The least the lost the lepers
I miss my brothers and sisters in Zambia.
God is an artist.
Your heart is so full that it must express itself.
We as humans can only express ourselves within the world You have created for us to enjoy.
But You, Abba, are not bound by limitations. When You express Yourself is comes in the form of stars, sunrises, trees, flowers, elephants, whales, ants, mountains, beaches, love and most beautifully, humans.
As You created Your piece of art as You put the finishing touches on it You looked at humans and You said very good.
As I look at my own heart and the hearts of my brothers and sisters I see the many layers of what being made in Your image is all about.
Humans must also express themselves.
Through poems, songs, paintings, sculptures, carpentry, stories, and countless other ways. We've learned to express ourselves with everything You've given us on this Earth even down to using our own bodies to dance and move in an expression.
But the interesting thing to me is why? Why do I feel the need to express myself? More importantly why do I express myself even without an audience?
I sing to myself in the car, I've written in hopes that no one would ever read, I've gotten dressed on a day that I stayed inside. We must express ourselves.
Why do people shout in concerts or sports events? Can their voice be heard? But they must still voice it.
I think You've given us the desire to express ourselves alongside a completely free will so that love may be expressed.
Love cannot be forced, if it is then it becomes self defeating thus it isn't love.
So in the purest form of the expression of love and risk, You let us choose.
Now the question becomes how will I express myself?
God must express love by creating the art of humans. God is love and love loves love.
But love is free, it has to be or else it is no longer love.
so amazingly, You've breathed in us the breath of life and with it the freedom to choose.
This is why you desire to be desired. I've seen this part of your heart most commonly in women. I've heard women say "I want to you to (fill in the blank)" to which a man will reply "ok I will do that" to which the woman will always reply "No I don't want you to do it because I told you to, I want you to do it because you want to."
And thus the exact portion of the image of God in a woman is revealed.
As a man I flip through the bible with the lens "Ok God what does it take to make it in to Heaven? just tell me what I need to do and I will obey"
And time and time again You always respond with "No I don't want you to obey because I told you to, I want you to obey because you want me."
I've seen this in my own life, If I could force someone to love me would I do it? or if the woman I loved told me to simply do and don't do these things and she will be with me by default would I even want that?
I want a woman who wants me. I want a woman who can look me in the eyes and say "I've seen my options, I know I can choose any man I please, but that's exactly what I've done and I choose you"
I think that is why rape is a crime committed mostly by men. Women have the side of God's heart that wants to be captivating. While men have the task oriented part.
Thus sex becomes more of a task to accomplish more than an expression of free will and unconditional love.
Rape is the complete perversion of love. It is the opposite of selfless free will.
If God forced all humans to love Him He would essentially be spiritually raping us. He would get what He wants and at the exact same time get nothing of what He wants.
God wants all of His children, He wants them all to love him as much as He loves them. He went 100% of the way by paying for their sins on order to be with them. But ultimately if God truly is love and love is not self seeking, then all He can do is give his children their inheritance when they ask and stand by the road waiting for his prodigal children.
How painful it must feel to be God. I've loved someone with my tiny human heart only for them to freely not choose me and that feeling in the pit of my stomach, that loss of appetite, those sleepless nights, making every attempt to win them back, and fight for them.
It's enough to make me question why would God even create humans? It most be so painful when even one sheep strays from the flock. But without the choice, without free will, there can be no love.
God must express love by creating the art of humans. God is love and love loves love.
So He took the risk and wrote His love letter to His bride in the bible. But He didn't stop there He showed up to his brides house, served her with every ounce of energy his limited human body could then He freely died for her. But He didn't stop there He gave her His Holy Spirit to be with her always.
But God cannot force love. He wants us to want Him. I can't imagine how terribly Your heart breaks Abba when the creation You love so limitless don't desire You in return.
Jesus, help me desire You. Help me express my love for you freely with the environment You've placed me in with the body You've placed me in.
I want to shout, dance, paint, write, think, tell, sing, work, hear, taste, see, feel, smell, express how much I love You. No matter the circumstance or my lot in life I want a love towards You as sturdy as the rock which You are to me.
I want to walk with God.
Passion Pit - Take a Walk
I miss my brothers and sisters in Zambia.
God is an artist.
Your heart is so full that it must express itself.
We as humans can only express ourselves within the world You have created for us to enjoy.
But You, Abba, are not bound by limitations. When You express Yourself is comes in the form of stars, sunrises, trees, flowers, elephants, whales, ants, mountains, beaches, love and most beautifully, humans.
As You created Your piece of art as You put the finishing touches on it You looked at humans and You said very good.
As I look at my own heart and the hearts of my brothers and sisters I see the many layers of what being made in Your image is all about.
Humans must also express themselves.
Through poems, songs, paintings, sculptures, carpentry, stories, and countless other ways. We've learned to express ourselves with everything You've given us on this Earth even down to using our own bodies to dance and move in an expression.
But the interesting thing to me is why? Why do I feel the need to express myself? More importantly why do I express myself even without an audience?
I sing to myself in the car, I've written in hopes that no one would ever read, I've gotten dressed on a day that I stayed inside. We must express ourselves.
Why do people shout in concerts or sports events? Can their voice be heard? But they must still voice it.
I think You've given us the desire to express ourselves alongside a completely free will so that love may be expressed.
Love cannot be forced, if it is then it becomes self defeating thus it isn't love.
So in the purest form of the expression of love and risk, You let us choose.
Now the question becomes how will I express myself?
God must express love by creating the art of humans. God is love and love loves love.
But love is free, it has to be or else it is no longer love.
so amazingly, You've breathed in us the breath of life and with it the freedom to choose.
This is why you desire to be desired. I've seen this part of your heart most commonly in women. I've heard women say "I want to you to (fill in the blank)" to which a man will reply "ok I will do that" to which the woman will always reply "No I don't want you to do it because I told you to, I want you to do it because you want to."
And thus the exact portion of the image of God in a woman is revealed.
As a man I flip through the bible with the lens "Ok God what does it take to make it in to Heaven? just tell me what I need to do and I will obey"
And time and time again You always respond with "No I don't want you to obey because I told you to, I want you to obey because you want me."
I've seen this in my own life, If I could force someone to love me would I do it? or if the woman I loved told me to simply do and don't do these things and she will be with me by default would I even want that?
I want a woman who wants me. I want a woman who can look me in the eyes and say "I've seen my options, I know I can choose any man I please, but that's exactly what I've done and I choose you"
I think that is why rape is a crime committed mostly by men. Women have the side of God's heart that wants to be captivating. While men have the task oriented part.
Thus sex becomes more of a task to accomplish more than an expression of free will and unconditional love.
Rape is the complete perversion of love. It is the opposite of selfless free will.
If God forced all humans to love Him He would essentially be spiritually raping us. He would get what He wants and at the exact same time get nothing of what He wants.
God wants all of His children, He wants them all to love him as much as He loves them. He went 100% of the way by paying for their sins on order to be with them. But ultimately if God truly is love and love is not self seeking, then all He can do is give his children their inheritance when they ask and stand by the road waiting for his prodigal children.
How painful it must feel to be God. I've loved someone with my tiny human heart only for them to freely not choose me and that feeling in the pit of my stomach, that loss of appetite, those sleepless nights, making every attempt to win them back, and fight for them.
It's enough to make me question why would God even create humans? It most be so painful when even one sheep strays from the flock. But without the choice, without free will, there can be no love.
God must express love by creating the art of humans. God is love and love loves love.
So He took the risk and wrote His love letter to His bride in the bible. But He didn't stop there He showed up to his brides house, served her with every ounce of energy his limited human body could then He freely died for her. But He didn't stop there He gave her His Holy Spirit to be with her always.
But God cannot force love. He wants us to want Him. I can't imagine how terribly Your heart breaks Abba when the creation You love so limitless don't desire You in return.
Jesus, help me desire You. Help me express my love for you freely with the environment You've placed me in with the body You've placed me in.
I want to shout, dance, paint, write, think, tell, sing, work, hear, taste, see, feel, smell, express how much I love You. No matter the circumstance or my lot in life I want a love towards You as sturdy as the rock which You are to me.
I want to walk with God.
Passion Pit - Take a Walk