(The following is an email I just received from someone being recently resurrected by Jesus. Great advice to fresh “resurrectionaries”: develop a love affair with the Bible.)
First of all, I am neither a pastor nor a professional writer. I am just like you, and am coming back from the dead. But I want to give you some advice to help you on your faith journey.
Grasp God’s love for you and hang on to it like it is the lifeline that it is.
Romans 8:38, 39 sums it up. Paul writes “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height not depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” A love that cannot be separated from us? Can you even grasp that? Throughout the Bible, it is said that God’s love is steadfast. That means dutifully firm and unwavering. Grasp it.
You see, I have abandonment issues. I have love issues. Hey, I just have issues. But this Word, this “nothing can separate us” is my lifeline. But you know what gets me in trouble? It isn’t just the “S” word (sin). It’s the “L” word. Anytime I look to anyone or anything else to try to get love, I fail. My heart begins to die. It’s like the story of Peter walking on water in Matthew 14: when I take my eyes off of Jesus, I sink.
It’s not the rules that Jesus died for, it’s love. Love fulfills the law. It supersedes the rules. So when I stay focused on that love, on how He cares about me, my heart is alive. I don’t always feel loved, but I am assured that I always am loved, and that is good enough for me. Man, woman, child, the world – do not love like this.
For me, the only way I can stay tuned into God’s love is to read the Bible. But for some, they find their lifeline through prayer, in worship, or even by staring at the stars, with people or alone. Whatever it takes, do it. Stay connected to the love.
It is, after all, what brought Jesus to us, and what has brought us to Him. Grasp it, and hold on. It’s going to be a wild ride.
