Supply and Demand part 5
The world demands love. Even when it does so by crying out. ESPECIALLY when it does so by crying out. I'm not trying to be mean when I say this, or put a negative connotation on things, but sometimes people act like babies when they don't know what else to do. All a baby knows is: "I'm hungry." Or, "I'm uncomfortable because I've soiled myself." And all they know how to do is cry. Not because they are "throwing a fit" but because that's all they've got. And, as always, you can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. Hurting people hurt people. If you don't think you have something that you NEED... well... that's why we get into so much trouble looking for love in all the wrong places. That's why people act the way that they do. They feel like they're lacking something. And that was one of the favorite things that we used to say at my old church: "I have no lack because my God has no lack." Knowing what you have--knowing who you are--is what equips and empowers you to MEET that demand. Because what we have--who we are--is Jesus. God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in OUR flesh. Love in OUR body. So when we get to the place where we can stop trying to GET something--because we know and believe that we are connected to the unlimited supply--we can begin to GIVE something. We can give what everybody needs. Because while hurting people hurt people... loved people love people. What's inside, or really I should say what you BELIEVE is inside, comes out. And it comes out naturally. By believing in it we fill ourselves to overflowing with what we've already been filled with. That's how important faith is. And faith works by love. Because love is what we have faith IN. Have faith in God, right? Well... God is love. Our faith is not about wishing and hoping that someday we would be worthy of love. Faith is not about GETTING anything. Faith is believing that we have what our heavenly Father says we have. What He gave us on the cross when He gave us His only begotten Son. So that whosoever BELIEVES in Him might NOT perish--you can be alive and still perish if you are the walking dead. If you aren't really LIVING. Because to live is to love and to love is to live--but have everlasting life. Abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life. Jesus' life. Because on the cross He didn't just give His life FOR us, He gave His life TO us. On the cross Jesus showed us what love really is. He didn't just tell us the New Commandment is to love one another. He told us the New Commandment is to love one another as He loved us. And He showed us HOW to love one another; by laying our lives down for each other. Just as He did for us (and as us) on the cross. He met that demand with His (again) limitless supply. So when the world cries out... we can answer. Because we HAVE the answer. Because we ARE the answer. A demand for love can only be met WITH love. And, one more time, that's what we have. That's who we are. That's who we are in Christ. Because that's who Christ is in us. The Word made flesh. Love in action. Charity. Meeting the demand with our supply. Giving people what they need because when we needed it God (in the form of someone close to us) gave it to us.