Identity Part3

A man named Jesus compared marriage with Him relationship with us, people, the church. In other words if I an to understand a bit of marriage, I am to look at Him and His relationship with the church. He works in us by His love and we become the spotless bride that He presents to Himself. In a nutshell, Gods role (apart from saving the earth), His role is to present us to Himself as the bride that He has always dreams and imagined. And He does this, ultimately through His love.

Know on with it...

To start with... we love Him because He first loved us. His love found me. His love rescued me. His love was so great that I found myself in it. I found my identity in His love. I found my security in Him. He called me and told me how He saw me... beautiful, a diamond worth searching for, so precious to Him that He would die for me. And it wasnt just talk, He actually died for me. Before I knew Him or could be of any use of importance to Him.

This love is my security. It is the rock that I stand on. It never is shaken but it does deepens. A mountain of love that surrounds me. His love is everything to me. And from it, from this identity, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Secondly, because I have my identity in Him, I now feel like I can fly. Like I have no limitations, like I'm so much better than yesterday,I have this new found energy. I'm happier much lighter and want to share this with everyone. I want to run and shout it to the mountains and the hills. It's like I've become more like myself. Free to be who I was made to be. And as a result, I do all things with energy, with this assurance, with this new freedom. His love has made me free to be more of who I am. Releasing me to fly. And as I fly, I sing His praises

Thirdly, I no longer get offended or hurt but instead I see the pain or I can see between the lines.It's no longer about me when I talk or in conversations. It's about love. How can I love with my words, actions, touch, time etc. So now I am more able to help the vision of saving, healing, building the world, so to speak.

It's really funny but it seems that obedience becomes a natural thing. It's like your heart and Gods heart become one and therefore, what He sees as close to His heart, becomes what you see close to your heart. You do things almost automatically because you have become one. You do His will because 1.you love Him and 2.You've become one. There is an intimacy. Love requires intamacy and the deep knowings make you become one. Love is one.

Forthly, through experience of this new walk, this new knowledge, this experience... you must praise Him. It makes too much sense to praise and worship Him. You realise to praise Him for the sun, moon and start. For my health, personality, relationships (strangers and friends, family, God etc). You kinda become one that has a grateful heart. Everything seems to tell you a story of God, His love, mercy, favour, power, glory, majesty, holiness, righteousness etc

Fithly, He becomes your Lord. He gives you free will or choice and You give it back to Him. You give Him your choices without diminishing, without becoming less of yourself and it is freeing. Obedience is a choice. You truly give Him your life.

Likewise, perhaps this is what the process of marriage is? In order to become one, she must find her strength, identity, confidence in him, in the love he provides for her. And her openness to his love should set her free or make her more of who she is, with refound energy to be submissive - not like a doormat but like a rushing wind that makes a paper plane fly further than it normally would. And all these other things mentioned earlier, gradually are added.

The average woman however, one who has security in who she is (which is provided by her up bringing) can be a "wife". We all have some sense of security. Your level of security determines the extent to which the process of becoming "one" flowers. It could take longer or change its colour or wilt or simply no movement. A flower that isnt watered will not grow, a flower that doesnt grow, is essentially dead.

Having your security in God however, is the perfect solution. If you allow Him, you are guarenteed a garden of eden.

It's interesting that 1Peter3:56 reads ⁵For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, ⁶like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master, lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

Does this then mean that your husband fulfills the role of God? He becomes your god in ever sense of the word. Not giving way to fear? (aka don't be scared to treat him as such)God, the living water that gives life because He loves. And we serve Him because of this?