Fearfully or Wonderfully Made?

I just finished working on a college paper for my Western Civilization class. We were given a piece of the book "The Prince" By Niccolo Machiavelli. It is a guidebook he made on "how to" be a a successful authoritative ruler.

The question was assigned, "Is it better for a ruler to be loved or feared?"

In his literature, Machiavelli writes, "For love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails."

In his eyes, it is better for an authoritative figure to be feared than to be loved; for love is easily broken. This man inspired thousands of authoritative figures to do the same.

But what does God say?

All throughout my life this question has come up. Sitting in classes with teachers that were way too lovable and had no control on the classroom. Bosses that established authority and fear, but missed out on compassion.

Fathers that spoil their children, and watch their children grow up with a lack of understanding authority and consequence. Fathers that are disciplined with their children but never commit to a relationship with them, full of love and compassion. Those children grow up with painfully flawed views on love, and how beautiful it can be.

I think back to a street preacher I talked to in St. Augustine. Walking by, his words were extremely sharp, drenched in God's wrath and hell. I caught bits and pieces of his biting message and I was so fed up with letting him speak those words over my life. So I walked up to him. I sat back at first, and then got closer. I listened a lot, listened to him preach, listened openly, asked him questions about his testimony. I look back to that man's testimony and realize that his ministry is a byproduct of a lack of balance between God's fear, and God's love.

See, this man was raised in a church that only preached the love of Christ. They never taught him about the Fear of God, hell, consequences of sin, or death. The only message they preached was everlasting love. Therefore to make up for the balance, he went overboard in the opposite direction.

What this man failed to cover in his preaching was the fact that he is a former Devil worshipper. He spent years of his life trapped in the cult of Satanic rituals and desperately wanted out. "God saved me" he told me as he openly revealed his Satanic tattoos all up and down his arms. "I never can go back to that." I got the opportunity to share grace with him, explaining that his testimony is the greatest evangelizing tool that someone can have! People on these streets need to hear this man's story of redemption! God is a God who saves. The man pushed me aside and continued his street-yelling like nothing I said mattered. I walked away with a God-sized burden for that man.

This man truly felt that he was making a difference for the kingdom of God. This burdened my heart and inspired me to search after the heart of God for the truth.

I believe that God's heart for his people is a beautiful balance of both fear and love.

See, in Psalms 139:14 It tells us that we are "Fearfully" AND "Wonderfully" made. We were created in the womb to Fear God, and wonder in His everlasting love. A beautiful balance of both.

Now lets look at fear first.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7

"If we fear anything other than God, we are deceived. God is the only thing in the universe worthy of fear. Satan, of course, would disagree and has made an industry out generating bogus fear. His weapons are horror movies, anxieties, worries, nightmares, phobias, panic attacks, demons, etc. Satan wants the fear due God. To be sure, Satan is truly a terrifying master to those under his care, but those "in Christ" have been purchased from his mastery and need not fear him any longer. Whenever it is in our power, we should cut off any access Satan has to our minds or hearts to plant bogus fear (VanDruff)."

God is the highest degree of an authoritative figure. The ultimate Father, Teacher, Boss, Mentor, Friend, Preacher. He is the only one that can has the power to instill real fear in someone's life. We should live our lives free from fear of this world, fear of evil and the enemy, but instead spending that fear on knowing that without God is a scary place. Hell is real, and God truly is the only answer. When a child steals candy, he is not so worried about being afraid of what his friends think, or what the store owner thinks. The scariest thing of all for him is being put in front of his Father, and receiving his punishment. It is this punishment, however, that creates character in this boy. He will not grow up a thief, after his father shows him the consequences for stealing.

And in the same motion, we were created to look up to our Prince with eyes of wonder for his awesome love. He is the best lover, He created perfect love. He is the King of Love.

Lets look at 1 John 4:17-19

 God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.

This addresses Niccolo Machiavelli's stance on this balance for a ruler. God IS love! And He has called us to walk into loving others without fear.

Not only were you designed with the ability to produce both Fear and Love for God...But you were created in the image of God Himself. THEREFORE, you were created with the authority of God, and the compassion of God in your DNA.

I'm talking to YOU fellow Teacher, Father, Mentor, Boss, Preacher, Mentor, King. The all authoritative Spirit of God is within you, and the Heavenly love of God is within you. Therefore we have no excuse to love and be loved, be authoritative in our positions and learn to operate under authority of another. We were created to do it!


VanDruff, Dean, and Laura VanDruff. "The Fear of God." The Fear of God. Acts 17:11 Bible Study, n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2014



Dear Heavenly Father,
I pray for the reader of this post today. I pray that chains of bondage are broken. I release them to forgive those that have wrongly Fathered, bossed, mentored, or ruled over them in their lives. I release them to go out into their jobs, schools, families, and cities and practice loving from above. Practice the authority that You have instilled in our hearts. I pray that I am able to practice this on a daily basis at my school, job, and home. I thank you for every reader on my blog and for the authority they have in their circle of friends, with their employees, with their families, and with their school mates. I thank you that there is no prosperous weapon formed against them, and that they have the boldness of Christ and the authority of the Holy Spirit with them today!

In Your heavenly name I pray,
Amen

I Found A Love

||Sisterhood||

Worship begins, I hear the band playing "I Found A Love" by Bethel Church.

My mind travels to the Western Civilization class I have recently spent way too much time studying for. Some of the topics in that class keep popping up in my head

Aeneid, Virgil, Aeneas. Aeneid, a story written by Virgil. The story of Aeneas fleeing Troy to found Rome.

I remember sitting at Starbucks thinking, "That grammar is so wrong.. he foundED Rome...not found. Why does that sound so odd..."


I come back into worship, right in time for the chorus.


"I found a love greater then life in itself
I found a hope stronger and nothing compares
'Cus I once was lost
But now I am found in You
I am found in You
I come alive in You"


found^{1
1.having been discovered by chance or unexpectedly, in particular}

found²

1. establish or originate (an institution or organization), esp. by providing an endowment.

Singing that song now has so much meaning. Not only have I discovered a love, a hope, a life...but I am now establishing that in my every day life. Establishing love, hope, and life in every home, work place, church, and friendship. Everywhere I go God is establishing Himself more in me. I want to establish myself upon Him.

I begin singing:

"I establish a love greater then life in itself
I establish a hope stronger and nothing compares.
I once was lost but now I am established in You.
I am established in You
I come alive in You"

W E L C O M E |11.17.13|

Welcome to my blog.

Little revelations that fill my secular world every day. Sometimes Wind Words come in conversations with others, reading, watching TV, or college debates. Sometimes they come in deeply personal conversations with the Father. However they come I have learned to listen to the Wind Words. The Spirit of God blowing through my life, whispering little truths that guide my path. I believe that the largest truths come in forms of tiny whispers. I hope that this blog inspires you to listen in your own life to the Spirit speaking. Whatever form of ministry you are in, whether it is in the church or on the streets, I pray that the Spirit of God is in you and all over you every step you take.

The inspiration for this blog initially stems from a revelation of revelations 3, when God was speaking to the "lukewarm" church of Laodicea. 

it says: 

“I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, ‘I’m rich, I’ve got it made, I need nothing from anyone,’ oblivious that in fact you’re a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless.

“Here’s what I want you to do: Buy your gold from me, gold that’s been through the refiner’s fire. Then you’ll be rich. Buy your clothes from me, clothes designed in Heaven. You’ve gone around half-naked long enough. And buy medicine for your eyes from me so you can see, really see. 

“The people I love, I call to account—prod and correct and guide so that they’ll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God! “Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you. Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That’s my gift to the conquerors! 

“Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.” (Revelation 3:14-22 MSG)

As a Christ follower, and a Temple holding God's presence I never want to be lukewarm with my love. God loves His people and calls them daily with mini missions of going deeper in discipling, evangalizing, and simply understanding Him and His Word. The Spirit of God is constantly talking to us. And God's word, His cure for the lukewarm church was to listen.

All Glory goes to God in this blog. He is my only inspiration and at the end of the day His words are always better then mine, anyway. You will soon find out with me that the Spirit of God is so funny, so ironic, so light, and so freeing.

In conclusion I want to thank Deanna, she has always been the first person I call when the Wind Words speak, and she was the one that gave me the idea for this blog.

Let the blogging begin!