Consequences part 2
God doesn't punish us for sin. He saved us from sin. I really don't like the "religion" that we've created that is basically, "Be good or else." Get right or get left. God only loves people who don't mess up. Because, in my humble opinion, all of that is nonsense. God loves us. Period. Always has, always will. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Nothing. Not what we do (or don't do) or what anybody else says or does. God created us in order to love us. He IS love. That's not just what He does. That's who He is. That's His very nature. Which makes it OUR very nature. Point being--He's not concerned with anything but love. And here's the deal--sin DID (in a sense) "separate" us from God. Because when Adam and Eve sinned they hid from the presence of God. Now hear this: God was still there. He swore He would never leave us nor forsake us. He was still there. But man was hiding from Him. Running from Him. Fleeing Him. Because man thought He was mad about the sin. Well, as far as I'm concerned, sin is unbelief. Believing anything other than the Word (which is Jesus, which is love) of God. Believing the lie that the serpent hissed into our ear way back in the misty garden of Eden that says you have to do in order to be. Again--the LIE. But when you know the truth you can ignore the lie. When you know you are loved by your heavenly Father at ALL times... you don't have to try to work for it. You can simply receive it and release it. Receive it by releasing it. Release it by receiving it. You can let what's inside come out. And since we're talking about consequences, we need to understand that loving people has a consequence too. When you love someone, lots of good things happen. I always say, "If you want to feel love... love someone." Because love is giving. Giving everything you've got. Laying your life down. But you can't give what you don't have, and you can only give what you do have. So you have to know what you have. You have to let God love you. And the consequence of letting God love you... is that you'll love Him back by loving people. You'll be able to fill yourself to overflowing with His love, because you'll be able to know and believe that you're already filled with it. And love feeds on itself (Himself) and grows and grows. The consequence of love... is love. A Holy Ghost wildfire that starts with one small spark. One small act of love that builds and builds, and grows and grows. The pay it forward deal. When you do something for someone, you are equipping and empowering them to do something for someone else. When you see a need and meet it you are taking that person out of a position of lack, or need, and into a posture of abundance. Those are good consequences to acts of love. Charity--love in action. Like Mother Theresa said, "If you want to change the world, go home and love your family." Pour yourself into those that God has connected you to. Give what you've got. Stop trying to get what you think you haven't got. That's where, and when, and how, we get into trouble a lot of times. Focusing on what we don't have instead of what we do have. Just give what you've got--the love that you've got--and see some amazing consequences follow!