Mine part 2
We belong to our heavenly Father. But not in the sense of having to do what He says or else. That was the perception that the people had under the Law of Moses--even though there was an elaborate system of animal sacrifice in place to protect us from the supposed "or else." We belong to our heavenly Father in the sense of being His special possession. His favorite thing, if I can say it that way. Think about it, what kind of entity would create an entire race just to terrify and torture them? Not a God who IS love. And that's the key. Love isn't just what God does. Love is who God is. And since we are His--literally created in His image in the beginning and then conformed to His image on the cross--that's who WE are! As He is, so are we in this world, right? If He is love, then we are love. Jesus said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:5). And He also said, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid" (Matthew 5:14). It's the same light! Remember yesterday I was talking about Logan? Otherwise known as Mini-me? He walks like me and talks like me. There is absolutely no doubt in anybody's mind that we are father and son. He even looks like me. As I am, so is he in this world. And genetics are a big part of that. I don't think it's nature VS nurture... I think it's nature AND nurture. Second Peter 1:4 says it like this, "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." We are partakers of the Divine Nature. What's inside us comes out, naturally, when we know and believe that it's inside us. But that's where the nurture part comes in. I started this Rant series talking about Logan asking me why I love Him so much. And my answer being, "Because you're mine." But I didn't tell you what HE said when I asked him why he loves ME so much. He said, "Because you love me." I love him because he's my son. He loves me because I first loved him. And I didn't have to show him that in the Bible either. He learned that from experience. Heart knowledge. Which trumps head knowledge. Nurture is what allows us to fill ourselves with what we've been filled with. Nurture is what helps that incorruptible seed grow. Nurture is what brings forth our true nature! When we know (and believe) that we are loved, that's when we can love. You can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. When Logan was going to preschool, I picked him up one day, and when we were walking through the parking lot he saw one of his friends. And he looked at the boy, looked at me, and was clearly flustered about what to say or do. This is what came out of his mouth, "So... um... I love you!" And the other boy seemed a little surprised, but he said it back. His mom kind of laughed and put him in the car. I couldn't get the smile off my face. Because I have the kid who goes to "I love you" as his default. You talk about a proud papa! Alpha and Omega, right? Beginning and end? Start with love, end with love, and you'll start to understand that love is everything in between! We love because we ARE loved. And we ARE loved because we are His!