Filled part 4
Eating is how we fill ourselves, right? We are what we eat, right? So diet is important. What you fill yourself up with is what will come out. Because what you believe is inside WILL come out. Whether it is good, bad, or ugly. Now look at Leviticus 25:17-19, "Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God. Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety. And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety." Don't opress people. Be kind. Listen to God and do what He says. Obedience, I'm telling you, is a trust issue. If you believe that God has your best interests at heart, why would you not do what He's telling you to do? Especially when you consider that what He is telling you to do--the only thing God ever tells us to do--is love. Love God and love people. Love God BY loving people. Love controls us. Either because we don't think we have it and we do everything we do in order to try to get it... or we know and believe that we DO have it, and we do everything we do in order to share what we have. Its all about love. Either the quest for, or the giving of, love. And when we understand that we are loved, that we have love, that's when we can stop trying to get it. When we understand that the gift of God is just that--a gift--then we can stop trying to earn something that can't be earned. And here's the cool part: When we listen to God, when we do His statutes, and keep His judgments, we dwell safely in the land. The Promised Land. The land that flows with milk and honey. And dwelling therein means eating the fruit. When we love God (by loving one another and not oppressing one another) the land yields its fruit to us. When we give love, we experience love. That's what love is; love is giving. When you're trying to get, you're robbing yourself from experiencing what you already have. When you give, you're experiencing what you have. If you want to feel love... love someone. Eating the fruit is nice--its necessary. It sustains us. Fills us up--but sharing the fruit is even better. In the book of John Jesus speaks of Him being the vine and us being the branches. Think about that for a minute. What do the branches do? They bear the fruit. They extend the fruit to those that are hungry. That's what the branches are for. They are connected to the vine, and they reach out to the rest of humanity. Receiving and releasing the love of God. Letting what He has filled us with flow out of us. How? By doing His statutes and keeping His judgments. Obeying the New Commandment--love one another as Jesus has loved you. And understanding that God's judgment was not to kill His Son. God's judgment was to bring His Son back to life after Jesus sacrificed His life for us. After Jesus gave His life for us, and to us. God's judgment is life! Eternal, everlasting, abundant, Resurrection Life! That's what eating the fruit of the Spirit does for us. It (love, HE) fills us up. And when we are filled to overflowing then what is inside comes out. Automatically. Naturally!