Now I am really angry!
All this time, I was still operating according to rules and regulations, thinking that I had to think or feel or do something in order to be good or to maintain my good standing with God.
Jesus did all of that for me at the Cross.
No wonder Jesus talked about wolves in sheep's clothing, men and women who offer what seems to be a perfect sacrifice, when in fact they want to lay people down with rules and regulations and keep people in bondage to the rudiments of this hollow, empty, and lost world.
Even the people very close to me, who were trying to do their best, who wanted the best for me - guess what? They brought the law into my life, as well!
Guess what -- it's OK to be angry!
It's OK to be so upset!
It's OK to be afraid -- and what you feel ultimately does not matter, because His love for us is perfect, and cannot prevent him from living and moving and having His being in our lives.
In our lives at all times.
I used to believe that I had to feel a certain way in order to know that God was with me, for me, etc.
There is a new statement for that -- carnally-minded:
"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8: 6)
To be carnally minded means more than to be sin-minded, but also flesh, sense, law, and ultimately self-centered, as if everything depends on us, which is another way of saying "It's all about me!"
We need to realize that His love for us has nothing to do with us, and that we do not, must not add certain requirements, such as I need to feel that He loves me. He love us, lives in us, and empowers us through Himself, by His Spirit, to do all things.
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4: 13)
It's all of Christ!
So, what is one of the big problems in AA? and also Celebrate Recovery?
These garbled, garbage "self-help" groups actually think that our flesh - our efforts, our feelings, etc -- can help us, that we can improve ourselves/
We do not need self-improvement, we need the Divine Providence of God Almighty through all that Christ Jesus has done for us.
The more that we look at ourselves, however, the more that we will acknowledge how little we measure up. We must not look at ourselves, but rather at the perfect Man at the Father's right hand -- Jesus!
We do not need counseling on how to be better Christians, or what it will take for us to be Christ-like. We do not need people to sit down and listen to our hurts, habits, hang-ups, hardened feelings. We need someone who will reveal to us more of the love of the Father (1 John 2: 15).
This love cannot be understood based on our doing something or fixing something or trying to get something, but rather this love is based on all that He has done for us, and a growing revelation of how great if God's grace in our lives.
I do not want anyone to ask me how I feel. Oftentimes, our bad feelings come from the fact that we do not understand, or we have lost focus on, the fact that God loves us, no, God loves ME so much!
Do not tell me about me -- tell me about Him who loved me, and gave Himself for me ({Galatians 2: 20-21)
Do not tell me what to do -- tell me what He has done, and what He is committed to doing in me and through me (Philippians 2: 12-13)
Do not tell me what I am, but tell me who He is, for as He is, so am I in this world (1 John 4: 17)
Do not give me Ten Commandments, or Twelve Steps -- tell me about the One Perfect Man, and the One thing that He did -- Christ and Him Crucified (1 Corinthians 2: 2)
Forget the counsel of the ungodly -- but tell me about Christ, my hope in glory!
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