Conversion part 4
If you're not picking up what I'm laying down... I can just shrug my shoulders and move on. I don't feel compelled, at all, to convince you that I'm right and you're wrong. Especially when you consider that I'm trying to learn and grow myself. I don't think I know everything. Well, actually, 1 John 2:20 says, "But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." So we DO know it all, it's just a matter of understanding what we know. Accepting the truth. Because a lot of the other translations of this verse talk about "truth" instead of "all things." Which, to me, is the same thing. If you know the truth you know everything you need to know. If you know the truth you can ignore the lie. You don't have to struggle with it, or listen to it, or defeat it. You can simply ignore it. And here's the truth: "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand" (John 3:35). God is love and He loves you. That's the ultimate truth of the universe. If I could only tell people one thing about God, that would be it. God is love and He loves you. Everything else flows from there. Now, having said that, if you believe God hates you... I don't think there's a whole lot I can do to convince you otherwise. If you've experienced, in your mind, a harsh, angry, hateful God... the only way I can convert you is to show you something different. Trying to "chapter and verse" you isn't to work. Again, there are some people in my life who I can trade memory verses with and that can build us up. But for the most part, with Joe Blow on the street, someone being nice is more important (and more effective) than someone preaching at them. Especially when you consider that most "sermons" these days are simply sin hunts. Religious folk trying to get the sin out of the camp. What we need, especially these days, are some righteousness hunts! Not telling people what's wrong with them, but telling people what's RIGHT with them! It is the GOODNESS of God that leads man to repentance. It is the goodness of God--and the finished work of the cross--that allows man to reevaluate things. For a long, long time we've all heard what the world is screaming at us. At some point we ought to listen to that still, small voice that's deep inside that says, "I love you, I love you, I love you" with every beat of God's heart in our chests. I guess my point is--if God's too much of a gentleman to force His will upon us... I'm not going to try to force my will upon anybody either. If God can let people do what they're of a mind to do... so will I. If you don't want what I have to offer... that's ok. I can love you anyway. I can help you (as much as possible) anyway. Or I can shrug my shoulders and move on. Know when to say when. That's one of my mottos. And, listen, love IS maximum effort. Giving everything you have and everything you are. But once you've given something all you've got, it's either enough... or it's not. And either way, you've done what you can do. So don't worry about it. Do your best and forget the rest. Don't try to force people to be you. Let people be who they are... and love them anyway. Don't love them in spite of the differences. Love them BECAUSE of the differences! Celebrate people's uniqueness. Love people, and watch how that makes everything better!