First and foremost, we were created in the "image and likeness of God". (Genesis 1:27) We are created "Good".
Secondly - Bad things happen to good people NOT because God wills it, but because God allows humankind to be humankind. The greatest love cannot force it's love upon another. To love means to allow us the freedom and choice to love in return - in turn giving us the freedom to avoid and dismantle that love from our end of the relationship.
Lastly, this is all incomprehensible if we don't believe in the supernatural. The human soul - the nature of sin - satan - God - angels - heaven - spirits - All are part of the supernatural world that either exists or doesn't. It's not subjective based on what an individual might think or prefer but is based on either fact or fable. The challenge is accepting something we can't quite grasp with our human intellect and only sense or speculate through various thoughts or experiences.
So here's where the rubber hits the road... We're created good, but are influenced away from the good. We are created perfect but because of our fallen human nature, we fall short of that perfection. People hurt us, we are influenced to acts that are in contrast from the greatest good. We fall to the sin of pride, selfishness, we act out of resentment and anger. We receive particular influences from our family passed from one generation to another. We might have been unintentionally cursed by a family member, coach, teacher or other person of influence over our life when we are/were vulnerable. We might have even opened up doors to evil things by participating in ouija boards, tarrot cards, mind readers and other things of the occult. We may have experienced trauma. Maybe the depression, anger or addiction of another person affected us in a variety of ways. The eyes and the ears are the door to our soul and what we see, ear and experience affect us. God in his perfect love does not put us in a bubble, but allows us to experience life and to fight to be the person we were created to be.
To be holy - is to be "whole" - to be the person we were created to be. When we are most ourselves, God himself is most visible in his creation. When we are most ourselves, others see Christ in us. Like in the story of "The Missing Piece" - we were created whole, but lost our way and are searching for the missing piece to make us whole again. We'll try to put all sorts of things in our life to fill that gap - drugs, wealth, sports, business, alcohol, pornography, power, authority, work, friends, technology and anything else. What we're missing is the intimacy with our creator.
I'd like to invite you into a few chapters... this is chapter 1 and I'll write a bit more over the next week or so on how to find healing. The first step - Identify those characteristics you struggle with the most. Search deep within, any feelings you experience that are not of God. This may be anger, fear, resentment, revenge, rage, self hate, depression, lust, greed, unbelief, pride, rejection, insecurity, purposelessness, despair, hopelessness, shame, addiction, grief, jealousy, envy, unworthiness, loneliness... Identify all the areas where you experience a gap between you and God. I even invite you to pull out a note card, spend some time alone writing down the things that you feel. If you'd like to see a more comprehensive list, please see this link: CLICK HERE
One thing to keep in mind - you're created good! These things that you think that you "are" or "have become" are not YOU - they are things that have attached to you like a parasite. The first step to moving past them is to identify them - name them. I'd like to invite you to hang with me over the next few days/weeks as I break this open further. Be assured of my prayers for you.
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