Before we can do relationship with others well, we need to revel in how God loves us. That means learning how to close out the world and sit inside God’s heart. Ask God to shut out everything clamoring for your attention and develop a special, unique place in your soul where the two of you can communicate.
I do this by reading Psalms to hear David
talk about God’s loving kindness and feeling Moses’ frustration with
stiff-necked Israelites. Be inspired by Peter’s zealousness and go on an
emotional roller coaster with John to share Jesus’ last days. Listen to music
that stirs your heart. Sad, mad, joyful -- pour out all your feelings and God will share Himself with you. What we gain is a
different way to view ourselves and others through God’s eyes.
A good example of this is when Jesus was invited to
have dinner with a Pharisee named Simon. A woman anointed Jesus’ feet with her
tears and wiped them dry with her hair, kissing his feet and pouring perfume on
them. From the Pharisee’s viewpoint, she was a known sinner and he would never
have allowed such an unclean person to touch him. Jesus told a parable to help
Simon see what the woman already knew about forgiveness and mercy.
God’s
viewpoint always starts with seeing how much He cares for us. Despite our
weaknesses, it’s His loving kindness that leads us to repentance and new life. Humankind sets up artificial standards and judges
whether people measure up. When we view the world through relationship with
God, there is love, grace, mercy, compassion, and acceptance.
Do you revel in being loved by God, even when you see your weaknesses?
The Bible truthfully reminds me of God's constant, unwavering love. I experience it in my soul when I feel the love I have for my son Ben, knowing God loves me even more deeply. I surrender to the waves of emotion when I'm in the midst of worship. And because I revel in God's love in all these ways, I'm able to believe it by an act of my will when my shortcomings and immaturities are painfully revealed.
Photos by Judy Lair
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