We are transformed by who we love, not so much as what we believe. – Jim Wilder
The first time I heard those words, I began to understood myself little by little. Its not a one-time deal. It’s a long] process – a journey of a lifetime.
What is love?
One of the reasons for my immaturity was I didn’t know what love was. Mental growth became more acute when I accepted my ignorance. Even though I grew up in a religious home, I knew only about an angry GOD and his laws and regulations. I knew He was a very angry and all powerful Being. He sees everything I do. If I miss a step he’d punish me. It seems the teachings were contradicting to each other – LOVE and FEAR. And being in our shame based culture, I was trapped in a cycle of self-hatred with everyone as enemies and an all seeing God who hated people like me.
It’s very hard to love someone who is angry. How do you love others when you do not even know how to love yourelf let alone love an invisible God of the universe.
I began to ask GOD to teach me how to love him because I don’t see him. Please GOD change the way I think and feel and teach me how to love you and love others as I love myself. Teach me LORD GOD to.love myself as you do.
He to work on me. I began to see the Bible asqqq love instead of rules and punishment. Love disciplines, teaches and nurtures. Love forgives any wrongdoing and doesn’t remind me of my wrongs. Love is happy to be with me.
Change happens by going through those uncomfortable areas in our life. Very uncomfortable and paingful things in my life. Love takes you from the known and walk into the unknown. The beauty of God’s love he never leaves us alone to deal with our junk.
Frirz Kunkel, a Christian Jungian analyst, once said: “In a showdown, GOD is always on the side of shadows, (humbled, accpepting our weaknesses). GOD is always truth. Shadows never lies, it tells the truth, tells it like it is.
Brutal honesty delivers. False self lies to impress.
Our most realistic possibility of life of joy and virtue comes from accepting that all reality is polarity. As Jesus would rather eat with tax collectors and prostitutes than with the self-righteous legalistic folks known as churchianists.
Lord teach us to.love you – the GOD who loves us.