Our encounters with God’s welcoming love will inspire us, challenge us and leave us wanting more. But will it lead to change?
When my daughter was four years old, I said "Hey Ellie, what's 5 things I think about you?" I loved what followed. "Dad," she said in matter-of-fact tone with a big smile on her face, "that I'm beautiful." I smiled and said "Yes you are". "That I'm smart, that I'm funny, that I'm a monkey and that (while shaking her hips and doing a twirl) I'm a good dancer."
She has heard these words come out of my mouth many times before and the more she hears them, the more she believes them to be true.
What we hear a lot and see a lot starts to become our reality. And when we live from that reality our life starts to look different. This is the power of advertising. If we see and hear it enough we start to believe it.
Unfortunately too many of us have heard and seen things that have led us to form a distorted view of God which can cause us a degree of fear and anxiety when it comes to following Him. This in turn can lead us to form a wrong and tainted view of ourselves. But Jesus did not come to change God’s mind about us, but to change our mind about God. As we encounter God we can begin to hear the truth about our loving Father.
Well over 100 times have I closed my eyes and remembered what God showed me nearly two years ago. I remember the smile on His face as he invited me to come to the table. I remember the comfort I felt sitting there and the pleasure on His face as a Father saw his son resting and feeling safe. And because I value what He showed me I will continue to make time to revisit and remember my vision.
When we encounter the beauty and power of God and allow God to speak His heart over us again and again until we believe it, we are reformed. I truly believe that the goodness of God in someone's life does more to transform them then discipline alone.
“It is the goodness of the Lord that leads to repentance.”
“It is the goodness of the Lord that leads to repentance" or to paraphrase, it is the goodness of God that leads to a new way of thinking and a new way of living.
This is what I felt in my vision while sitting at the table. As I rested with God at His table, with His big smile and other children sitting around taking comfort at their place at the table, I saw, felt and was able to believe that God’s heart towards me is the heart of a wonderful Father.
The transformation is not us becoming awesome or perfect, but becoming vulnerable and trusting in our wonderful God. A transformed person doesn't look like superman but a child - full of joy, life and freedom in a trusting loving relationship with their Father in heaven. Jesus modeled this loving connection, and He invited us to join Him in relationship with the Father. When we are connected to God, His life and love flows into us and changes us from the inside out.
Our life with Jesus is not all about feelings and experience, but if it disregards feeling and experience then we are missing out. Life by its very meaning is living. My prayer for you is that you too will be led into encounters with a wonderful Father God that lead to a transformed you.
