Stand Firm part 2
"When everything is wrong, we move along." Or so the song says. Point being--that's often all you can do. When things don't go the way you want them to, you can throw a fit and pout about it... or you can keep on keeping on. One of those is just going to lead to more misery. The other is going to allow you to survive. If you stay still--and, listen, I'm not saying you should pretend like nothing's happening. I'm not saying you should act like everything is fine. You shouldn't do that. You need to feel what you feel. But don't let it control you. If you stay still, you get stuck. A rolling stone gathers no moss, am I right? So keep on rocking and rolling. There is always something you can be doing. It's not about distracting yourself, as much as it is about focusing on the RIGHT thing. And remembering that having "nothing" is still better than having the wrong thing. We are so quick to settle. We think "something is better than nothing" so we accept so much less than we should. So much less than God's plan for us. Because we don't think we deserve it, or we don't think we've earned it. When deserve has nothing to do with it, and when the wages that you earn that the Bible talks about is the wages of sin (or unbelief) which is death. Believing anything other than the Word (which is Jesus, which is love) of God... is death. The opposite of experiencing life. Because love IS life. To live is to love and to love is to live. They aren't just connected, they are the same thing. Let me say it like this: No love... no life. KNOW love... KNOW life! That's the key to this whole thing, and that--unfortunately--is why we get so twisted around and messed up so often. We want love so desperately that we will take anything that makes us "feel" loved. In reality, love is never about getting, or taking. Because love IS giving. You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving. If you want to feel love, stop waiting for someone to fall from the sky. If you want to feel love... love somebody. Give what you've got. And in that way, experience what you've got. You have everything you need. Right now. You have no lack because your God has no lack. God IS love. And you are connected to that unlimited source of love. All you have to do is receive it and release it. Stand firm on the Rock that is Jesus. Let God love you and love Him back by loving the people you come into contact with. When you know and believe the ultimate truth of the universe, that God is love and He loves you, you don't have to listen to anything or anybody else. You can simply ignore the lie. You don't have to--and in fact can't be--blown about by any wind of doctrine. And here's the thing, knowing and believing is a knowledge that passes knowledge. Not merely a head knowledge, but a heart knowledge. An experiential knowledge. You're a witness to God's love when you share your experience. And no matter how bad whatever it is you're going through right now is... you can stand firm in the knowledge that what's coming is greater than what's past. It might not feel like it today, but you really are being set up for a breakthrough. A setback is just a set up for a comeback. And everybody loves a good comeback story. So don't get discouraged. Again--feel what you feel. But don't get stuck there. Don't let it control you. Truth is higher than fact, and the truth of the matter is: You're going to be ok. You're heavenly Father loves you, and has your back. So don't worry. Cast your cares on Him. He cares for you. Keep on keeping on. Upward and onward. Upward and GOD-ward!