On Withholding Blessing

By withholding blessing from those who have hurt us, we are essentially saying we want to hold some power over the outcome of the situation, or process, of the person(s) life we are withholding blessing from. 

We are saying, "We don't trust you, God, in Your ability to bring about good for this person, bring them to repentance, and still get justice and healing for me." This is a paupers mindset because it stems from the belief that there isn't enough power, love, grace, etc. in the heart of God to make all the wrong things right. So we withhold blessing as our "contribution" to the process in order to see to it that we are satisfied with what we think should be the outcome. 

However, if we understand blessing and the heart of God, we would never withhold blessing; For it is the very thing that avails their life and ours to the glory of kindness which brings repentance, forgiveness which brings freedom, and love which brings justice. It is one of the very things that releases God's best over their lives and ours.

We must gain a proper perspective regarding blessing those who have wronged us. Blessing means going inside the wisdom and love of God to understand and partner with all the rightness and justice and goodness of His heart; For all parties involved! 

Blessing, like forgiveness, has nothing to do with approval of actions or permission to hold a place in your life again. It has everything to do with love that runs deeper than any wrongdoing, any hurt, any betrayal. His love is deeper than the deepest wound, and His love lives in us. 

So, bless those that have wounded you, betrayed you, and hated you. Love them with the everlasting love of The Great King that courses through your veins and brings justice and healing. It is precisely by this letting go, this releasing, that we find we are released as well. We learn how to love deeper within this place. We learn the cogs of the wheels of love are greased, in great part, by blessing. Bless, bless, bless...and do not withhold your blessing. You'll find the beauty of God here, I promise you. 

© Elisabeth Cooper 2017

Love, justice, and judgment...

We often perceive that love and mercy must be separate, at least in part, from justice and judgment. Justice and judgment have been misconstrued and misunderstood through lenses of fear, misunderstanding, and lack of knowledge of the heart of God. Justice and mercy cannot be separated. Love and judgment are partners. The justice of God IS the mercy of God, and visa versa. 

Sometimes we are more comfortable with the word justice than we are with judgment. But judgment from the God of Love is not to be feared. There is no fear in love. Yet, He is the Just Judge. Justice is the establishment of the heart of God and His judgments are the means by which it is carried out. They cannot be separated and are to be celebrated and ushered in by US! 

The cross was the greatest judgment ever pronounced. It was (from before the foundations of the world were laid), and remains (for all eternity), the greatest act and definition of justice. It is the establishment of justice.

The justice of God makes all the wrong things right and all the dark things light. The judgment of God on sickness is healing, and that is the justice of God. The judgment of God on separation from love is salvation and adoption into His heart and family forever, and that is the justice of God. The judgment of God on addiction and bondage is freedom and grace, and that is the justice of God. 

So when we call for the justice of God, we are calling for the joy, love, mercy, and grace of God to come and make all the wrong things right. 

Love, justice, and judgement cannot be separated. And we get to partner with Him to bring His heart into this world and break chains, bring reconciliation, healing, and salvation to the lost and hurting. We get to call forth the judgment and justice of God to heal lands and nations with the absolute and unshakeable love of Jesus. 

If your theology around judgment and justice involves fear, it may be time to take a look at the glorious love of God and rethink so we can agree with His love in establishing it on the earth to the fullest measure. 

It's time to ring the bells of justice!

© Elisabeth Cooper 2017