DO YOU HATE HIM

Do you hate him?

You can read all types of literature whether it’s the Bible, non fiction books, scientific studies, or maybe its having a conversation with someone, listening to the news, or feeling the burden of these false promises we’re given. We can all safely agree that suffering is happening everywhere.

For generations we’ve been at conflict in our minds, in our lives, and in our countries to find the answers to why we exist. Why am I here? We search for answers not finding them. Why? Is it because we don’t want to believe, or is it because we would have to recognize our sin?

What does sin mean anyway?

I love the way Ben at Cedar Creek Church answers this question. He says, “Sin simply means to separate ourselves from God.” This sounds believable when I remember back to the days when I’d squash down these promptings from within me to make different choices. I’d say to myself, “You got this Alisa, it’ll all work out.” But what I didn’t see was: I was allowing my mind to be infused with these ideas to do what feels good for Alisa. Not aware of the affects this would have on my life when I followed the world’s way of thinking.

I’d have to separate myself from God to do things my way; then I’d cry out for help in my failures. I was exhausting myself trying every which way to solve my discontent, and nothing ever stood the test of time! Meaning, it may work for awhile, but I always returned to these feelings of defeat.

Everyday I was reminded of this fracture that separated me from feeling loved the way I needed to be loved. My self esteem kept me from believing what Alisa was truly capable of achieving. I placed blame when I should have looked at my decisions. I kept thinking, there must be more…

So, out of anger and frustration of being hurt by the people that told me they loved me, I decided to pick up the Bible and read if from front to back. While I was reading through the Bible I decided to call my journey, “The love walk.” This is where I finally found the love I had been searching for. I found love in its truest, most expressive form. This saved my life for the second time, and this time I wasn’t going to push this love away so I could live life my way.

Instead, I decided to give this love the test of time. And here we are 12 years later, and this love has brought me to places I never would have imagined possible. I’ve seen things, and met people I would never have met. Opportunity continues to show up, and my life has expanded in ways my old self esteem would never have allowed me to. The chains that held me captive in my mind have broken, never to be bound again.

This love came from 3 sources God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. And I cling to them even today by keeping them closest to me. I’ve spent time getting to know this, “Super Human,” in me. Now, I squash down the side of me that wants to do things my way, and release the side within me that allows me to embrace the great, “I AM,” within me.

As I wish you PEACE, GRACE AND LOVE this Easter Sunday, and always I can feel in my heart an amazing love for why. Christ carried his cross on Good Friday to skull hill in Golgotha after bearing the whippings to hang like a criminal for you & I, so he could rise on this day. Jesus trusted our Heavenly Father to stick to his promise of eternal life. This expression of love could never be done by anyone other than Jesus because of our separation from God to do things our way. Jesus never wavered his trust in God, or in his love for us!

This love is like no other. Helping us build our confidence to take ownership of becoming this greater version of ourselves. When we receive Christ we’re given the Holy Spirit as our guide to accomplish all God has in place for us to live our best life. Jesus heals our rejection and our pain on our journey. This life can be yours through Jesus’ love if you choose. Happy Easter to you all as we celebrate Jesus’ love for us!