Unity in the Spirit #6 - Thinking Like a Child
When little children are mistreated, they have no
understanding to help them process the sin perpetrated against them. The result
is thinking like a child and growing up having to put away childish things.
When I was about seven or eight years of age I still believed in Santa Clause. I was so adamant that the tubby red suited dude existed that I got into an argument with my older sister and younger brother about it. My sister dragged me by the arm to my parent's bedroom where she opened the closet door to reveal all the wrapped gifts that year. I stood there so stunned. Tears began to roll down my cheek.
My parents had actually lied to me. The same Mom, who not three years earlier yelled and yelled at me for lying had herself been lying to me all these years. My world was literally shattered that day as I told myself, "I cannot trust my parents." The pain of it so deep I drowned the pain with repression. I spent the rest of their lives refusing to believe their expressions of love and pride in me.
Unfortunately, I've dealt with God's love for me in the same way. More unfortunately, however, was that I did not know why I could not believe God loved me even though I repeatedly saw it expressed. I did not realize it, but I had been thinking like a child and reaping the consequences for my actions. Since I was making my parents out to be liars, I was unable to receive my Heavenly Father's love as well.
While thinking as a child, none of all the power encounters I've had from God were able to empower me to believe God loves me. The revelation of Jesus on the cross and the full cost of that sacrifice was not enough to break through the lie I chose to believe as a child. The revelations showed me God's love for everyone as a whole but not for just me.
Even when God took me back in time to the beginning and showed me what He was like before He spoke, "Let there be light" could that revelation break through the lie I believed as a child. It showed me the degree of God's love for all creation, but, not how much He loved just me. That revelation showed me the length, breadth, height and depth of God's love. But, it did not break through the lie that my parents were not to be trusted.
That lie began to crack the day I was taken to God's throne room in another waking vision and stood on the left side of God's throne inside the circle of 24 elders. I heard Jesus praying. I saw and heard the vengeance forming in His heart against "wolves in sheep's clothing" who cause His Father's name to be blasphemed among His lambs. That waking vision took place on May 7, 2004.
Over the next 10 years, God showed me His vengeance against people who rewrite His words saying things like, "I believe it means..." or "I think God wants..." or "I feel like God..." He showed me how effective eloquent speech is at creating doubt. The result has been to see God's wrath against people who cause His little children to stumble, Matthew 18:6.
I no longer disbelieve that either my folks or my God loves just me. However, I don't feel sorry for people who think they are Christians yet cause His little ones to stumble, not when they could see what I have been blessed by Jesus to see, Matthew 11:27. God just does not show favoritism, Luke 20:21, Acts 10:34.
Unity in the Spirit demands we have one mind in Christ and thus agree with what Jesus says is true. Jesus is also literally the standard of the way to live, the truth to believe, and even the emotions of life to feel. As such, we are to say the same things Christ said; to do the same things Christ did; and to lay down our lives even to death the way Christ did, Revelation 12:11, with the joy to forgive, Hebrews 12:2. Agreeing to disagree does not build this kind of unity. Speaking God's words of truth in love does. Not our beliefs but actually speaking to each other with Psalms, Hymns and spiritual songs.
We cannot overcome this world by seeking the good things this world has to offer. None of those good earthly things compares to the words which proceeds forth from God's mouth. Those words came from God's glorious heart.
When I was about seven or eight years of age I still believed in Santa Clause. I was so adamant that the tubby red suited dude existed that I got into an argument with my older sister and younger brother about it. My sister dragged me by the arm to my parent's bedroom where she opened the closet door to reveal all the wrapped gifts that year. I stood there so stunned. Tears began to roll down my cheek.
My parents had actually lied to me. The same Mom, who not three years earlier yelled and yelled at me for lying had herself been lying to me all these years. My world was literally shattered that day as I told myself, "I cannot trust my parents." The pain of it so deep I drowned the pain with repression. I spent the rest of their lives refusing to believe their expressions of love and pride in me.
Unfortunately, I've dealt with God's love for me in the same way. More unfortunately, however, was that I did not know why I could not believe God loved me even though I repeatedly saw it expressed. I did not realize it, but I had been thinking like a child and reaping the consequences for my actions. Since I was making my parents out to be liars, I was unable to receive my Heavenly Father's love as well.
While thinking as a child, none of all the power encounters I've had from God were able to empower me to believe God loves me. The revelation of Jesus on the cross and the full cost of that sacrifice was not enough to break through the lie I chose to believe as a child. The revelations showed me God's love for everyone as a whole but not for just me.
Even when God took me back in time to the beginning and showed me what He was like before He spoke, "Let there be light" could that revelation break through the lie I believed as a child. It showed me the degree of God's love for all creation, but, not how much He loved just me. That revelation showed me the length, breadth, height and depth of God's love. But, it did not break through the lie that my parents were not to be trusted.
That lie began to crack the day I was taken to God's throne room in another waking vision and stood on the left side of God's throne inside the circle of 24 elders. I heard Jesus praying. I saw and heard the vengeance forming in His heart against "wolves in sheep's clothing" who cause His Father's name to be blasphemed among His lambs. That waking vision took place on May 7, 2004.
Over the next 10 years, God showed me His vengeance against people who rewrite His words saying things like, "I believe it means..." or "I think God wants..." or "I feel like God..." He showed me how effective eloquent speech is at creating doubt. The result has been to see God's wrath against people who cause His little children to stumble, Matthew 18:6.
I no longer disbelieve that either my folks or my God loves just me. However, I don't feel sorry for people who think they are Christians yet cause His little ones to stumble, not when they could see what I have been blessed by Jesus to see, Matthew 11:27. God just does not show favoritism, Luke 20:21, Acts 10:34.
Unity in the Spirit demands we have one mind in Christ and thus agree with what Jesus says is true. Jesus is also literally the standard of the way to live, the truth to believe, and even the emotions of life to feel. As such, we are to say the same things Christ said; to do the same things Christ did; and to lay down our lives even to death the way Christ did, Revelation 12:11, with the joy to forgive, Hebrews 12:2. Agreeing to disagree does not build this kind of unity. Speaking God's words of truth in love does. Not our beliefs but actually speaking to each other with Psalms, Hymns and spiritual songs.
We cannot overcome this world by seeking the good things this world has to offer. None of those good earthly things compares to the words which proceeds forth from God's mouth. Those words came from God's glorious heart.
Copyright (c) 2015 by Diane Pebley All rights reserved, no use granted without the express written permission of the author, Diane Pebley
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