| Daily Thought — May
12, 2008 |
|
| LIVING THE
SOLUTION WITH DAILY INSPIRATION |
My dear
children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice
real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living
truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to
shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there
is something to it. For God is greater than our worried
hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.
And friends, once that's taken care of and we're no
longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we're bold
and free before God! We're able to stretch our hands
out and receive what we asked for because we're doing
what he said, doing what pleases him. (1 John 3:18-22 — The Message)
Choosing to live from love, the way
God wants and designed us to live, loving Him, ourselves
and others, can shut down self deprecation even when the
criticism of ourselves has merit. Remember love covers
a multitude of sins. So why does God have John say this?
Why is God willing to overlook our faults and shortcomings
when we live from our hearts and not our heads or the law?
Because He is all about love, He is love. Love is the most
important thing to God and it is the most freeing thing
we will ever experience. We’re not talking about
a head knowledge kind of love or a feeling; were talking
about love as a verb, the kind of love that gets things
done. As one pastor put it, doing random acts of kindness,
helping someone out for no other reason other than they
were there and they had a need.
Here’s what’s cool here, once we get past picking
on ourselves and focus on loving God, loving ourselves
and loving others there is a byproduct; it sets our hearts
free. Doing this makes us bold and free before God. It
is at this point we are able to receive from God that which
we ask. It is love, not the law that makes us free. It
is love and grace that make us right before God. The only
effort on our part is to stop condemning ourselves and
instead love ourselves as God loves us and in turn love
Him and others. Freedom, true freedom, the freedom that
Jesus spoke of and the freedom our hearts are longing for,
will only come as we practice the art of love. It is love
as a verb, an action, practicing random acts of kindness
towards strangers, friends, family members and ourselves.
Practice love and be free and bold before God.
Live intentionally, purposely, free and with passion,
Pete Reinbold
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Scripture taken from the
Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights
reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of
International Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks
of International Bible Society. Use of either trademark for the
offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent
of International Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission
of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189, USA. All
rights reserved. |
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