Walking in Love

Walking in Love ~ The Love Commandments

Again, the first step in this process of getting right with God is learning to “Love like Jesus." But, for me, the steps of the "getting right with God" process weren’t in quite that order. I had an ulterior motive for wanting to get right with God: I was dying physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and financially. And I loved my sons. I did not want my sons to grow up without a mother, like I did. I wanted to show them that with God, anything is possible, including the impossible. I wanted to show them that God is real, and His promises are real.

I am humbled to admit that I was not motivated to love God, for His own sake. On hindsight, I believe it doesn't matter to God what your original motivation is to get right with HIM (as all of us are motivated differently) just so long that I finally sought Him with all my heart, soul, strength, and mind. I don't encourage my path, because it made the whole process of becoming more like Jesus much more difficult than it had to be. My heart wasn't right for a long time. 

I figured that I would seek to have the type of relationship with God that our Biblical Patriarchs had. Moses and Abraham dialogued with God, trusted God, and God blessed them! And I desperately needed blessings. I wanted the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, kindness, self-control, long suffering, etc. because I was on the highway to hell. So, I was finally all-in on seeking Him with all my heart, soul, and strength. I was cornered. So, I surrendered. Unconditionally.

Again, you can screw up and can still come (back) to the fold. Again, God will always want you back. There is more joy in heaven when a prodigal comes back than the rest who are already there. If you don’t believe me. Check scripture, both new and old covenant.

“And he said, A certain man had two sons: 

And the younger of them said to his father, 

Father, give me the portion of goods that fall to me. 

And he divided unto them his living. 

And not many days after the younger son 

gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, 

and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; 

and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to 

a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks 

that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

And when he came to himself, he said, 

How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough 

and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 

I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, 

Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before me,

And am no more worthy to be called your son: 

make me as one of your hired servants.

And he arose, and came to his father. 

But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, 

and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, 

and in your sight, and am no more worthy to be called your son.

But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, 

and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

For this my son was dead, and is alive again; 

he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Now his elder son was in the field: 

and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.

And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

And he said unto him, your brother is come; 

and your father has killed the fatted calf, 

because he has received him safe and sound.

And he was angry, and would not go in: 

therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

And he answering said to his father, Lo, 

these many years do I serve me, neither transgressed I at any time 

thy commandment: and yet you never gave me a kid, 

that I might make merry with my friends:

But as soon as this your son was come, 

which has devoured your living with harlots, 

you have killed for him the fatted calf.

And he said unto him, Son, you are ever with me, 

and all that I have is yours.

It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: 

for this your brother was dead, and is alive again; 

and was lost, and is found.”

Luke 15:11-32

The central theme throughout the Good Book, aka The Holy Bible, is that God gives us mercy unending. He gives His people chances, and more chances, and even more chances. God sending His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins to make us righteous, is yet another way Our Heavenly Father has given the human race another chance at redemption. (But this time it is much easier that raising farm animals and sacrificing the best ones at the temple, in atonement for our sins. All we need to do now is say the sinner's prayer, and mean it with all our heart.)  

While Our Heavenly Father's gift of His son is everything we need, I need to clarify that this choice doesn't always make a believer's life easier. As explained in the previous section, Trust the Process, suffering and tribulation in this world simply does not end for Christ's disciples. However, it is your attitude towards such suffering and tribulation that changes when you follow Christ. James said "count it all joy"[1] when you suffer because you are becoming more like Jesus Christ every day. This process is called 'sanctification' - which is just a fancy word for 'Getting Right with God.' 2000 years ago, Jesus demonstrated what it means to be right with God, to be righteous, and we want to be more like Jesus every day. 

"Surrendering" means letting go of the things of this world and handing them over to Our Heavenly Father, and putting them at the feet of Jesus. I know it sounds impossible, at first, but I promise (and, more importantly, God promises you) that the more often you surrender to Him, the easier surrendering becomes. Trust the process. 

"My brethren, count it all joy when your fall into temptations; 

know that the trying (testing) of your faith works patience. 

[Have the attitude to] let patience have her perfect work, 

that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing [like Christ]."

James 1:2-4

After you surrender, to have a heart after God's own, to have a desire to only do His Will for your life, to follow Jesus, to desire a close daily walk with Him, to seek only to please Him, then you start seeing the things happening around you through God's eyes. And you start to take authority that God has given to YOU through Jesus Christ, our savior and Lord. Let the joy begin!