The Way part 5
The Way TO life is the Way OF life! Living and loving. Loving and living. Letting your heart guide the way so you even if you go of course, you can turn back and follow that straight and narrow path. And here's what I want to say to end this Rant series: Just because love is straight and narrow does not mean it is inflexible. There are so many different facets of love. So many different ways that people love, and receive love. And that CAN make things tricky, because unless I learn your love language, we might not be on the same page. But really that is so freeing. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Freedom. Freedom to love. Freedom to live. We're not stuck in a religious box, just because we're on the straight and narrow path. We can still be who we are. God doesn't want robots. He made you specifically you. On purpose. For purpose. By purpose. You are who you're supposed to be. You are who you need to be. And I'm not saying you don't have anything to learn. Of course you do. This never-ending eternal life-long journey into the heart of the matter is just that--because the heart of the matter is the heart. Learning how to love as we learn how we are loved. Learning how to love as we learn how the people in our lives need to BE loved. Giving what we've got, but giving it in a way that actually helps people. Understanding a situation before we jump into it head first. Because sometimes less is more. Sometimes we help more by doing less. Stepping in when we're needed, but not overstepping our bounds. I always tell Logan, "If you try your best, and still need my help... I got you." But I want him to learn how to do things. I want him to be able to take care of himself. Now, that's a natural father to a natural son. And the way our heavenly Father loves us is even better than that. Because He doesn't want us to do ANYTHING in our own strength. HIS strength is made perfect in our weakness. I heard a preacher say it like this, "When you work God will rest... but when you rest God will work." Spiritual rest. Not trying to earn your Spiritual bread by the sweat of your brow, but simply receiving what Jesus has prepared for us with the six-course meal that is the Six Steps to the Throne. So what I'm trying to say is: You don't have to try to walk the way... in a certain way. You don't have to try to follow in Jesus' foot steps. You can let Jesus make His own foot steps in your feet. Instead of trying to live His life under your own power... you can EXPERIENCE His life as He lives it in you, and through you, and as you. You can be flexible... within the confines of love. Because, according to Romans 13:8 we owe no man anything but love. So love is the one and only way to live. Living and loving aren't just connected. They are the same thing. But life looks different to everybody. The right way for you might not be right for someone else. Be inflexible when it comes to loving or not loving. Always love. But be flexible in HOW you love. Everybody needs love. But that means different things to different people. Love can be a shoulder to cry on. A sympathetic ear. Love can be watching a ball game, or a TV show, with someone who is lonely. There are so many ways to love. And love is the way to live. So don't get bogged down. And don't get off track. Let the love inside flow out of you and experience the abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of love!