Part One:
Miracles, healing, demons being driven out, people raised from the dead. All sound pretty dope right?
I have been eagerly searching and asking to see things like this, and, on this race, I have. I have seen all sorts of awesome wonders that are completely removed from the physical. But I have found myself wanting more, more signs, more wonders, more miracles, more! I have been fixated on the idea that these wonders are all necessary kingdom making activities. If there is no miracle involved, is the kingdom of God actually being progressed?
“Hold on, dear one.” The voice came from behind. Look at 1 Corinthians 13. “Alright, Lord, do you want me to preach on this?” I said. “No, I just want you to know it, for yourself.”
This chapter talks all about how you can move mountains, speak prophesies, even die a martyr’s death, but, without love, none of these things matter. Love, in the end, is the only thing that matters. If you have loved well, you have lived well.
Of course. All these supernatural things are cool and exciting. But they are just “attention getters”. The real juice and meat of the Lord is how He loves us, how we love others, and how we love this world. The whole entire thing boils down to Love.
To love, to love people, all people. Now that is the truest form of kingdom work. All the other things are icing on the cake, not the things that I need to be seeking after. The only thing I need to be looking at is the Lord and how to share/ give love as freely as possible.
For it is asked of us, love your neighbor as yourself.
Part 2:
How can you love you neighbor as yourself if you do not even love yourself?
I have been studying and learning about root lies that humans believe and become chained to.
Here they are:
1) I am what I have.
2) I am what I do.
3) I am what others say about me.
These lies are at the root of our being. If we dig deep enough, we will find that we all try to get love out of performing in one of these lies. But, we will never be able to truly love ourselves or be loved by others/God when we are believing these lies.
Let me explain.
When Jesus was baptized, Father God said, “This is my Son, whom I love, with Him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
The Lord’s Affirmation:
1) This is my child.
2) Who I love.
3) Upon whom favor rests.
Then Jesus goes off into the wilderness to be tempted. Satan uses the core lies that we believe to attempt to get Jesus to sin. He wants him to turn stone to bread, jump to be caught by angels, and bow down and worship him.
These are the insecurities the devil was trying to poke at:
1) Turn bread to stone- prove your power. (I am what I do)
2) Jump to be caught by angels- If you are loved, you’ll be rescued. (I am what others say about me)
3) Bow down and worship- your reward will symbolize your favor. (I am what I have)
So, put them together:
1) Prove your power- You are my child.
2) If you are loved, you’ll be rescued- I love you.
3) Your reward will symbolize your favor- I am pleased with you.
God equipped Jesus with all the truth He needed to combat the lies that were going to be thrown at Him. And He does that same for us.
Fundamental Lies/ God’s truth:
1) I am what I have- Rest in the pleasure I take in you.
2) I am what I do- Rest in the knowledge that you are my beloved.
3) I am what others say about me- Rest in the truth that you belong to me.
What lie do you believe most? That you are what you do, that you are what you have, or that you are what others say about you? The Lord has truth that He wants to speak to you. He wants to come in and heal that deep wound of yours.
These are just a couple steps to discovering how loved you really are. And if the God of the universe feels that way about you, give yourself a break, and love yourself like that masterpiece that you are.
You, then, will ultimately be able to radiate love off of yourself to other people, when you realize how big God loves you. You will show other people what God’s love looks like and that will bring them to His feet. Boom Gospel. 1 John 4 (especially 12).
Believe you are loved, love others well. This is kingdom living.
Fun Fact Side Note:
For all Enneagram people, if you want to dive deeper into contemplative prayer and avoid a subconscious burn out:
1) Heart Triad People need to find solitude. Be in the presence of God without performing and reacting to other people’s energy.
2) Head Triad People need to be silent. Let the Lord take over your thoughts and calm you mind.
3) Body Triad People need to be still. Let your body rest with the Lord and release the tensions that you carry.
