Nature part 3
The trick is to stop trying to be something and just let what you have--who you are--flow naturally. That's how nature works. You can't force nature. You can't fake it until you make it. And, listen, I think it's probably better to force yourself to be nice when you don't feel like it than to be mean. Self control, believe it or not, is a fruit of the Spirit. Being nice when you don't want to isn't being fake. It's being mature. But, as always, there's a more excellent way. A more excellent Way. Capital W. Because that more excellent Way IS the Way (and the Truth, and the Life). That more excellent Way is Jesus. Love. And better than pretending to like someone (when you don't) is loving someone. Loving EVERYONE. I saw this in a TV show one time where they said a goofball character was too nice to people. And he responded with, "Oh, I just like everybody. It's easier that way." And that's kind of how it feel. It takes to much energy to hate people. And I don't want that negativity in my life, in any event. It's unnatural. If love is our nature--and it is--than anything outside of that is unnatural. And if you're filled with love--and you are--then there isn't room for anything else. So why give your three T's (Time, Talent, Treasure) to things that you don't need and don't have room for anyway? Why not, instead, set your affection on things above, and not things on the earth? Sounds smart to me. Sounds peaceful. We get so bogged down when we focus on the wrong things. Worrying about what's wrong instead of celebrating what's right. Exhausting. Pointless. To me, that's the thief that Jesus spoke about. We rob OURSELVES of the gift we've been given when we focus on all the wrong things. And, really, I believe that we have an internal compass. Our heart. It (HE, Jesus, love) will lead us. If we will follow. If you want to understand your "new" (true) nature... let your heart guide the way. Trust your gut. Follow your heart. Do the things you do because it is in your heart to do them. Understanding the fundamental, unconditional, ultimate truth of the universe--that God is love and He loves you--is the only way for us to accept and embrace who we really are. We want to be loved. We need to be loved. So if we don't know that we are loved, we will do anything we can to get that love. We'll try to be anybody we think we "should" be in order to get what we want. We'll try to do anything to get what we need. But, again, that's unnatural. That goes against our true nature. Our true nature is one of rest. Of flowing. Not fighting. Not scraping and clawing. Not swiming upstream and trying to get, get, get. I think I'm gonna hit this hard tomorrow, but our natural position is a posture of rest. That's when what's inside flows out. God's grace fills us up to overflowing so that we couldn't keep it in if we wanted to. And it's so good that we won't--when we really understand what it is--we won't want to keep it in. Love is giving. When you give... you love. And when you love, you feel love. Giving what we have and who we are from a posture of rest that is only possible because of the grace of God... that's why we're here. That's why we were created: To be loved and to love each other with that same love!