Nature part 4
If it's your nature, it's what comes natural to you. That makes sense, right? So if you're doing what comes natural to you, you don't need to struggle with it. You can let it flow. Let me quote John 7:38 again, but this time from the Amplified Bible, "He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water." A couple of things here. First being--to believe is more than just saying, "Yeah, I think God is probably real." It is so much more than that. It is cleaving to Him. Trusting in Him. Relying on Him. It is, quite literally, putting our lives in His hands. Making sure that when we do what we do, we are doing it in the right way, and for the right reason. Doing it heartily--to the best of our ablilites, and because it is in our heart to do it. That's love. And love is maximum effort. That's why when I talk about rest I always try to qualify it by saying, "Rest is NOT inactivity. Rest is Holy Spirit directed activity." And, since the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth that leads and guides us into all truth--the ultimate truth of the universe that God is love and He loves you--we can be assured that the Holy Spirit will never direct us to do anything except love. Now, having said that, I want to point out Acts 16:6, "Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia." The Holy Ghost--the Holy Spirit--knows what's best for you. I Rant all the time about how I know that I am not for everybody. We don't need to--and shouldn't--put ourselves in bad positions under the label of "loving everybody." Some people you need to love from a distance. That's just the way it is. You don't have to be against them. You can turn the other cheek and refuse to retaliate. But you don't have to stand there and let people continue to slap you. What father would want his son to be abused? So when we're talking about letting what's inside flow out from innermost being, when we're talking about living naturally and not struggling all the time, that goes for relationships too. If you have to force it all the time, and it just doesn't fit, maybe it's not for you. That's ok. Not everything--or everybody--is. If it doesn't fit, don't try to wear it. Just be natural. Just be cool. Let the Holy Ghost lead you. Those who are led by the Spirit of God are called (or identified as) the Son(s) of God, right? People will know we are disciples of Jesus by our love. It's all about love. And as badly as we want love, the truth of the matter is that loving people is the most natural--and the most holy, and the most powerful--thing that we can do. Let me say it like this: If you want to feel love... love somebody. Give what you've got. Joy in THEIR joy. But don't try to force a square peg into a round hole. Let it go and let it flow. Let love guide the way, but make sure you are loving in the right way. Sometimes you try to "love" someone too hard and they can't handle it. They reject it. And it feels like they're rejecting you. Sometimes less is more. Sometimes the least you can do is the most you can do. So just let the love that's inside come out. Naturally. By believing in--cleaving to, trusting in, and relying on--the God who is love!