I had a dream last night about how we view ourselves. In the dream, I saw an extremely beautiful woman who was very educated, experienced, and wealthy. She consistently operated with a pure heart in all her relationships, personal and professional. She was very gentle, giving, always quick to help others, and she was one who refused to give up, ever. She viewed others through a love filter but she did not view herself through the same filter. She found it easy to give love but difficult to understand how someone could love her.
The dream prompted me to attempt to explain the importance of viewing ourselves through the filter of love.
God is love, as a result He views us through the love filter. (1 John 4:8)
The God kind of love.
Not Hollywood love, or tabloid love (do people actually read those?), or romance novel love,
or "reality" tv show love,
or I love my kitty cat love or I love pizza love.
True love is ever ready to believe the best of every person. (1 Corinthians 13:7-8). "Every person" includes ourselves. As born again believers, we are to imitate our Father. (Ephesians 5:1)
When we stumble, God sees through to our heart. (Samuel 16:7) His love never fails, (Psalm 136:1) so in our best and worse times, He never changes nor does His great love for us. (Malachi 3:6) He loves us, not because of us, but because of Him. Because of who He is, love.
As we consistently view ourselves through the of unfailing love "filter", we become perfected by love. (Ephesians 5:1, 1 John 4:8, John 15:1-14)
As a result, we view those around us through eyes of unfailing love, even those the world has deemed unlovable. (John 15:5)
As we are perfected in love (1 John 4:8) by fellowshipping with Love (1 John 4:8, Matthew 6:33) all fear and torment is cast out. God withholds nothing good from us and freely gives us all things! (Romans 8:32) The greatest of all is, love! (1 Corinthians 13:13) He freely gives us love! True love! Please refer back to the kitty cat love comment.
Please allow me to make a bold statement about the most basic truth. It's so simple and broken down, it seems like it needs to go unsaid. But let's lay this foundational truth and move onto spiritual maturity.
GOD. LOVES. YOU!!! (John 3:16)
Say it, "GOD. LOVES ME!!!" Receive it by faith. Speak it out loud every time you think of it. And if it isn't already currently in your heart, saturating every cell of who you are, it will! (Galatians 6:9)
Now that we've established how to love ourselves through the love filter, let's address how we consistently view others through the love filter. How do we handle every person and every circumstance insulated with the love filter?
Before thinking/speaking/acting/texting/tweeting/posting on Facebook, we run it through the love filter. (2 Corinthians 10:5) If we can't filter a person or a circumstance with love, we wait, we spend time with our Father, and then we move forward in love. (Galatians 5:22, 23)
If we cannot move forward in love, we do not move.
Does it feel good to bash something/someone via conversation/action/social media? Yep, sure does, if we are feeding the flesh. We each individually decide what dominates us. (Galatians 5:16)
What about the ones who are acting out of control? What about the ones who deserve a good gigging? What about when we feel like gig'n 'em up like we would a frog? What about the ones who are having flesh fits against us?
We do not gig 'em. No, we imitate our Father by blessing them and we pray for them because of love. We walk in forgiveness and if we can help them in any way, we give. We pursue peace and guard our hearts. We maintain a Heavenly perspective and be willing to believe the best. (Romans 5:8, Luke 6:38, Ephesians 5:1, Luke 6:28, John 14:15,John 14:21, Psalm 34:14, Proverbs 4:23, Ephesians 2:6, 1 Corinthians 13:7-8) We walk in peace and patience, allowing them time and allowing the Holy Spirit time to guide them into all truth. There is a time for everything and we must remember, our timing doesn't rule. (John 14:27, Hebrews 6:12, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2 Peter 3:8, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Psalm 90:12) And we remain vigilant in being more aware of our Heavenly seat than our earthly seat. (Ephesians 2:6)
Well done, good and faithful servant! It's celebration time! (Matthew 25:23)
Until that day comes:
Well done, and welcome to life in excessive abundance! (John 10:10)
I thank God and I thank my friends and family for allowing the Holy Spirit time to guide me into all truth! I've pulled some major doozies in my life and I've had to apologize…a lot, but thank God for friends and family who love God and keep His commands so when I clean up my messes, I am met with open arms and love!
But what about those who are not willing to meet us with open arms when either they or we mess up?
We shall walk in the awareness of our Heavenly seat!
I often speak and write about maintaining the balance. Balance must be kept while applying the love filter to ourselves. When (please notice that is when and not if) someone brings to our attention of a matter we may be struggling with and need to address, we must keep an open heart and a teachable spirit. Please be prepared, at times things are brought to our attention and delivered out of love. It may even come through the voice of a child. (Luke 18:17) Or someone who hardly knows us. Or someone who knows us very well. Or someone we respect so much, we would never want to disappoint them. Independent of how it is brought to our attention, independent of their motivation, use it as a tool and watch God work all things together for our good. (Romans 8:28) Take it to God in prayer and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. (John 16:13) Seek trusted biblical godly counsel. (Psalm 37:30,31) We are in the process of growing into spiritual maturity so we study and show ourselves approved! (2 Timothy 2:15) We get wisdom and understanding! (Proverbs 4:5) We confess all sin and He cleanses us! (1 John 1:9) We never reject knowledge and will not be destroyed! (Hosea 4:6) We are not a people who strain a gnat and swallow a camel! (Matthew 23:24)
The "ditch side"...dun-dun-dunnnnnn! What if a close friend or relative comes to us and says, "Hey, lets go rob a bank!" Enabling others to do any kind of wrong is not walking love. God raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the Heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. Seated in the Heavenlies, we do not wrongly divide the word of truth. No, we rightly divide the word of Truth! (Ephesians 2:6, 2 Timothy 2:15)
Father, as we all embark on this new season in You, this phenomenal season of a deeper revelation of Love…I thank You and praise You for your great love!
When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the You, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from Your glorious, unlimited resources You will empower us with inner strength through Your Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in our hearts as we trust in Him. Our roots will grow down into God’s love and keep us strong! And may we have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep Your love is! May we experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully! Then we will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from You, God! Now all glory to God! Who is able, through Your mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think! Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen!!! (Ephesians 3:14-21)
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