Still, I am not talking about religious actions and rules. Step 2 says that we came to believe that God can restore us to sanity, to right thinking. That belief is essential because there is no progress beyond the hopelessness of understanding that we can not control or manage our lives or free ourselves from our bondage (Step 1) without that belief. But it is only one step. Belief is the beginning of the journey, not the destination. The destination is relationship and awareness of His presence with us, in us, and His great love, care and leadership in our lives. And to reach that we must do more than believe.
The first action is immediately apparent, because Step 3 makes it so clear. We surrender our lives and will to Him, to His love, care and leadership. Submitting to Him, denying self and surrendering to the truth that His will, way and plans for us are better, more satisfying and leading to contentment than our own will and way. But even surrender is not enough. Well, it is, but it isn't. Surrender isn't real if it stops with us saying we surrender. But if the surrender is real there will be action. Because we are never called to follow Christ without also being called to serve. True belief is not saying we belief but acting on that belief. If we believe and surrender to Him, we will then act on that belief, allowing Him to guide and direct us, to have control of our actions and reactions, which will lead to us becoming a demonstration of His love, His power and His way of life for His glory and to help others. We will be instruments of His love and His peace.
Love isn't really love until it's given away. We are never given anything to hoard and hold onto selfishly, because selfishness goes on the altar. It isn't fed and nurtured. It is sacrificed and replaced with something much better. Today if we believe we must also be quick to get out of the way, give Him control, so that we can be the hand of love and a light in the lives of others drawing them to Him. I'm not saying that we must preach at people. But our presence, can give others a glimpse of His love. Our listening and caring can show people God's compassion for them. Our acceptance and friendship toward even those we in ourselves would not like or associate with can be an example of how Christ loved us even when we were His enemies. We may be the one that brings those we would avoid into relationship with Him, because when they see what we have, and how we don't reject them, then they can believe, perhaps, that maybe, just maybe, God won't reject them either. How can the world know that Jesus truly loves them as they are, not as they should be, if they aren't shown love and acceptance by those who claim to belong to Him?
Even the stranger we encounter can glimpse the love and peace of God in our lives and wonder, how can I have what they have? if we are allowing Him to lead, guide and direct our thoughts and actions in every situation and every encounter. It's not about looking a certain way, or doing religious things. There is no life in religion. It's about acting on our belief and surrender in such a real way that we get so close to Jesus that His love fills us, overflows out of us and pours onto others. There's life in that. Life for us. Life for others. Today, let us live and go beyond belief.
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