Posts Tagged: being loved by God
“BEING LOVED TOUCHES THE HEART”
A friend of mine in a twelve-step group I am part of is new to the program and young in years. However, he is very wise. He gave me a wonderful ritual: He touches his heart many times a day in order to remind himself of God’s love for him.
So, I have started doing this as well. I started it before I began writing this blog.
I used to think of symbols as being counterfeit substitutes for reality. Certainly, symbols can become hollow, emptied of all meaning.
However, symbols can also be powerful acted-out metaphors, pointing toward reality. And what reality is greater than God’s love for us?
To remind myself of God’s love for me is to remember than I am worthwhile. I have struggled with a feeling of unworthiness (if not worthlessness) since I was a small child. But, if God loves me . . ., oh my!
When I feel loved by God, I am more at peace and am more productive. When I touch my chest gently, I relax and can focus on the work at hand.
When I remind myself of God’s love for me, I am freed to love others as well. There is a saying that “Hurt people hurt people.” This is true. However, it is also true that loved people love people.
How about joining a club—the touching-the-heart club? Perhaps we can start a helpful trend!
“BEYOND HOLY WILLFULNESS: LOVING GOD BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME”
Richard Rhor wrote some much-needed words for me in a post I read of his this morning. (Okay! So perhaps Rhor did have me particularly in mind, but it feels that way!)
In the Franciscan reading of the Gospel, there is no reason to be religious or to “serve” God except “to love greatly the One who has loved us greatly,” as Saint Francis said. . . . Religion is not about heroic will power or winning or being right. This has been a counterfeit for holiness in much of Christian history. True growth in holiness is a growth in willingness to love and be loved and a surrendering of willfulness, even holy willfulness (which is still “all about me”).
Yes, I fear—and more than half suspect— that even my “holy willfulness” . . . is still all about me. So, is my willfulness really even holy? The question answers itself.
Many years ago, my mom said to me, “Sometimes, I think that you think too much about improving yourself, and not enough about other people!”
I have heard it said that, if you throw a brick at a bunch of dogs and one of them yelps, it means you hit it. When Mom said that, I definitely yelped. (I am not advocating, by the by, throwing bricks at dogs!)
I am going to let Rohr have the last word. “Doing anything and everything solely for God is certainly the most purifying plan for happiness I can imagine. It changes the entire nature of human interaction and eliminates most conflict.” (For his entire meditation, see his website and the meditation for June 22, 2017, accessed 06-22-2017.)
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
- “Even a Sliver of Light” April 9, 2024“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:6, English Standard Version) I missed the total eclipse yesterday. There were a number of good reasons for this, but […]
- “The Process in Miracles and the Miracle of Process” March 11, 2024“2 Kings 5:1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids […]
- “The Power of Encouragement—Even for Old People” March 10, 2024“But encourage each other every day while it is ‘today.’ Help each other so none of you will become hardened because sin has tricked you.” (Hebrews 3:13, New Century Version) Yesterday, I was walking at a nearby park. There was a large group of young people some of whom were running while other young people […]
- “Endurance” March 10, 2024“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” (Hebrews 10:36, English Standard Version) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us […]
- “The Limits of Non-Judgmentalism” February 24, 2024“Matt. 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. Matt. 7:2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2, English Standard Version) This morning, in my virtual 12-step meeting, we discussed the topic of judgmentalism. There were many wise […]
- “Delighting in Being Told What to Do?!?” February 23, 2024“Psa. 112:1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! 2 His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures […]
- “Character is the Real Lesson” January 19, 2024I am often confused about what lesson I’m really supposed to be learning. For example, this morning I was trying to knock out several Spanish lessons. My intentions were a lot better than my internet connection. I’ve done three lessons. Or rather, I’ve done two lessons. One of them I did twice because the internet […]
- “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked” January 1, 2024Each year, I try to come up with one word or a short phrase for what I intend to work on in the upcoming year. 2024 is “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked”. What?!! What does that even mean? So glad that you asked! Jesus said to his disciples, “Why do you look at the speck […]
- “Searching for the Noble One” December 26, 2023My wife and I were reading Luke, chapter 2 on Christmas Day. Luke 2 talks about the shepherds being told to look for this very special child—in fact, this King—in a stable. I prefer the word “barn”. I grew up on a farm. I know what a barn is. A stable is entirely too biblical […]
- “That Don’t Impress God Much” December 14, 2023DTEB, “That Don’t Impress God Much” “That Don’t Impress Me Much” (Song by Robert John Lange and Shania Twain) Micah 6:8 (MSG) “But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be […]
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