The Dance part 3
God is dancing over us. God is dancing with us. God is dancing IN us. That's what this life is all about. It's not about dancing FOR God, with a constant fear that if we miss a step He's "going to get us." It's about relationship. It's not laws you keep, it's a life that keeps you. It's not about fearing the storm, it's about learning to dance in the rain. Because while storms may be scary, they are also good and necessary. The Bible talks a lot about rain. The former rain and the latter rain. The healing rain. Seeds can't grow unless they are watered. See, we have this idea of what's ok and what's not--this idea of good and evil--and it effects our entire outlook on things. We define success by good and evil. If we do good then we're successful. But, as always, there's a more excellent way. And that more excellent way is Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And He is love. The more excellent way is love. If you define success by how much money you make--if that's what it means to you to be successful--then you're going to miss out on so much of what life has to offer. And I know that money is necessary in order to pay bills and things like that. But while most people believe that the Bible says, "money is the root of all evil," what it REALLY says is, "...the love of money is the root of all evil..." (1 Timothy 6:10). The LOVE of money. Remember the truth that everything in and of itself is holy? It's what we DO with money that can either redeem it or corrupt it. Money is just a tool. And money is certainly not the whole point of our existence. And that doesn't just go for money, either. It goes for fame, or whatever else we define "success" as. To me success is the people that I come into contact with knowing I love them. To me, when I say, "I love you, bub," to my three year old son and he says, "I know, Daddy. I love you too." That's success. That's life. That's dancing. And that's what's so cool about love: It has to involve more than one person. There has to be someone who is loving, and there has to be someone who is loved. I said it yesterday: It takes two to tango. Because even as God is dancing over us, and in us, and with us, and through us, and as us... we dance with each other. Every day, in every way, when we interact with each other we share this life with each other. And some of us can dance better than others. Some of us have a greater revelation of God's love for us than others. But that doesn't mean we try to find a "better" partner. The only time we should look down on each other is in order to help each other up. This dance isn't about completing every step without ever messing up. Sometimes when we "mess up" or try something new, that's when the dance becomes the most beautiful. If you never fail it's probably because you never try. And if you never try then are you really living? Stop dancing within the limits of "good and evil." Stop being so picky about who you dance with. This life is for living. Together. All of us. Together...