From Fear to Love-The Ministry of Being

By: Carole L. Haines 

We have discovered on this journey from Fear, that God’s love is revealed IN us, not just TO us.  
^“By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.” (1 John 4:9) 

We discovered God’s love is first known and then believed. The first is a revelation, the second is our choice. 
“We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1 John 4:16) 

We have learned many other things along the way, but as we move into our final reflections on God’s Perfect Love, we will begin to see the produce, or fruit, that this Love yields in our lives. We will be reading and meditating on the following Scripture.  
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. (1 John 4:7-14) 

 If you can, read this Scripture several times and just let it soak in as we wrap up this Journey Sometimes our journeys are so wearying. Perhaps this is because we make our journeys more about “doing” than simply “being.” Being His, belonging to God. Jesus is our example, and yes, He DID many things, but always under the counsel of His Father. He modeled going off to be alone with the Father often, of listening to Him in prayer.  We will look at these intimate retreats from the world into the alone-ness of being with His Father in Heaven. Let me close this day with some words of Jesus from what is referred to as The High Priestly Prayer. 

“Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”  
(John 17-1-3) 

Jesus was here for the sole purpose of doing The Father’s will in bringing us eternal life through the sacrifice of Himself. Eternal Life is not some far off distant, after death experience we are waiting for. Jesus defines it above as Knowing The Father and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. I call this The Ministry of Being. Be Blessed today, Dear Believer.