{"id":153,"date":"2016-02-26T07:18:43","date_gmt":"2016-02-26T15:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.smallchelle.com\/?p=153"},"modified":"2016-02-26T07:18:43","modified_gmt":"2016-02-26T15:18:43","slug":"unconditional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smallchelle.com\/?p=153","title":{"rendered":"Unconditional"},"content":{"rendered":"

Don\u2019t really know what I\u2019m doing today. I wish there was an easy way to get where I want to be other than patiently taking the time to get there.<\/span><\/p>\n

I know I need the experiences and failures that are ahead to sharpen me and build me into something that will survive the test. With no test there is only soft mush. If you don\u2019t bake the pie the crust will never become golden. If you don\u2019t fire the pot the glaze will never shine. If you don\u2019t cook the roast it will always just be a bloody mess.<\/span><\/p>\n

I want to start working on my devotional book again, and I feel like I\u2019m on the right track. The communion message Scott gave at church last Sunday was beautiful, and unexpectedly intense for me. He started with the simple statement, \u201cGod loves you.\u201d and I took it. I took it personally. I believed it, at face value. I believed it like I did when I first got saved. Ironically the devotional book I\u2019m working on is an effort to get a sharp focus on God\u2019s love for us.<\/span><\/p>\n

For some reason we get saved and we are so grateful we start doing all kinds of stuff for the Lord. Then we feel like if we fail at doing the stuff or go into gross sin we fail to keep His love. We think God loves us because he\u2019s obligated himself to, not just because he loves us. We think that once we are saved he has some \u201cexpectation\u201d, but the only thing Jesus tells us to \u201cdo\u201d is believe and \u201cabide\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Phil (Bill Murray) finally broke free from his groundhog day loop he wakes up with Rita (Andy MacDowell) and says to her, \u201cWhy are you still here?\u201d and she answers back, \u201cYou said stay, so I stayed.\u201d It was at the point she knew his love was real and not fake that she stayed. The curse was broken.<\/span><\/p>\n

God\u2019s love isn\u2019t fake. It\u2019s not manufactured by religion to get you to abide by certain moral standards or give money. God\u2019s love for you is the real deal. We throw around the word unconditional with no real understanding of what it means because for us everything is conditional. <\/span><\/p>\n

A quick search for the word \u201cunconditional\u201d nets a few great phrases that dial it in.<\/span><\/p>\n

God\u2019s love for you is complete and absolute, not limited in any way.<\/span><\/p>\n

God loves you without any special exceptions.<\/span><\/p>\n

God\u2019s love for you is all-out and all-in!<\/span><\/p>\n

Wear it with joy, like a crown, as the child of the King!<\/span><\/p>\n

God LOVES you!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Don\u2019t really know what I\u2019m doing today. I wish there was an easy way to get where I want to be other than patiently taking the time to get there. I know I need the experiences and failures that are ahead to sharpen me and build me into something that will survive the test. With…<\/span><\/p>\n