Past experiences, traumas, losses and fearful experiences have affected us. These have created, what seem to be, realities. Realities of failure, of not having enough, of not being enough. Realities of lack, struggle, sadness and loss.
The interesting thing about illusion and reality is that an illusion seems like reality, until a new reality proves it to have been an illusion. In John 8:32 the word "truth", in Greek, is synonymous with the word "reality".
You will know The Reality, and The Reality will set you free, from your prior reality - which was an illusion.
Although our past experiences seem like reality, there is a higher reality. It's full of love, life, healing, and goodness. It's void of fear, worry and anxiety. It does not fear death or suffering.
This is the reality of heaven that I need to know. A reality so real that I begin to see the fears of this world as the illusions they really are. There is a reality in which you are never alone or abandoned. A reality in which you never lack any good thing. There is a reality in which you are perfectly and exactly who you are supposed to be; accepted, loved and cherished. Changing these realities is a matter of changing the views within our mind. It does not happen by accident.
What seemed like a reality of extreme loss and defeat was when Jesus got the crap beat out of him, and hung lifelessly from a blood stained cross. The actual reality was that He was never defeated. He was never their prisoner. And death was not the final end like everyone believed it was. This was an example of disillusionment at its best.
And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.
John 8:32 AMPC
Understanding that our realities may very well be illusions, should cause us to question our current realities. One reality that I believe we all need to reconceptualize is the reality of God's love. The reality of His pure, unconditional, acceptance and nearness to us.
What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:31-39 NLT
If nothing can separate me from God's love then what causes me to sometimes feel separated, or distant, from His love? Likewise, if God's perfect love casts out fear, (1 John 4:18), then why do I still have moments of tormenting anxiety, or lingering, and underlying, subtle fear?
I would propose that when I "feel" separated, or distant, from God's love it is simply due to my beliefs. Although I often blame the feeling of separation on an unhealthy act I may have committed, (sin), the truth is that it's only my belief, that I should feel guilt, and a belief that it has separated me, that causes me to perceive that I am separated from His love.
The actual truth, (aka, "reality"), is that I can never be separated from His love. Yet, I can believe the illusion that I am, and that illusion can become my temporary reality, for as long as I choose to believe it.
In the experiences of fear and anxiety, I believe this is the same issue. Beliefs about possible outcomes, of specific scenarios, cause me to believe that I should worry. Yet, if I simply change my belief, worry will cease.
Our beliefs determine our reality. Yet, our reality is not always, "The Reality" - our truth is not always, "The Truth". If there is any fear, guilt, shame, or worry in "our reality", then it's safe to say that it is not the reality, or truth, from Heaven.
Jesus lived in a reality in which He saw even the worst people as being deserving of being healed, being fed, clothed and loved. In Jesus' reality even those who were beating him, and sentencing him to death, were deserving of forgiveness. (Luke 23:34). In Jesus' reality it was okay that He would die, there was nothing to fear. God was in control and would use it all for good. (Romans 8:28).
I would suggest that we should begin to question our beliefs when we "feel" separated from God's love. When we notice fear, anxiety, or worry, let's stop and discover what belief is causing this "hellish" reality. There is a great, amazing, and heavenly reality that exists. It's full of love, of peace, of wonderful possibilities, and goodness. The way to access it is to simply believe.
In regard to yourself, in regard to your family, your country, your future, or the world, what will you choose to believe? What reality will you choose to view these things from?
Comments