If our perception of God’s character is distorted due to our own experiences of life’s disappointments and our own histories of trauma, then having an all-seeing and always-present God could be stifling and produce fear instead of love and trust. -Jim Wilder (Joyful Journey)
Dr Wilder helped me change the way I think – my thought life from anger and hatred of God into LOVE, PEACE and JOY by renewing my mind.
Renewing your mind, changing the way you think to create a better life for yourself and a life that honors and delights in God.
GOD is not a mean man in the sky who will annihilate me with a single snap of his fingers because I ate a hotdog, chewed betelnut and smoked cigarettes and drank wine with my friends on 1979.
When Jesus was accused of being bad because he ate with tax collectors (thieves), whores and the down-and-outs from East of Eden, he said, “God said through Prophet Hosea (6:6), . “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” God does not desire to snatch the last dime from us for our sins and promises that we’ll do better next time and all the other things we might do to make up for our weakness. God sweeps it all away with this one sweeping statement: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” That is his deepest heart toward us.
I was and still is in awe of God’s mercy and incredibly grateful for his amazing grace. The punishment I deserved was swept away by his mercy and I am saved when I do not deserve it.
The irony is the more I realized deep in my heart of his grace and mercy the more I was willing to follow him.
This morning before my 18 yo nephew who is emotionally growing up, left for school, I said to him what I learned from Bob Proctor about success. “If you didn’t like the results you were getting in your life you would have to change you because they were your results. And if you’re going to change you, you’re going to have to find that about yourself.” In other words, growth begins where blame ends. (John Powell).
It’s not somewhere over the rainbow way up there. It’s right here within yourself.
Forgiveness is to clean the house to make room for your true self to come forth and breath and play.
You find out what you want to do, your purpose, you will play for the rest of your life. (Benjamin Franklin)
The indescribable Mercy of God, our Creator, gives us a clean slate to start anew. That’s the good news.
God delights in you!