When you look in the mirror you need to stop seeing what's on the surface. You need to start seeing what's deep inside. Look at Ephesians 5:27 in the NLT, "He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault." This is what happened on the cross. This is what it means to be conformed to the image of God's Son. If you look at the surface, you see spots and wrinkles and blemishes. But that's not what's real. What's real is the perfection of Jesus--the perfection that IS Jesus--within you coming out of you as you fill yourself to overflowing with what you've been filled with. As you look at the mirror with an unveiled face. No longer can the accuser's lies have any effect on you. Because you know the truth. And the truth both sets you free and makes you free. Don't we get it? There is no condemnation in Christ. Because there is nothing to condemn. We are holy and without fault. As He is, so are we in this world. Don't we get it? Jesus TOOK AWAY the sin (unbelief) of the world. And now, "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (1 John 3:9). If you look in the mirror and see a sinner... look again. A believer, by definition, cannot sin. Because a believer cannot unbelieve. Right? And, listen, I'm not talking about moments of doubt. I'm not talking about making mistakes. We're human. We make mistakes. We do dumb stuff. But making a mistake does not disqualify you from anything. And it doesn't change who you are. You ARE the righteousness of God in Christ. That's your identity. The inner man. The hidden man of the heart. The true you. So if you make a mistake, that doesn't change your identity. All that does is make you the righteousness of God in Christ who made a mistake. And guess what: If you never make a mistake you can't learn from your mistakes. I think we can all agree that more is learned from failure than from success. Most of the time you have to do it wrong before you can do it right. That's not failure. That's learning and growing. Not being someone you're not, but learning who you really are. Learning how to BE who you really are by letting Jesus reveal Himself to you, and in you, and through you, and as you. I'll say it again: Filling yourself to overflowing with what you've been filled with. The love inside filling us to overflowing and coming out. Naturally. That's what we see in the mirror. Because that's the truth. The accuser's lie said, "You have to do in order to be. You have to earn God's love." But the truth of the matter is, God loves you. Period. He always has and He always will. Jesus presented us to Himself--again, conformed us to His image--by washing us with the Word. And the Word is love. Love got rid of our blemishes and our spots. The things we didn't like about ourselves that we thought we needed to change, or overcome. Jesus took care of it. He showed us who we REALLY are by showing us who HE really is. We live in Him. He lives in us. That's the man in the mirror. That's who we see when we stop looking AT ourselves (and each other) and start looking INTO the mirror!

If you don't know what you really look like--and you don't like what you THINK you look like--then it only makes sense for you to try as hard as you can to look like something (or someone) else. But when you do that, when you try to be someone you're not, what you end up doing is missing out on (and robbing others of) who you really are. Which is really kind of tragic because, well, look at Psalm 138:14, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." You are fearfully and wonderfully made. And the correct response to seeing yourself that way--seeing yourself clearly because the light of the world is shining on you, and in you, and through you--is to praise God. Not to curse Him. Not to try to change. But to see the change that took place on the cross. Remember now, in the beginning we were made in the image of God. But we didn't know what WE looked like because we didn't know what HE looked like. We were dark, and void, and without form. So God said, "Let there be light." He gave us His only begotten Son, so that we might BE His only begotten Son. On the cross Jesus CONFORMED us to the image we were made in. He showed us who we really are by showing us who God really is. Jesus told Phillip, "If you've seen me, you've seen the Father." No man comes to the Father but by Jesus because you can't experience that Father/Son relationship until you know (and believe) that you ARE the Son! As He is, so are we in this world. I'm in Him, and He's in me, and He's in the Father. We are all together. And since He is altogether lovely... we are lovely all together! Different parts, but the same body. So when I look in the mirror--with an unveiled face... once the stone of the Law has been rolled away and I know there is no condemnation in Christ--I don't see surface stuff. I don't see blemishes and spots. I don't see mistakes and actions. I see what's underneath. What's deep inside. The inner man. The hidden man of the heart. And when I see it... I be it. Then the hidden man isn't hid anymore. The secret, Christ in you the hope of glory, is out! What's inside COMES out! Naturally. Simply by knowing and believing it's in there. Because a light doesn't try really hard to shine. A light shines because that's it's nature. It's not just what it does... it's who it is. God IS love. It's not just what He does... it's who He is! And (I'll say it again), as He is, so are we in this world. So His nature is OUR nature. He is love... and we are love. We are LOVED, and we are LOVE. It's not just what we do, it's who we are! We are His mirror image. Made in His image, and conformed to the image of His beloved Son. When you know you are loved, you can love. When you know God as your Father you can behave as His Son. You don't do in order to be, you do BECAUSE you be. When you see it... you be it. You can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. That's why the Father gave us the Son; so that we might have something to give to others. That's the New Commandment for the New Man: Love one another as Jesus loves you. Receive it and release it. Give what you've got. Be who you are!

I want to use today to Rant about one of my favorite Bible verses. And yes, I know they're all my favorite. My pastor is the same way, and I'm happy to take after him. But this verse I pretty much wrote a whole book about. (Identity Crisis, check it out.) Ready? 2 Corinthians 3:18, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." The context here is the Law of Moses being a veil. And when that veil is taken away, that's when we look into the mirror (or glass) with an open face. Basically, "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14). When the Law is preached, sin (unbelief) revives. Because all the Law can do is point out your failings. It demands perfection without being able to produce it. It can only tell you what is wrong with you, not what is right with you. Only grace can SHOW you what is right with you. You look in the mirror--with the eyes of grace--and you see the real you. You see Jesus. You see the glory of the Lord, and you are changed into that image FROM glory TO glory. Remember we started this Rant series with the truth that we were made in His image? We aren't changed from crap to glory. We start with glory. We start with being the light of the world. But it takes Jesus--also the light of the world--shining in our hearts before we REALIZE what we are. WHO we are. It's when we stop looking AT things and start looking INTO things that we see what's really there. Not the surface stuff. Not actions, or appearances. But the deep stuff. The real stuff. The inner man, hidden man of the heart stuff. Not what you do, but what you believe. Because what you do FLOWS from what you believe. Behavior modification (which is what the Law tries to do) doesn't bring a real, lasting change. It can't. It's external. And real lasting change--from glory to glory--must come from within. We look in the mirror and see what's really there. And then we fill ourselves to overflowing with what we've been filled with. And then it comes out. Naturally. All on it's own. Not try really hard to be someone you're not. Not fake it 'til you make it. But instead... "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly" (Matthew 11:29-30 MSG). It's about rest. The unforced rhythms of grace. It's about recovering your life. Not trying to be someone you're not, but understanding (and BEING) who you really are. Not trying to live Jesus' life--nobody can do that except Jesus--but EXPERIENCING Jesus' life as He lives it in you, and through you, and as you. Seeing your true self in the mirror. Seeing JESUS in the mirror. And then, when you see YOURSELF correctly, you can begin to see OTHERS correctly. Once you receive it, you can release it. Once the truth is true for you... that's when you can be a witness and share the gospel. Share the love!

We were made in God's image. Just exactly how we needed to be. Even when the heaven and the earth (the mind and the body... you!) were dark and void and without form, all God had to do was say, "Let there be light." That happened in the beginning. Jesus is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. But that is also what came to complete fulness of manifestation on the cross. We were made in God's image. But the problem was... we didn't know what He looked like. So we didn't know what WE looked like. That's why it was so easy for Eve to swallow the lie that the serpent hissed in her ear. She thought, "do in order to be" made perfect sense. The fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil looked good. It made perfect sense to the carnal mind. "I'm not good enough right now, but if I get enough knowledge about good and evil, I can do good, stop doing evil, and be accepted." Not knowing that we were already accepted. Already loved with a perfect love. See, the cross didn't change us into something God could all of a sudden love. He always has and always will love us. The cross turned us into something that could RECEIVE God's love. That's what the Holy Spirit is all about; the Spirit of truth that leads and guides us into all truth. The truth that the Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hands. The truth that your heavenly Father loves you. Just the way you are. And not this idea that, "God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to leave you that way." Because that idea goes right back to, "You're not good enough." And I'm here to tell you, you ARE good enough. The problem isn't the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. If you think you're not good enough, at the end of the day, that's how you're going to act. Because what you do flows from what you believe. That's why, on the cross, God conformed us to the image of His Son. We were made in His image, but we didn't know what that image was. So Jesus came and He showed us. He gave us the measure of faith by giving us something (someone, Himself, love) to believe in. He shined the light of the world so that we might see clearly. See HIM clearly, and in so doing see OURSELVES clearly. Because He shined the light of the world... and revealed to us that we ARE the light of the world! He filled us up to overflowing with His Spirit so that we could let the love that's inside of us come out by filling ourselves with what we've been filled with. And that why I called this Rant series, "Mirror Image." Because it starts with ourselves. It starts with looking in the mirror and seeing Jesus looking back at us. Because what's inside comes out. When you know and believe it's in there. You can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. So it's vitally important to KNOW what you have. I think we rob ourselves of the gift we've been given when we try to earn something that can't be earned. Something that can only be recieved and released. Something that's already inside of us. We love God (by loving each other) because He first loved us. He gave us something. So now we can give something other than what the world gives us. We can love no matter what. Not letting what's without dictate to us, but letting what's within fill us to overflowing and come out naturally!

I preach, and Rant, all the time about being Christ-centered (people-centered) instead of being self-centered. Because I believe that's why we're here. We're here to be loved (by God) and to love God (by loving one another). Receive and release the love of God. That's WHY we were created. But look at the first part of Genesis 1:26, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." We were made TO live and love--which is really the same thing, because to live IS to love and to love is to live. But the part we so oftentimes miss out on is the truth that we were made IN His image. I always quote 1 John 4:17, "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." And I think sometimes when we see that word, "judgment," we immediately think about judging others. Which I also preach, and Rant, about all the time. Because we are not supposed to judge others according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment. That's a big part of being Christ-centered, or people-centered. Changing our perspective so that we see things (and people) as they really are. But this doesn't just apply to others. It applies to US. And I think it's almost MORE important--certainly AS important--that we see OURSELVES as we really are. Because you can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. I completely agree with the old saying that goes, "How you treat others says more about you than it does about them." If YOU are hurting, you're probably going to hurt people. Because that's all you have to give. If you see yourself as a "sinner" (which really means "unbeliever") then at the end of the day you're going to sin. What you see is what you be. What you see in the mirror defines who you believe you are. And everything you do flows from what you believe. That's why behavior modification never brings real, lasting change. Even if you're afraid of getting punished for doing what you want to do... at the end of the day you're going to do what you want to do. That's something I learned pretty early in my ministry: People do what they want. And oftentimes they don't even think about anybody but themselves. I think, for the most part, people aren't AGAINST anybody. They're simply FOR themselves. They think they lack something and will do whatever it takes to get that thing. But love isn't about GETTING. Love IS giving. So in order to love, we must first receive it. So that we have something to give. 1 John 4:19 says it like this, "We love him, because he first loved us." (And, again, we love Him BY loving each other.) He loved us first. He gave us something. He gave us His Holy Spirit--the love receptor--so that we might be able to receive and release His love. That's what the cross was. The cross was not changing us into something God could love. He always has and always will love us. The cross changed us into something that could RECEIVE His love. Know and believe His love. Look at Romans 8:29, "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." We were MADE in His image, but didn't know it. So on the cross God CONFORMED us to the image of His Son. He showed us who we are by showing us who He is. By showing us His love. The love of a Father to His Son!

What you see is what you be. So when you see love... you be love. When you stop looking at surface stuff--when you set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth--you can see what's deep inside. You can see that we are all the same. We are all in this together. We are all different (but necessary) parts of the same body. The New Man has a different perspective than the old man. The old man thought he was missing something. So he spent his three t's (time, talent, treasure) looking for love in all the wrong places. Trying to do whatever it took to get what he thought he was missing. And if he had to climb over someone else to get it, well, you better just hope you weren't in his way. Because he was more than willing to knock you down. Not necessarily because he was AGAINST you, but because he was FOR himself. Self-centered. Selfish. But, again, that was the old man. And that old man died in the watery grave of baptism. The old man was made from the dust of the ground. The New Man is the Lord from heaven. The New Man doesn't see things the way the old man did. Because the New Man has doves' eyes. He sees the grace in God's eyes when He looks in the mirror. And when He sees through the Holy Spirit--our love receptor--He sees clearly. He sees things as they really are. He sees the inner man. The hidden man of the heart. What you see is what you be. When you stop dealing with stuff on a surface level, on the "earthly" level, then you can start to experience heaven on earth. In earth as it is in heaven, right? That's Kingdom living. That's what's available to us. Because it was the Father's good pleasure to give us the Kingdom. And He did so by giving us the King. Hebrews 2:8-9 says, "Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus..." All things ARE under our feet. But we don't necessarily SEE all things under our feet. We need to change our perspective. Change what we see by changing HOW we see it. BE transformed (into what we've already been transformed into) by the renewing of our minds. By LETTING the mind of Christ (that's already in us) BE in us. We don't always see all things under our feet. But we see Jesus. We see Him in the mirror when we look with an unveiled face. We see Him in each other when we stop judging by appearance and start judging righteous judgment. We see Him when we look for Him. I believe, for the most part, we find Spiritual things when we are looking for them. When we look in the right places. We find grace to help in times of trouble when we come boldy to the throne of grace. We find grace in His eyes. We find love when we go to the source, instead of looking for it in all the wrong places. We enjoy the gift we've been given when we stop running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to earn something that can't be earned. It's not about taking the Kingdom by the violence of human effort. It's about receiving and releasing what's already inside us. Looking within, instead of without. Knowing and believing that we have what we need, and sharing it with those who need it. Which is everybody. Filling ourselves to overflowing with God's love and letting that love come out. Naturally!

A New Man sees things differently. Because He has found grace in the eyes of the Lord. His doves' eyes have transformed Him into a dove. No longer does he let external factors dictate His reality. Because now He can see clearly. He can see beyond the surface stuff. No longer looking AT people--and judging them, and defining them according to what they do--but now looking INTO people and seeing what's deep inside. Seeing the heart. Look at 1 Chronicles 28:9 in the NLT, "And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever." I don't want to focus on the forsaking and rejecting part, except to say that God swore He would never leave you nor forsake you. That's the New Covenant that we're in. What I want to focus on is the truth that God sees every HEART. He knows every plan and thought. And I know that sometimes we get what we think is a good idea and it falls apart in the execution. "It's the thought that counts" right? Because people make mistakes. Our actions don't always accomplish what they wish we would. In fact, oftentimes our actions produce the opposite result. We get caught up in the moment. We react to what's happening around us. We don't turn the other cheek, but give an eye for an eye. Because from our perspective, "You try to hurt me, I'm gonna hurt you!" That's what makes sense to the carnal mind. And that's why we need to repent. Something has happened that allows us--equips and empowers us--to think differently. To understand that most of the time people are not AGAINST us. They are FOR themselves. And if we get hurt that's just unavoidable collateral damage. And if we change our perspective--be transformed by the renewing of our mind instead of conforming to the world--we can break the cycle. We can show people a more excellent way. Heap coals of fire on their heads in order to melt their hearts. Destroy our enemies by making them our friends. We can give them what WE have, instead of taking what they have and giving it right back. If someone hurts you because they're looking for love in all the wrong places... what better opportunity is there to show them where love is found? You talk about opening someone's eyes. "But why are you loving me, when I just did you wrong?" Because love isn't about what you do. It's about who you are, and who your heavenly Father is. "I'm loving you because I'm loved. Period. I have what you need and I'm more than willing to share it. Because it's too good to keep to myself." That's a new perspective. Not, "I'll scratch your back IF you scratch mine." But, "If you're itchy... I got your back." Not trying to get anything, but sharing what we've got. And in sharing it--in giving it away--we truly experience it. Because it is more blessed to give than to receive. We HAVE received--through the Holy Spirit--and because of that we have something to give. Something that everybody needs. Love.

When you're filled wtih grace--up to your eyeballs--you become graceful. You see things differently, and you react to things differently. Instead of letting what is outside dictate to you... you let what is inside dictate to what's going on. You don't judge according to appearance, but you judge righteous judgment. You receive and release the love of God. You let Him love you--by knowing and believing that He DOES love you, though the Holy Spirit--and you love others with that same love. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, right? The beginning and the end? And God is love. So that means LOVE is the beginning and the end. We start with love, end with love, and very quickly find out that love is everything in between. And here's the key: We have to, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2). I'll tell you, you CAN stumble over things and find what you didn't even know you were looking for. You CAN get knocked off your donkey and blinded by the light like Saul when he was changed to Paul. But for the most part it goes like this, "And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Luke 11:9). We find it when we look in the right place. When we look within. When we set our minds on things above and don't let the things that are already under our feet drag us down. When we stop making mountains out of molehilss and start to understand that Jesus brought the mountains low and the valleys high. He made the way straight. And now we can just lay all that stuff aside instead of letting it trip us up. We don't have to decide who "deserves" love and who doesn't. We don't have to judge according to good and evil. We can understand that good and evil are on the same tree, and we can understand that Jesus cursed that tree because it couldn't produce any fruit. We can forget about that tree altogether and focus on the OTHER tree. Not the tree of knowledge of good and evil (the fig tree), but the Tree of Life! And the fruit of THAT tree is the fruit of the Spirit. Which is love. It's all about love. We feast on it until we are filled to overflowing with it. We stop looking for love in all the wrong places when we know that we are connected to the source. When we know that He is the vine, and we are the branches. He produced the fruit, because He IS the fruit, and all we do is bear it. All we do is share it with those that we come into contact with. Because that's what our new perspective reveals: Everybody needs love. It's the most basic human desire. Everybody needs it... and we have it. So let's give them what we've got. No matter what they might do. If they do something "bad" it's probably because they're trying to get what we've got any which way they can. So instead of punishing people, let's have compassion. Let's see them the way God sees them. The way He sees US. Let's change our perspective, and be transformed by that renewing of our mind. We already have the mind of Christ. All we have to do is let the mind of Christ that we already have BE in us. We have to USE it. What good is a gift if you leave it in the box and never use it? If you don't use it, in a sense, you lose it. Because you rob yourself of the gift you've been given. And you rob all those you come into contact with of experiencing it with you, and through you! Receive it and release it!

Genesis 6:8 tells us that, "...Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." Because that's where grace is found. In the eyes of Jesus. Which, if you remember the total and complete lack of separation between us and Jesus--He is our true identity, and as He is so are we in this world--what we come to understand is that we find grace in each other's eyes. Some cultures believe that the eyes are the windows to the soul. They show what's inside. There is grace, and mercy, and LOVE inside. All of us. Sometimes it's buried down deep under a whole mountain of surface stuff, but it's down there. The inner man. The hidden man of the heart. So when our perspective is twisted around, that's all we see. We see--and judge--according to appearance. What people do, instead of who they are. And we label them that way. "He's a liar." "She's mean." And we treat them accordingly. But guess what, you can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. So if someone is lying to you, chances are they've been lied to. If someone is mean, chances are someone was mean to them. So at that point we have two choices. 1. We can give back what they give us and keep the cycle going. Or 2. We can change our perspective, turn the other cheek, give them what WE'VE got instead, and break the cycle. True compassion is getting hurt by someone and trying to figure out--and help them with--the pain that THEY are in. Look at what John 1:14 says about Jesus, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." The Word--love--was made flesh. Love... in action. Charity. And look at what He was full of: Grace and truth. Jesus was full of grace. Graceful. Why do you think grace was in His eyes? Because He was filled to overflowing with it. There's a progression in Song of Solomon that looks like this: "Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes..." (Chapter 4 verse 1). Then, "My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her..." (Chapter 6 verse 9). And, of course, the dove is the Holy Spirit. So first she--the bride of Christ, the Lamb's wife-- has doves' eyes. She (we) sees with the Spirit. With grace. With love. Then she BECOMES the dove. Because what you see is what you be. When you see Jesus in everyone it's much easier to get along with everyone. Much easier to love everyone. And when they do something you don't like... you're not just full of the truth about them... you're also full of grace! You can give them room to learn and grow. To make mistakes without getting disqualified. To get corrected instead of punished. That's the right perspective. We're all in this together. We're all parts of the same body. We're all ONE. The Lamb's wife is but ONE. One New Man (if I can mix my metaphors). With a new nature. A love nature. Not just what we do, but who we are. A New Man with a new mind--the mind of Christ. A New Man... with a new perspective!

What we see is defined by how we see it. Our perspective defines our reality. Because what you see is what you get. Seeing is believing. All that stuff. So here's my point for this Rant series: Saul thought he was doing God's work by persecuting Christians. It wasn't until he was knocked off his donkey and blinded by the light--basically he was totally and completely reset, even to the point of receiving a new name (nature)--that he was able to see what was what. And look at Acts 9:17-18 because this is powerful. "And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there feel from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized." My focus is the scales, and that part's gonna be cool in a minute. But did you guys know that "Ananias" means grace? Grace entered the house and everything changed. Dark became light. Blind could see. That's what grace does. Grace isn't freedom TO sin, grace is freedom FROM sin. Because when we see better, you know better. And when you know better, you do better. What you do flows from what you believe. What you know. Again--seeing is believing. What you see is what you be. "Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2). We see Him and we be Him. Because we live in Him and He lives in us. There is no separation. No difference. Jesus said, "I am my Father are one." 1 John 4:17 says, "...as he is, so are we in this world." Jesus is our true identity. God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in OUR flesh. Love in OUR body. So when we see Him as He is, we be Him as He is. Because as He is, so are we in this world. What gets us in trouble is the scales on our eyes. Look at Job 41:15, "His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal." Get it? Saul thought he was a man with a plan. He was getting after it. Doing God's work. But he had scales on his eyes. He was blinded by his pride. And the Holy Spirit--that came with the sound of a great rushing wind--couldn't fill him because he was shut up with a close seal. It's like when we "guard" our hearts by shutting them down instead of actually guarding them by keeping them open. Open to love. God fills us to overflowing with His love and it comes out of us naturally. We see that love, be that love, and share that love. But it's all about perspective. Not looking AT people, and judging them by what they do, but looking INTO people, seeing the heart, and letting them be who they are. The Holy Spirit is our love receptor. Without that wind stirring up what's inside of us it can lay dormant. Kind of like, "If you don't use it, you lose it." What's inside wants to come out. I believe we are bursting at the seams with love. But if we don't know it's in there--if we can't see it because of foolish pride--then it doesn't do us much good. We keep trying (in our own strength) to be someone we're not... because we can't see who we really are. Our perspective is screwed up. But grace is the remedy. Grace sets us free. More on that tomorrow!