Stand Fast part 5
Standing fast IN faith. Standing fast ON love. I can't stress enough how interconnected these two things are. Look at Galatians 5:6, "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avilath any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." Think about that. It's not anything external. It's faith working by love. It's what inside that matters. When you're standing fast--being still and knowing that HE is God, knowing that love is the only safe and secure foundation to build on--you're not running around like a chicken with its head cut off. When you know what you've got, you don't have to try to get what you think you haven't got. I feel like I talk about this all the time: The biggest problem I think we have, as humans, is that we're always trying to be someone we're not in order to get something we think we haven't got. We miss out on experiencing what we have by simply being who we are. God made you... you. And He did it on purpose. You are who you're supposed to be. And, listen, I'm not saying that we have all come to the end of the maturation process. It's a never-ending life. And the never-ending life is a never-ending journey into the heart of the matter. Which is the heart. It's not about "changing" into someone you're not. It's about discovering who you really are. Which is NOT who the world says you are, but IS who you are in Christ! Which is who Christ is in you. That's your true identity. You are the righteousness of God in Christ. Mystery solved. But it takes time to fully (or even partially) understand what that means. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2). We already are the Son(s) of God. But the trick is knowing and believing and understanding what that means. And the only way to know and believe and understand what that means... is to see Him as He is. As He appears to us. Learning about ourselves by learning about Jesus. Letting Him be HIMSELF in us, and through us, and as us. Being still... and knowing that He is God. Standing fast on the Rock and not allowing anything to shake us. Letting Jesus (love) hold us up when everything else is trying to drag us and knock us down. Believing that we are who God says we are. Letting our faith work by love. Having faith in God. Which means having faith in love. Because God IS love. So what we need to understand... is that it's not about what we do. It's about who we are. What you do flows from what you believe. You don't do in order to be. You do BECAUSE you be. When you start to understand who you are (in Christ, which is who Christ is in you) you can stop trying to be someone you're not. You can embrace yourself... and others. You can love yourself... and others. Self-love is important. I'm telling you, it's all about love. Even faith works by love. Love is the creative power of the universe. Love is WHY God created the universe. The God who is love wanted to express Himself. So He created you and me. And then He loved you and me. So that we might know love. So that we might be able to experience love. So that we might be able to love Him back by loving each other. When you stand fast... I'm telling you... don't make a stand on things that don't really matter. Stand fast on love. Let love be your guide. Whatsoever you do, do it heartily. Do it to the best of your ability, because it's in your heart to do it!