Practice part 3
Theories are nice. But when you put what you believe into practice, that's when things really get going. That's when things get real. And here's the deal: I always talk about letting what's inside come out, right? Well, the deal is, what's inside DOES come out. All of the time. Or, rather, what you BELIEVE is inside comes out. Because you can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. That's why hurting people hurt people. And that's why loved people love people. What's inside comes out. It has to. Because whether its good, bad, or ugly, its too big to keep inside. Did you ever notice how people who don't display a lot of emotions eventually blow up? Because it builds and builds and builds until it has to blow. There's not enough room to just keep it all bottled up. Which, of course, is why we need healthy ways to express ourselves. And, again, theories are nice, but you have to put things into practice. You have to try things out. See if they work. And then, by putting them into practice--by practicing what we preach--we can let our practice make perfect. Instead of blowing up, we can being to practice self-control. Which, I always like to add, is a fruit of the Spirit. Grace isn't about just doing whatever you want whenever you want. All things are lawful, but not all things edify, right? Just because you CAN do anything doens't mean you SHOULD. And if you're spending your time judging people (PLEASE don't spend your time judging people...!), and then you're doing things you shouldn't be doing... well, that's why "Christians" have the reputation they do. Instead, practice what you preach. Make sure you're doing what you can do, instead of worrying so much about what other people are doing. And this isn't being self-centered. This isn't trying to get things at other peoples' expense. This is just taking care of business. Making sure you're doing what you should be doing. Focusing on God's love for you is what allows it to come out. Filling yourself to overflowing with what you've already been filled with. Receiving and releasing. Receiving BY releasing. Releasing by receiving. Its the Holy Spirit wildfire that feeds on itself (HIMSELF) and consumes everything EXCEPT itself (Himself). Love feeds on love. And nothing can stop love. And watch this: With my situation that I alluded to the other day... getting less than I could have is actually going to be more in the long run. More peace. More peace of mind. More relationship. If you can--I was going to quote the story about the guy who got his debt forgiven and then refused to forgive the debt owed to him, but I ran out of room. If you can let someone off the hook... they'll stop wiggling. And they might just end up an ally. They might just end up giving because they're not obligated to give. And even if they don't, the reward of doing a good things is to have done it. You can't preach forgiveness and mercy and love and then crush people when you have the chance. One more time for the cheap seats: Theories are nice. But when you put your beliefs into practice, that's when things get real. That's when things get powerful. That's when love as an idea becomes charity--love in action!