God’s Love Changes Us

by Pastor Lori Chisholm

 

When you truly receive the love of The Father,

you begin to operate in a completely different way...

 

...You no longer question His love.  You no longer wonder if you are worthy.  You discover that you are worthy because of Jesus, and now you’ve settled it.  You’ll know if you’ve settled it because you will no longer try to “muster up”  godly behavior or try to be good enough.  You will discover that when you develop a relationship with Him, and follow His instructions, He will transform your life in ways that you never knew possible.

In my previous blog, I referred to a young man whom God has given me the opportunity to speak into.  He grew up in “religion”and is now discovering God in a whole new way.  Even though he grew up in “religion,” God is using what he had been taught, and helping him to connect the dots.  He had some good teaching….it’s just that it was a little off.  It needed to be put in it’s rightful place….in “relationship.”  He has started spending time with Lord, and he’s remembering verses that he learned as a child.  God is faithful.  Nothing is wasted, not even “religion.”  Our Lord knows where we’ve come from and where we’re at, and He works “All things together for good, to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes”  (Rom. 8:28).

Now I’m getting texts from this young man.  “I’ve dealt with a lot of fear and anxiety,” he explained, “and I could feel it coming at me, and I just spoke to that fear, and I told it: ‘You’re not welcome in my life.  Get out!’”  I had never talked about taking authority over the enemy, and he had never had any teaching in that subject.  “There’s only one way you could know to do that,” I pointed out, “The Holy Spirit prompted you, you did it, and you got the victory.” Glory to God!

He went on to relate to me that almost every day, fear and anxiety would try to come back on him….often many times a day.  “I’m getting good at telling it to go,” he told me.  His experience is a perfect example of how God will reveal truth to those who are willing to hear.  This young man is living proof that we can embrace what the Holy Spirit is telling us, and say “no” to the things coming against us. “With God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).

And then he said: “I feel different….I’m feeling…..I’m feeling…”  “Peace?” I asked.  “Yes...Yes, that’s it! I feel peace!”  He was taking time to receive the love, he’s got the joy, he’s experiencing the peace, and I’m seeing him operate in patience. Wow!  The fruit of the Spirit is beginning to “come out” as he discovers, and walks in the love of God.

If we don’t see that “fruit” coming out, we know we need to meet with our Heavenly Father because we’re buying a lie. If we see ourselves forlorn, or frustrated, or depressed,or fearful, or irritated….  It’s time to spend some time with our Father.  If we start to see any other attitude creep in, or hear ourselves using language that is not of God, we can know that we’re having an identity crisis, that we’re operating in a “less than” place.  We’ve forgotten who we are.  It’s time to go to our Father, so He can remind us that we are valuable and adored.  

For some reason, many people desperately want to explain their “less than," instead of tapping into their “more than.”  But this young man….he’s finding that place….that “more than” place, tucked in next to His Father, and he’s not moving.  

He’s settled it, and we can too!