Now part 5
We have everlasting life through our faith in Jesus, right? I think we can all agree to that. But the fact remains that we only have ONE life to live. So rather than letting the past drag us down, or the letting the future scare us with what might (or might not) happen... instead of waiting for something to happen that happened 2,000 years ago... we ought to live right now. Which means we ought to LOVE right now. Because to live is to love. And to love is to live. You can't do one without doing the other because they are the same thing. What we need to do is find that balance. LEARNING from the past without letting it paralyze us, or define us. And keeping an eye on the future while enjoying the present. Walking by faith and living by faith. Trusting our heavenly Father to take care of us, and knowing (and believing) that He always has taken care of us, and He always will take care of us. That's what any good dad would do. The father is (traditionally) the provider, right? God provided everything we would ever need when He gave us His only begotten Son. When He gave us Himself. When He gave us His Holy Spirit. When He gave us His love. So instead of wasting our lives running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to be someone we're not, and get something we (think we) haven't got... we can rest. We can let go and let God, as they say. We can live. Right now. Because He lives in us. Right now. The past is history. The future is a mystery. What we've got is today. And its a gift. That's why its called the present. So what we ought to do is start ENJOYING that present. Even if we aren't exactly where we think we're supposed to be. Sometimes its a long and winding road. Sometimes you have to do it wrong before you can do it right. That's called learning and growing. And that's the maturation process that IS this abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life. Which, by the way, is also a present. Its the GIFT of God. You don't have to--and in fact can't--earn it. You simply have to receive it, and release it. Receive it BY releasing it. A love that is so good you just want to give it away. Beause that's how you experience love; not by getting, but by giving. Because love IS giving. Which means LIFE is giving. Giving everything you are and everything you have. And letting that be enough. You don't have to get a response, or a result. That's not on you. Your part is simply to give what you've got. To live from the inside out. To know and believe that God's love is in your heart, and to let it out. To let the Word (which is Jesus, which is love) become flesh as you act in love. Charity. Love in action. A life where you don't worry about yourself, but where you put others first. Which, unless you KNOW that God has your back and will take care of you, is almost impossible. But when you DO know that God has your back and will take care of you... that's when you can live fearlessly. That's when you can LOVE fearlessly. Which is what perfect love is. Perfect love casts out fear. Fear of rejection... gone. Fear of losing what you've got... gone. Fear of the past... gone. Fear of the future... gone. So that you can live... right now. LOVE... right now. This life is what we've got. And when we live a life of love we make the absolute best of it!