Yesterday in feedback,
David had an idea that we should draw our feelings (I thought it was brilliant
by the way). I drew two people in a tug of war…it was supposed to represent me
feeling torn. It was the best I could come up with. This week for ministry, we
did Bible studies for the congregation. A couple of us wanted to have a series,
so as to keep a common theme. We decided on a series about love. Kerry Bates
did a fabulous job on Monday and we were 
looking for someone to talk on
Tuesday. People were very hesitant to talk about love. So I took on the
challenge.
I was frustrated at
first. I was so frustrated that people didn’t feel like they could make a bible
study on love. It baffled my mind. Scripture says God is love. So technically
anything you talk about within the bible, it’s going to inevitably be about
love because it’s about God. I think throughout preparing and presenting the
study, my heart was focusing more on the frustration. Which I find very ironic,
seeing as to how I was talking about love…
Despite my heart, God
totally took over, as I asked Him to. Ultimately, I wanted the church to see
and hear from God, not me. And I think God honored that request. I spent a lot
of time in 1 John 4:7-21. I felt like God was teaching me a lot and showing me
His truth while I was writing and speaking. It was really awesome to
experience. But something bizarre happened.
I started to break down
verse 18. It says, “ There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.
For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in
love.� I had planned to say only a few sentences, but God intended on something
more. And honestly, I wonder if it was solely meant for me to hear. I started
to go into how fear is facing the future without God.
I then went off on how
Scripture was saying that God (Love) abides in us
God (Love), the very One who raised Jesus from the dead
The very One (Love) who put life into our dry bones
That
power (Love), that raised Jesus from the grave is said, in 1 John 4: 12, to be
abiding in us
Scripture also says that no weapon formed against us will remain
Then I remembered this
phrase from my friend Brandon Cole, “You have the most powerful thing in the
entire universe living inside of you.�
I looked around at
these Africans and World Racers. I said to them, “did you know that the most
powerful thing in the whole universe is living inside of you?� I repeated that
question 3 times. I saw about 20-30 people under one roof. And if the same
power that raised Christ from the grave was living in them and me, then that
means there was a shit ton of power in that room.
Then this unbelievable
rush of emotions came over me. I started to cry. And all I could say was, “do
you understand that? You have the most powerful thing in the entire
universe LIVING inside of you!�
Then
God asked this of us, “What are you doing
with it?�
And I repeated a few
times, I think for my own good, with a knot in my throat and tears forming in
my eyes, “what are you doing with it?�
There I stood,
convicted. I have the most powerful thing, Love, living inside of me. But the
question is, what am I doing with it? I’m at a point on the race where things
are getting old or tiring. And I’ve been more than willing to let that become
my excuse.
“How sad,� I thought.
I’ve been traveling the world learning and hearing about the love of God but I
hadn’t gotten it. I was walking the earth with the same power and love that
raised Christ form the grave and what was I doing with it? I can honestly say
that I wasn’t loving my brothers and sisters the way I’ve been commanded to. I
looked at my traveling brothers and sisters and saw how much I’ve fallen short
over the last 7 months. And I stood convicted.
But I don’t think I’m
supposed to sit in disappointment and conviction. I, we, must walk in the love
and power that we’ve freely received.
Do
you know that you have the most powerful thing in the entire universe living
inside of you, if you’re a follower of Christ?!?!?
What
are you doing with it?!?!?
