Mick Mooney

It takes only a moment to have the revelation that God is love, but it takes a lifetime to let go of other doctrines we’ve been taught/conditioned to believe that makes God out to be anything less than love.

We play theological gymnastics most of our lives, finding ways to justify God the half lover, God the almost lover, God the if you do, I do lover. God the it’s not my fault lover, God the angry lover.

In the end, though it will take a lifetime, I think we’ll all give up on the theological gymnastics game, and just accept the reality of God the way a child does: God is love. Fully. Always. Forever.

Jesus was a reckless lover of people, and he refused to bow down to the religious expectation of loving from a distance. He was up close, real, and embracing. He touched the lepers, he drew close to the prostitutes, he invited the scoundrels of society to dinner. He was hated by the religious not for this theology, but for his love, for his love was not made up by words he spoke, but by the life he lived. Be like Jesus. Love so much it makes religious people uncomfortable.

To have a dream is the easy part. To believe enough in your dream that you work on achieving it, day in, day out, year in, year out — that it is the challenging part. But if the dream is in your heart, then it is there for a purpose. The challenge is to believe in it enough that it moves you to learn, to practice, and to become a professional in whatever craft you need. Take courage. Believe. Keep practicing.

From heaven’s perspective, a loving illiterate is wiser than a loveless scholar.

You’re loved. You’re a beautifully created individual. You’ve been crafted by the Master Craftsmen. You’re a perfect work. You’re the treasured possession of the King of heaven. You’re more significant than you realize. You’re brighter than the stars. You’re more stunning then the sun set. You are exactly who God made you to be. You’re a blessing. You’re a comfort. You’re a light. Thank you for being so perfectly you.

Galaxies of stars are, according to our understanding, so enormous we can not comprehend it, and yet they are like grains of sand to God. Imagine how much bigger God’s love is. It’s already so enormous to us we find it impossible to comprehend, but it is surely a million times bigger than that! God is love. He loves us all, and his love is BIG!

Love is invisible, but when it touches your life it changes everything. It heals the brokenness, it overcomes sadness with joy, it gives hope to the hopeless; it makes you feel special, significant, valuable and free. You can’t grasp it, you can’t contain it, and you can’t tame it. It can’t be bought and it can’t be sold, but it’s freely given and freely received. Love is the greatest. Love is God. God is love.

Let the love inside you escape into the world around you. Set it free. For love, like you, wasn’t created to be caged, but to be radically free. You are made in the image of love; created with a divine instinct to cross the lines of division and break out of the boxes of conformity set up to keep you tame. You were born to be a light of love in the world, so love like heaven does, and watch the earth light up in God’s glory.

How different the kings of the world are compared to the King of heaven. History shows how the kings of the world have always forced people to bow down before them. The King of heaven, in contrast, came to be the one who bowed down before us, washing our feet, and revealing the true nature of God. Our heavenly King is humble. Our heavenly King is graceful. Our heavenly King is love.

Life, true life in abundance, is discovered in the love you share with others