Open and Honest part 2
If we're being open and honest (which I know is just about the last thing most of us want to be) I think we all have insecurities. We're all a little bit afraid about love. Which is why it's so important to understand that there is no fear IN love. Perfect love casts out fear. We don't have to be afraid. We don't have to worry about whether or not people will love us. And we really don't have to worry about whether or not people will love us back. I think, on the surface, that's the biggest concern with loving others; we're worried that we'll give them what we've got, and they won't return it, and we'll be left with nothing. But there's a very simple solution to this problem, and it's found in 1 John 4:19 (NLT), "We love each other because he loved us first." We don't have to worry about losing what we've got because we're connected to the eternal, everlasting source. We don't love in order to be loved. We love because we are loved. Remember, you can't give what you don't have, and you can only give what you do have. The love we have for others comes from the source. The God who IS love. His love fills us to overflowing and comes out of us naturally. Effortlessly. Fearlessly. I'm telling you, understanding this Father/Son relationship, and living in the context of Sonship, is what allows us to partake of the Divine Nature. It's what allows us to live Jesus' life by letting Him live it in us, and through us, and as us. It's what's equips and empowers us to live. Because to live is to love and to love is to live. We live BY loving. And we love others because He first loved us. His love isn't just better than life, His love IS life. Eternal, everlasting, abundant, Resurrection Life. To me, the definition of "abundance" is a life filled with love. But just as perfect love casts out fear... fear seems to cast out love. It's almost like you can pick one or the other. And it's almost like picking fear is easier. Because we have "evidence" to back up our fear. But love takes faith. (And faith works by love.) But what is faith? The evidence of things not seen, right? We don't always "see" God's love because it's buried down deep. The HIDDEN man of the heart. And the scary stuff is right there on the surface. The world is screaming at us while Daddy speaks in a still, small voice. What you see is what you be. And what you see is directly related to what you look at, and what eyes you use. Natural eyes see natural things, and judge according to appearance. Spiritual eyes see what's really there. The deep calling out to the deep. The unseen things that are eternal. Spiritual eyes are dove's eyes. And the dove is the bird of peace. Spiritual eyes don't judge according to appearance, or good and evil, they judge righteous judgment. They see others (ALL others) as different parts of the same body. As beautiful creatures worthy of love. And when we see things that way we don't have to be afraid to love. Because we're not trying to get anything from anybody. We've already gotten what we need from Daddy, and we're simply spreading the wealth. It really is more blessed to give than to receive. But you have to receive first so that you HAVE something to give. God had to love us first. Prove Himself faithful. So that we could walk by faith and not by sight. So that we could ignore the lie and be led by the truth. So that we could know and believe the truth. That Daddy loves us. So that we could be open to His love, and be open to loving each other!