A Paradigm Shift

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and love your neighbour as yourself.

Luke 10:27

As I have mentioned several times I am in a time of reflection as I finish my capstone project for the masters.

As I look back I can see how far I have come on my journey with Father.  I use to think being a Christian was about doing the right thing, being good enough, trying so hard so I could go to heaven; and not go to hell.  I could never have told you I felt this way, but I can see it now.  

I have had a paradigm shift in my thinking, worldview; God created us to be connected to Him and to others.  And His plan was for us to experience a deep, satisfying sense of purpose and accomplishment in performing the task He gave us.  Genesis 1:28 says, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it......"

Our lives were meant to be filled with relationship, activity, love and work.  Even in the garden Adam and Eve were meant to learn, grow and mature; they had to cultivate a young planet!  This was God's plan .....well plan A.  After the fall, God continued to want to be with us; He pursued us and He finally rescued us in Jesus.  

I use to think God was an angry God; maybe even mean.  I never thought of Him having a plan for creating us and that it broke His heart when we chose to separate from Him; choosing our own way.  But He continued to want to be with us and made a way to bring us back into relationship with Him, with others and with ourselves.

Being a Christian is about living the way He created us to live; with Him, participating with Him, creating and loving with Him.  He had plans for the earth and He wanted humans to be part of that; the most amazing thing is He still does!

What a different way of thinking, a different way of seeing life and understanding our purpose.  Yes God may have been angry, upset when we chose to go our own way; but I think mostly His heart was broken.  He knew we would not be living the way He created us to live and our lives would not work.  This broke His heart. 

Wow this is different than seeing life about trying to be good enough, trying always to do the right thing; and even seeing life as trying to 'get into heaven' and 'stay out of hell'.  As amazing as that is!

Having this paradigm shift in how I see God, myself, the world and other people is amazing.  It changes everything; such freedom.  Is this the abundant life Jesus talked about?

Life is no longer about trying, striving, wondering, but about living, being present; and from this place of living and being present yes I am working, having a voice, standing in the authority Jesus gave me in His name, and it is about continuing to grow and learn.

It is exciting.  It is adventurous.  It is about being who I was all along; a human being united with the Triune God.  I am free to relate to Him the way He met for me to all along.  I am free to relate to myself, the world and others the way I was met to all along.  

Wow a cloud of deceit has been lifted.

Any thoughts?  Are you living the way you were created to live; the way you were recreated to live in Christ?  Is there anything hindering you?  Take a few moments to ask God to show you; ask Him to give you perspective, His perspective.

http://scottpriorart.com

GG made this heart for me with coffee for Valentines!