A Letter...

I wanted to share this here. A dear friend wrote it a couple of days ago. I thought it was amazing. It is my hope, that it will encourage you too.

"I read your blogs and your page. I was so, so glad to know that you are serving Christ and loving Jesus. I make a distinction not because Christ and Jesus are separate individuals, but because Jesus, the Christ, is both man and God. In the nature of the Man we can approach Him as a brother and fellow sufferer. As Christ, He is literally Lord and Governor over all created things. All at once we approach with serving love and subservient, due fear.
Have you ever thought what the opposite of love is? The quick response may be hate, but hate is better called the enemy of love. The real opposite of love is fear. Love trusts entirely, even blindly, yet fear trusts nothing. That is why scripture says, "perfect love casts out all fear."
Amongst mankind we are not afforded a chance to truly love other humans because men are simply too untrustworthy. Scripture calls us to be wise, and so perfect love is currently impossible. We have reasons to fear.
With Christ comes the opportunity for true love. Jesus commanded us to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your strength." What does it mean to love the Lord? The command is not to do a certain number of devotions or prayers, or sing so many songs while sharing Christ with so many people. All of these things are the fruit and evidence of the love, but they are not love itself.
In being commanded to love God you have been called to fulfill one word - trust. Loving God is trusting Him so perfectly that nothing is frightening. As a patient trusts the skilled hands of a surgeon, so much more does perfect love believe in the goodness and ability of our benevolent God. Perfect love expels fear to the point of unbelievable bravery.
What is the evil man, that we should fear him?! What is food, that we should hunger?! When water and air have failed, as I gasp for life, what then do I gasp for? Water and air and food are only the means through which God continues our earthly ministry. When He has taken these things it is not abandoning. Death, suffering, need - these are the vehicles by which we enter eternity! Praise God for the approach of them!
What a mighty God! Before Him we are dust at the foot of an infinite furnace. We are dust that He notices and loves with the infinity of His goodness. After all of this spectacular created world has been removed and when one third of the glorious angels have been forever disgraced into oblivion, I will be preserved. A thousand, ten thousands, uncountable eons away, my once-filthy soul will be a jewel of His keeping. We are the treasures of His grace and the evidence of undeserved love.
Take care. I have prayed for you for a long time."