Follow part 5
Being a follower of God, or a disciple of Christ, means being a student of love. To me, it's that simple. Learning how to love by learning how we are loved. Letting God love us and loving Him back by loving the people we come into contact with. That, to me, more than anything else, is our EPIC (Eternal Purpose In Christ) destiny. That's why we're here. That's why we were created. The problem is that we get so mixed up so often. We focus so much and so hard to GETTING that we miss the glorious truth that love IS giving. You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving. So when we're talking about following... look at the example Jesus set. He gave His life for us. First He said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). And then He went to the cross and literally did that very thing. He put His money where His mouth was. He didn't just TELL us what to do. He SHOWED us what He do. He led by example. And, in so doing, He proved how great His love is for us. When we think about the New Commandment: Loving one another as Jesus loves us... we don't have to look very hard to find out how He loves us. One of my favorite songs in the whole world is the one that just says, "Oh, how He loves us..." To me, that's where our focus should be. And watch this: When you're focusing on how much God loves you--when you're filling yourself to overflowing with what He has already filled you with--that's when that love comes out of you naturally. That's when you don't have to worry about anything. You don't have to fake it until you make it. You don't have to decide (or judge) whether or not someone is worthy of love. When you focus on God's love for you, it manifests in love for others. It's too big, and too good, to keep to yourself. You can't keep it in. We live from the inside out, whether we know it or really understand it or not. What you believe is inside WILL come out. It has to. It's too big not to. So if you believe you only have hurt inside... that's what will come out. Hurting people hurt people. But loved people love people. Focusin on love--the love that God has given to us--is what allows us to give that love to others. Receiving it and releasing it. Breathing it in and breathing it out. Letting God love the hell out of us and then loving the hell out of each other. That's what this life is all about. That's how this gift of God--HIS abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of love--is experienced and enjoyed. We experience the love we've been given... by giving it away. Love IS giving. Laying your life down for your friends. Giving everything you have and everything you are. That's what life is all about. And that's how we follow God. It's not about obeying rules or fitting into a box. It's about God and people. Loving God and loving people. Loving God BY loving people. And, by the way, when you're ruled, and controlled, and motivated by love... you won't need all those rules. Because it won't be in your heart to do anything but love people. Forgive people. Edify people. See a need and meet up. Train up a child in the way he SHOULD go. Help people. That's what love is all about. Giving people what you have. Giving people who you are. BEING who you are by KNOWING who you are. By believing that you are who God says you are. The biggest and best way you can follow God is by knowing the truth and letting the truth set you free and make you free. Embracing the new (true) you that is Christ in you, the hope of glory! And letting the God... the love... that is inside you come out! That's where He leads, and that's how we follow!