Content part 5
Being content is knowing, understanding, and accepting what you've got and who you are. Not trying to get anything, or be anybody. And that's only possible when you see yourself in Christ, and when you see Christ in yourself. Because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Without Him we feel incomplete. Without Him we feel like we're lacking something. (I want to point out that really there is no such thing as "without Him" because He swore He would never leave us nor forsake us, but again, it's not the TRUTH that sets you free... it's the truth you KNOW that sets you free.) This journey into the heart of the matter--God's heart beating with love in our chests--starts at the end. It starts with a finished work. It starts with glory, even as we are changed into the image that we were created in FROM glory TO glory. As we BE transformed (into what we have already BEEN transformed into) by the renewing of our mind. But even in this it's about being content. Not about TRYING to renew our mind, but by LETTING God renew our minds for us day by day. Not by trying to think God's thoughts, but by letting God think His own thoughts in us. And we know the thoughts that He thinks toward us: Thoughts of peace and not of evil. What happens when we mark the perfect man? The end of that man is peace. Where does our contentedness (if that's a word) come from? It comes from within. Not from circumstances, but from the unshakeable Rock that is the Kingdom of God. Righteousness, peace, and joy is found in the Holy Ghost. We are the temple of the Holy Ghost. The Kingdom of God is within us. It's all on the inside, bursting to get out. Filling us to overflowing with what we have already been flilled with as we apprehend what we've been apprehended of. It's understanding what we know. That same Holy One has given us and unction and we know all things. We know the ultimate truth of the universe--that the Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hand. And the more you know, the more you grow. The Holy Spirit--the Spirit of Truth--leads and guides us INTO all truth. It testifies of our true identity by testifying of Jesus. The light of the world--Jesus, US--shines, and we can see clearly that we have everything we need (because we have Him) and we are who we need to be (because we ARE Him). As He is, so are we in this world. What's true about Jesus is true about us. That's what the cross did--it conformed us into the image we were made in. It showed us who we are by showing us who God is. That's what the Gospel is--it's the good news. Not that God is mad at us unless we do this, this, and this, but that God is mad ABOUT us. That He's already reconciled us to Himself. That He did all the work so that we could enjoy the fruit of His labor. The fruit of the Spirit, which is love. He did it all so we could get it all. And now we have it all. So we can stop trying to get anything. We can stop chasing it and start receiving it. Start enjoying it. Start sharing it. We can BE loved, and we can love one another. Because that's not just what we have... that's who we are! We are LOVED, and we are LOVE. Jesus is God in the flesh, love in a body. God in OUR flesh, love in OUR body. And when we know what we've got, and who we are, that's when we can truly be at peace. That's when we can truly be content. That's when we can truly live the abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life by letting Jesus live His own life in, and through, and as us!