In His Likeness w/ AntTBri

Because I spent a number of years needing attention, affirmation and acceptance I’m intentional about making sure my motive of doing and saying is not an attempt to secure these things for myself. Living, loving and working in ministry to get your need met is dangerous,  defeating and deadly.  You can’t do it effectively because the enemy will dangle that particular need being met by man and use that bait to control, confine or corrupt you everytime.Living and loving needs based is bondage. What happens when the people are unable, unwilling or unavailable to supply it?  Do you stop living, loving or ministering? If you’re not intentional, invested and intuned you will.

If the enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy.  If he is roaming to and fro to deceive and devour why do we choose to willingly assist him?  Many of us are living, loving and ministering to our own demise…needing to be heard, SEEN,  feel important, powerful, valuable and validated in an arena of admiration. God hears you. God sees you.  You are important to Him.  He validates and deems you valuable.  It is in and through Him that we are powerful without man/woman’s  acknowledgment, acceptance and affirmation. Isn’t that more than enough for you to live, love and minister free? Know your weakness and proactively safeguard your heart from falling victim to the issues.

It wasn’t until I began to understand the grace and mercy of God in my own life that I could extend forgiveness and understanding of my and others weaknesses.   Now that I’m better in this area of life and love I’ve come to the conclusion that: “Perfection is Not a REQUIREMENT of Love…effort is”. Will we get life and love right? Sometimes. Will we get life and love wrong? Sometimes. How then can we assess whether or not we are loving or being loved when life presents this question? According to the standard of God’s love for us.  Build and buffer relationships with the WORD. When life and love goes wrong…”come let’s reason together” let’s talk honestly about what you’re thinking,  feeling and doing for the purpose of RECONCILIATION!  Forgiveness according to the Word secures and sustains relationship. Do we  or those persons connected to us put forth the effort of reconciliation? Do we  extend a clean slate like Jesus…”though your (wrongs) be many and color life and love a crimson red  I will trust and treat you according to the work of the Holy Spirit, since I believe the blood of Jesus makes them white as snow…like me you’re being made whole ” (emphasis added mines). Love grants us chance after chance and only requires the effort of true repentance.   If you or I turn from the wrong, live and love differently and demonstrate we are willing to put forth the effort to heal the disconnect the Word prescribes that God will RESTORE.

There is life and love after being  broken hearted. There is life and love after bitterness has been uprooted.  There is life and love that has been made better by the work of the Holy Spirit in us.  What is life or love without hope, expectation and faith that we grow in grace and become better? 

It’s a wonderful thing to be loved so completely by an all knowing God.  He knows the way we take and how to use those things experienced and expressed to turn our hearts to living and loving His way.  Thank God for His Word that cuts away what’s unprofitable in us so we can benefit from the gift of grace and mercy. Life and love never feels good during the pruning process when the dross is falling off and the darkness is being exposed but the Light of the Word makes us better in the perfection of God’s love for, in and to us. We no longer live or love feelings based because we’re growing better.  The life and love we now render is rooted and grounded in faith. We believe God is God of all our situations…that He is the reason life and love works or doesn’t work and His expectation is that we put forth the effort to trust Him. Trusting God is truly our only option. I trust Him to make life and love better for you and me~AntTBri