While reading several books, two of which were on parenting, the authors presented our relationship with God in such a way that shifted my belief of how God viewed me and what is most important to Him. I have favor with God. I have God's favor no matter what choices I make. There is no choice that can keep me out of favor with Him or create a reason for Him to withdraw His favor. I knew this. But, it was only head knowledge. I did not believe this as Truth within the deepest parts of me.
So, I read and read and reread trying to make this paradigm shift become my reality. I am still reading wanting to live in this freedom of which they speak. God's light began pouring into my soul through each word illuminating the Truth of His love for me. For love, real love, honest, genuine love, can only be experienced in the context of relationship. It is for love and relationship that Christ died. And love is only true when we have freedom... the freedom to choose love or to reject it. God gives us choice. We are free.
When our choices are reflected in relationships full of harmony, we are choosing love. We know longer make our decisions based on our own comfort and sanity. We think of the other person, be it God, our mate, our friends, our children, our neighbors, or even strangers, instead of acting out of the me that tends to be in our face always seeking first place. Life is hard. We struggle. We get hurt. We have obligations and responsibilities. But when we act to create amiable relationships, we are exhibiting at least one fruit, self-control. Choosing love gives power to the Holy Spirit to manifest itself in us and our relationships will often exhibit many more fruits of the Spirit. "...the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."
As long as life sails smoothly, pride can enter in giving us the idea that these fruits are our own doing. Then the aim becomes the actions that give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to produce the fruits. We must remember we cannot control our actions into producing this fruit through a long list of do's and don'ts.
2 Corinthians 3:6-18 says, " 6 He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life. 7 The old way,[b] with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. 8 Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? 9 If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! 10 In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. 11 So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever! 12 Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. 14 But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. 15 Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. 16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image."
Yet, we live bound by the Old Covenant which burdens us and causes anguish and conflicts. We know what we should be because we created a list of actions that will get us there and yet we see a difference between what we should be and what we think we are. (Butterfly) To be free, we must see that when we were born again we were made new, washed clean, given a new heart, a pure heart. Our evil hearts died with Christ. "But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law." (Galatians 3:13)
God wants to lift the burdens we impose on ourselves that come when we try to control an evil heart with our lists... an evil heart that does not exist anymore. These burdens are compounded by a fear of failure. We don't often act out of freedom. We act out of fear of disappointing God with our failure. This fear of disappointing God and even others restrains our faith--keeps us bound by external controls, bound by lists of do's and don'ts, bound by the law... BOUND... NOT FREE. "Freedom comes by breaking a preconceived mold you have fastened around yourself." (Butterfly)
The fruit of the Spirit is produced when we take the focus off ourselves and our actions and their outcomes and put a priority on relationship and love. We will mess up, but it's like a baby learning to walk. When children learn to walk, do they make mistakes? Isn't that an absurd question? Of course not, the scenes I remember in my own children's lives were filled with happiness, hope, and excitement at every bit of progress. It was fun to see their delight in learning something new. They could sense my pleasure and feel my love. They were even eager to try again (eventually) after falling. If a baby were afraid of falling, he would never take the first step. But, because of love and encouragement, he has no fear and learns to laugh when he falls.
So... Slow down. Let others see your weaknesses and don't be afraid to fail now and then. Be secure in your relationship with God, in the love He has for you. You already have His favor.
We are free... "So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law." (Galatians 5:1) We are free to do as we choose. Free to build relationship and show love or free not to. The focus of our actions isn't the outcome of those actions, but what the actions speak into the relationship and the love we present. "For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:13-14)
Will others experience this freedom because of you? What will you do?
(This train of thought was produced from reading Parenting on Purpose by Danny Silk, Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Faye, and Lord, I've Felt Like A Worm For So Long, It's Hard To Think Like A Butterfly! by Joan Wilson. Any quote or direct idea not referenced from the Bible (NLT), was taken from Joan Wilson's book.)
As long as life sails smoothly, pride can enter in giving us the idea that these fruits are our own doing. Then the aim becomes the actions that give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to produce the fruits. We must remember we cannot control our actions into producing this fruit through a long list of do's and don'ts.
2 Corinthians 3:6-18 says, " 6 He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life. 7 The old way,[b] with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. 8 Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? 9 If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! 10 In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. 11 So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever! 12 Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. 14 But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. 15 Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. 16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image."
Yet, we live bound by the Old Covenant which burdens us and causes anguish and conflicts. We know what we should be because we created a list of actions that will get us there and yet we see a difference between what we should be and what we think we are. (Butterfly) To be free, we must see that when we were born again we were made new, washed clean, given a new heart, a pure heart. Our evil hearts died with Christ. "But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law." (Galatians 3:13)
God wants to lift the burdens we impose on ourselves that come when we try to control an evil heart with our lists... an evil heart that does not exist anymore. These burdens are compounded by a fear of failure. We don't often act out of freedom. We act out of fear of disappointing God with our failure. This fear of disappointing God and even others restrains our faith--keeps us bound by external controls, bound by lists of do's and don'ts, bound by the law... BOUND... NOT FREE. "Freedom comes by breaking a preconceived mold you have fastened around yourself." (Butterfly)
The fruit of the Spirit is produced when we take the focus off ourselves and our actions and their outcomes and put a priority on relationship and love. We will mess up, but it's like a baby learning to walk. When children learn to walk, do they make mistakes? Isn't that an absurd question? Of course not, the scenes I remember in my own children's lives were filled with happiness, hope, and excitement at every bit of progress. It was fun to see their delight in learning something new. They could sense my pleasure and feel my love. They were even eager to try again (eventually) after falling. If a baby were afraid of falling, he would never take the first step. But, because of love and encouragement, he has no fear and learns to laugh when he falls.
So... Slow down. Let others see your weaknesses and don't be afraid to fail now and then. Be secure in your relationship with God, in the love He has for you. You already have His favor.
We are free... "So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law." (Galatians 5:1) We are free to do as we choose. Free to build relationship and show love or free not to. The focus of our actions isn't the outcome of those actions, but what the actions speak into the relationship and the love we present. "For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:13-14)
Will others experience this freedom because of you? What will you do?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i41qWJ6QjPI&list=WLwiFxMSOCGPraCS9HeFJZh_hHE0I8SyEe
(This train of thought was produced from reading Parenting on Purpose by Danny Silk, Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Faye, and Lord, I've Felt Like A Worm For So Long, It's Hard To Think Like A Butterfly! by Joan Wilson. Any quote or direct idea not referenced from the Bible (NLT), was taken from Joan Wilson's book.)
