Comforted part 2
I believe in a good, happy God. I'm sorry. I just do. God is love. And love isn't always easy, but it (HE) always believes for the best. Works for the best. All things work together for our good, right? So why do we have this "I was made to suffer on this earth but maybe, some day, pie in the sky, things will be ok" attitude? Revelation 5:10 tells us that Jesus, "...hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." Jesus said that He came for us to have LIFE, and that more abundantly. We put so much emphasis on the afterlife that we seem to take the life we've got for granted. Like we're trying so hard to make sure we have a good afterlife that we make our life miserable. And here's the deal: Even in that case--ESPECIALLY in that case--we need a Comforter. I always say the people who are the hardest to love need love the most, right? Because they aren't getting it anywhere. Because they're hard to love. That's why I look for misfits. And I try to embrace them. Sometimes it doesn't work. Sometimes people don't pick up what I'm laying down. And that's ok. Because I tried. And once you give something all you've got either it's enough... or it isn't. And either way you've done what you could do. When we see someone who is miserable, that's when we need to press in. But we need to do it in a way that they CAN pick up what we're laying down. You can't just smother someone and expect that to work miracles. Because people love in different ways, and people receive love in different ways. That's where wisdom, and understanding, and connection, and relationship comes into play. If I'm having a bad day and you give me some chocolate... that might go a long way towards cheering me up. But not everybody works like that. So we need to know who we're dealing with. We need to know HOW to love people. And here, of course, is the Divine Order of things: God has comforted us. That's how (and why) we can comfort each other. All good and perfect gifts come from Him. We have what we need to not just survive in this life, but to thrive. And we thrive... by loving people. By helping people. By giving what we've got to people. Sharing that gift that we've been given. Receiving and releasing the love of God. The forgiveness of God. The mercy of God. The grace of God. The comfort of God. So my good, happy God loves me and comforts me. And that equips and empowers me to love and comfort you. There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus, right? So why do we go around condeming ourselves and each other? Why aren't we filling ourselves to overflowing with what God has filled us with so that we can give it back to Him by giving it to each other? And this isn't me condemning you. It's me trying to edify you. To pump you up. To give you the ball so you can run with it. I'm here to try to let you know who you really are and what you're really capable of. I believe that we are Jesus. God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in our flesh. Love in our body. So if He is good and happy... we can be too. We can rule and reign right here and now. We can give all those things that He has given to us. We can comfort others because He has comforted us!