The blessed side effects of intimate communion

 All the things you once thought were just beyond your reach have been right there in you the whole time. When you look at things from the perspective of one in intimate communion with Abba, you see that the righteousness, holiness, joy unspeakable and full of glory is already yours.

The most amazing thing I have begun to see in myself is genuine and authentic love for other people. I have worn so many hats in my life, that of a junky, a drunk, a pervert, a jerk, a womanizer, and the list goes on. The thing is, God accepted me and call me into a relationship with him. He loves me beyond my shallow understanding. The truth is, I know that people who were the biggest knuckleheads can become the most judgmental, most critical Christians, but even those people deserve honor and grace from me. They’re just operating out of a false paradigm, a faulty theology. Being a person that came out of hypocrisy gives me a perspective that allows me to love them, not judge them; if you’re a popper or a politician,  conservative or a communist makes no difference. We are all loved and accepted. No one is exempt.

I remember growing up hearing ministers say things like “go hard or go home.” That ideology leads to a white knuckle approach to living a righteous life. Because it causes your adherence to look to themselves to achieve what only God can accomplish, you are effectively collecting stones you can throw at yourself when your efforts fail. True authentic love for people is birthed in the place of intimate communion with Abba, in Jesus by way of the Holy Spirit in you. If we understand our righteousness is found not in the right standing but rather in the right relationship, an authentic expression is a natural byproduct, not a forced effort.