Him. We end up trying to save ourselves. We don't see the truth of what has already been done for us, and therefore, can't enjoy the freedom and security of walking with Him and resting in Him.
My husband and I have 5 children, three biological sons who are now in their 20′s, and 2 daughters we adopted from China that are 10 and 6. As my older children hit their teen years, my religious world came crashing down. The “formula” didn’t work. I couldn’t understand. We raised our children in church from birth. In fact, it consumed most of our time. We fed them scriptures and tried to model the “good” christian life… When my children began to struggle, I felt frustrated. When they did wrong, I was disappointed in them, and when they did right, I was proud of them. I figured that's how God felt about me when I did right or wrong. I reflected the image I had of my Father. I viewed Him as a conditional lover, someone to fear if I didn’t do what was right.
As I'm getting to know my Father's true nature, I’m reflecting a completely different image. I’m beginning to love my kids where they are. I'm learning to crawl into their pain with them and really listen to them. I'm realizing that I can validate their feelings without condoning their actions. As I reassure them of their preciousness in the midst of their mess, and remind them that our love and God’s love for them never changes, it sets them free to be honest with themselves. I'm discovering that walking with them in love has far greater impact than shaming them ever did. Shame and condemnation seek to control external behavior. Walking in love opens a door for trust and influence.
Psychiatrists say there are only two primary emotions: Love and Fear. All other emotions stem from one of these two primary emotions. Fear and love cannot co-exist. As I begin to get a glimpse of how perfectly I am loved, fear is being driven out. God says, perfect love drives out fear. I have spent too much time in the past operating from a place of fear because I believed it was more powerful than love. I was wrong. Love is much more powerful. The best fear can offer is temporary conformity. It never actually heals what is driving the behavior. Love is a better way, love transforms.
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