Live by Faith part 5
We live by faith... by walking by faith. Putting our money where our mouth is. And, like I've been trying to say--we DO live by faith, no matter what. Its just a matter of having our faith in the right thing. And here's where I want to make a very clear and loud distinction: There is a difference between "walking it out" and "walking in it." It seems to me that we have this idea in which, "Ok, Jesus finished the work. Now I need to walk it out." As if to say, He overcame, now we can overcome. But I've been saying it for a while, we've already overcome. Because He overcame. We don't need to try to overcome. We can have peace. In the world there's tribulation, but He (and us IN Him) has overcome the world. Let me say it like this: On the cross, Jesus fought (and won) the war to end all wars. Which means there are no more wars left. He brough the mountains low and the valleys high. Which means we can walk the straight and narrow path that leads to life. By letting HIM walk it with our feet. He IS the way. And the truth. And the life. Its all Jesus. Its all love. God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in our flesh. Love in our body. That's what we are to have faith in--have faith in God--which means have faith in love. So living by faith means living by love. Letting God love the hell out of us so that we can love the hell out of each other. But that's simply an overflow of what we've been filled with. That's not walking it out in our own strength or power. HIS strength is made perfect in weakness. What has been started in the Spirit cannot be made perfect with the flesh of human effort. And, listen, love IS maximum effort. You can't give somebody more than love. Love is giving everything you have and everything you are. And once you've done that its either enough... or its not. So stop trying so hard to please everybody. You can't. You CAN love everybody, but sometimes people think they're looking for something other than love. So when they get love, they disregard it. They don't receive it. And that's ok. Because love is not about the reaction you get. Love is giving. Again, giving everything you have and everything you are... even though it seems like the more you love the less you are loved. See, once you give someone a gift it doesn't matter what they do with that gift. You need to learn to love without expectations. Because once you've given it... you've done your part. Whatever comes next, comes next. And that, to me, is what walking IN love is all about. Look at Isaiah 30:21, "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." When we lose our way, that word--about the finished work--from behind us reminds us. This is the way. Love is the way. Don't try to walk it out. Walk ye in it. Live by faith by walking by faith. Live by love by walking in love. Do whatever you do because its in your heart to do it. Do what you do because you have something to give, not because you are trying to get something. Love is never about getting. Because love IS giving. A life of love is a life of giving. That's how we truly live--by giving ourselves to the people we come into contact with. Have faith in God. Have faith in love. And walk in it. The just shall live by faith... so just live by faith. Let the love inside come out by knowing and believing that its (HE'S) in there!