Discovering what love is one day at a time
Insulation is a really good thing to have between the walls of your house, especially in northern Minnesota. Without insulation, you would freeze to death in the wintertime. It definitely prevents us from the exposure to the damaging cold. It’s great to have gloves and boots and jackets that shelter us from the actual temperature of the air surrounding us. The insulation protects our skin, it screens us from the true nature of the air around us giving us a barrier or a wall of protection that stops the passage of or separates us from the damaging outside influence. Many people today live their lives insulated; they live their life in such a way that enables them to protect themselves from pain in any way shape or form. We can choose to live our lives, insulating ourselves from listening, and obeying the Holy Spirit, and we can live our lives avoiding pain. Avoidance prevents the effectiveness of what pain is for. It is definitely one way that we can avoid growth. Simply, we are insulating ourselves from His grace. We are also going against the way God designed life in the Body. We are to be completely dependent on Him and interdependent with others. So, if we are avoiding people, and we say we are Believers, followers of Christ, there definitely is a contradiction there. Through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, He made a way for us to be separated from death unto Him and life everlasting. God did not call us to insulate and isolate or seclude ourselves or separate ourselves from others. We are called to people, not away from them. He has separated us from death, from sin unto Himself.
Obviously there are extreme instances, and God does not call us into needless suffering. A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished. Simply we are called to be prudent, sensible and cautious in a good way, that we will be able to perceive evil or bad things, and not partner with them. Therefore staying hidden in Christ not moved or persuaded easily to be fooled into submission to evil, we remain in His grace, and do not suffer at the hand of one who has no mercy. We are not to isolate, or quarantine ourselves from people in this world. We are not to be an island. God values community, family fellowship. We should hold this in high regard, for He has. The awesome thing about being with others is that it teaches you about yourself. The Holy Spirit is faithful to show you your stuff. He lifts our screens, our fig leafs, or whatever it is that we hide behind, and gives us the opportunity to confess it, and stand in His grace. A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire he rages against all wise judgment. Love moves towards, it does not run from. It does not separate or make divisions, or despise. Love does not seek its own desire, or live only for self. Nothing shall separate us from the love of God. If we are His hands and feet, our hands and feet should not be running away from people, but going towards, even if it is a difficult situation…Until He says to step back and wait, or step right back into the fire. In a sense as His hands and feet, there should be no separation on our part from others, nor any motive or pretext…no screen separating us from another. We should live exposed. No smoke screens; as is. Do you have a smoke screen? Why? Is your life private? Do you share your struggles with others? Is your walk with God between you and Him, is it something you will not share? Do you hide behind a screen with others? Do people see one side of you that is completely different than what is going on, on the inside? Do you prevent yourself from exposure to others who live life differently than you do? Do you live in a state of perpetual quarantine? Are you indifferent to others and their needs? Do you avoid others? Do you withdraw from them? Do you isolate? Insulate? Separate? We are called to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. If we hide behind a smoke screen, we are not fully walking in Truth. There is definitely a problem with our worship. Chances are if we have smoke screens with others, it is something we also do with God. If we truly desire to be devoted to Him, when He points to our smoke screen, we can run to Him, and not away. Remembering His faithfulness, and His loving hands, and that He is not angry with us, but His desire is for us to live differently. He has provided all we need to do that. He is our shield, our defender, our protection, our fortress, our deliverer, our comfort, and our strength. He has insulated us from death in the world around us by His death and resurrection, our job is simply to live loved. No smoke screens. Believe Him at is Word, and be completely devoted to Him. We cannot do that on our own; we need His Spirit, and other people for that to happen. We are not finished until He says we are finished being transformed into the likeness of His Son. We should allow Him to work in our lives, because really, He does know what He is doing. Truly, our broken lives are simply all that we have to offer.
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AuthorI have been married to my wonderful husband for 29 years. We have two young men ages 25 and 20.. This blog is somewhat of a journal and attempt for me to remind myself of my purpose and invite others to join me in keeping an eternal perspective as we move through each day. Archives
May 2023
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