I LOVE YOUR PRESENCE
ALL I NEED ALL I WANT
TO SEE MYSELF THE WAY YOU SEE ME
Shame is a dangerous enterprise, taught and dealt too young in school or from family, society, and even ourselves. Quiet moments alone with God and ourselves we remember our true hearts. When we spend time in God’s presence, we see ourselves as he see’s us, not as we see ourselves, or how the world sees us. Our identity is found in Jesus and the perfection of his love alone. We are made complete only with his presence. It will always be Jesus. It will always be the presence of his love that sets us free from any dead end, from any defeat, from any learned shamed that came from the broken world outside and not the heart, and certainly not our home in Jesus. My home is love. When I spend time with Jesus in worship or in quiet prayer, or even working with my hands, it doesn’t have to be perfect. Time and time again as kids and young adults we are trying hard to “do it right” or become a better person. To measure up to the bar the society has placed. The good news is God’s bar is way higher, way more authentic, and full of freedom and love in the likes of which this world can never give. We beat ourselves up over trying to spend time with the father or walk with Jesus properly that we shame ourselves and miss the entire point. Jesus doesn’t care how messy or imperfect your attempt to be him is, he just wants you. He wants to have your gaze, attention, presence. He just wants to fill you with a love that tears down any given identity you’ve received from a broken world and replaces it with your true self. When you look in the mirror your tremble because you see yourself as this beautiful person. You realize the whole time you’ve been love itself, and the holy spirit is shining through your eyes and you feel like you could dance until you fall down into the arms of the father with complete awe and wonder at his powerful love and his beautiful creation. His creation reverberates this love. The universe, the natural world, the perfection of his creation is singing for him, and where did we get off thinking we could do anything less? Aren’t we also a part of his creation? Aren’t we created in his image? The audacity of humans to treat ourselves like crap and beat ourselves with shame on all levels is an action of complete disrespect to our father in Heaven. God doesn’t want us to walk around defeated, beating ourselves up, telling ourselves lies, for how are we to respect him if I don’t respect his creation? Which is me! Its you! It’s us. God wants us to look in the mirror and see his glory and beauty shining through our souls in the expression of love. Self love! Love flooding every negative though, love flooding out into word you say, that it brings you to do things the world would think are silly. Grabbing and friend and opening up about how special they are, dancing when no ones watching or even if. Oh God’s love for you and his identity he has placed upon each of us is perfect in his love. For me, his love has broken down barriers and expelled darkness that for too long was part of my identity. Darkness has no hold when the power and awe of God’s love enters the soul and has a place to call home. The body is a temple for love and the more time spent in Jesus’s presence worshiping him recklessly, not perfectly, but FREELY and with our own love and expression – the more our hearts heal, overflow, and beg to be unleashed on someone next to you, in your community and in your life. This love isn’t expecting anything in return. This love doesn’t care about consequences or what the world says about it. It is pure and therefore untouchable by the world’s definitions, for any evil that tries to rise against it will be defeated with might and power. It is attractive and holy because it comes from you. Jesus you call us to carry your heart and minister your heart daily. Our eyes our voices our self-esteems and wisdom all come from you. When they do, lives are changed, lives are saved, and the glory of our Father is seen here on earth.
God let my love be constantly from you, let it be transfixed on you totally, never myself alone, but the endless beauty and love you have for me. When I transfix my attention to the way you love me and view me, I start to see myself as you see me. I start to feel the way you feel for me, and I love myself, I genuinely love myself. The opportunity you have blessed me with is to love the people in my life. If this is a taste of eternity or you, I want more. I want to dance with you and for you until the end of time. I love you Jesus.
Your love is the cornerstone to freedom. Amen.
Thanks for reading, with love – Brent McGill
