part two of How to abide in God (it is not what you think!)

Look for the other posts in this series

This is part two of How to abide in God (it is not what you think!)

As a reminder, we looked at the Gospel of John 15:4-11 New King James Version

JESUS SAID…..

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me, you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified that you bear much fruit; so, you will be My disciples.“

As I outlined in my last post There were three main points to Jesus’ message:

• First, the kingdom of God and its coming.

• Second, God the Father and the infinite value of the human soul.

• Third, the higher righteousness and the commandment of love.

Today we will look at the Second point- ‘God the Father and the infinite value of the human soul’.

Believe it or not, your soul has intrinsic value to God, and to us.

Because you are so valuable to God, who is your Father, in other words, your creator, who sent his Son to the cross for you. The power of sin gripped humankind, separating us from Gods presence and fellowship. Jesus died to the power of sin, defeating it so you can be free from the power of sin and be justified making your righteous. Upon accepting this fact, you now have a relationship with the Holy God. To abide in God is to recognise your need for your Father, and your need to be forgiven by God.

PLEASE NOTE: when I use the name Father, I’m not talking about gender,

as explained in my book-

Nothing Good about Grief:

Path to recovery with Psalm 23 after COVID-19 & other losses

As human beings, God created us with requirements that are represented by S.U.C.C.E.S.S. I discussed this in-depth in the book Psalm 23 Unwrapped: Hope Hope in difficult times, briefly it means

Subsistence

Understanding and growth

Connection and love

Contribution

Esteem and Identity

Self-governance (Autonomy)

Significance and purpose

In this post I want to talk about connection and love. This was Jesus the basic message, that God loves you, and because of that, how valuable we are to God

God has everything all sorted, he is the loving Father and has got your back. The Father meets our needs, and one of them is connection and love. Without good relationships, you cannot experience unconditional love. Relationships are the arteries that carry the healing balm of love because good relationships are the secret to a good life. We need good relationships to be healthy and happy, and this makes us feel valued. In fact, research has also shown that babies die when they are not held and loved. This need is about belonging and connecting with other people deeply. It is a social need we all have. That is why, during the isolation of COVID-19 lockdown, many are struggling. We all need emotional relationships. Some of the relationships that satisfy this need include friends, workgroups, social groups, community groups, family, romantic relationships, churches, religious organisations, sports teams, book clubs. For others, they find love, connection and sense of belonging in gangs, cults, etc. If we know and feel valued Abiding in God is easy and very natural. God created us, who is love, and we are in his image, so we love.

John Lennon sang- all you need in love. But we also need a deep sense of connection. Connection and love are shown through deep, enduring relationships. It is love from people you know you can count on, no matter what happens, because they love you unconditionally. Good relationships are channels that carry that kind of love. God also is a source of pure love channelling it to you if you will receive it. I am not sure that God created love because of love just I.S. God I.S. the essence of love. 1 John 4:16 – We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

Like many teenagers, I looked for love and connection in all the wrong places and people. Then one day in 1976, I meet the Lord of love, and my empty, searching heart found peace. Love comes from God, who is its source. And since God is love, then we, his followers, who are born of God, will also love. God loves us, so we must love one another. As I shared in my last post, a true Christian is born again, this is one saved by love and filled with God’s love, must live in love toward God and others. The entire passage found in 1 John 4:7-21 speaks of God’s loving nature. Love is not merely an attribute of God, it is part of his very soul. God is not only loving; at his core, he is love. God alone loves in the completeness and perfection of love, fulfilling our inherent need to be loved and to love.

So you see, you are a highly valued being, a human soul. Therefore I conclude that if God values you- you should also highly value yourself- yes?

Let me know where you are in achieving what God has called to you,

Until next time- Live Life on Purpose in Hope. Faith. Love,

Rev Paula 💕

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