You will discover that the more love you can take in and hold on to, the less fearful you will become. You will speak more simply, more directly, and more freely about what is important to you, without fear of other people’s reactions. You will also use fewer words, trusting that you communicate your true self even when you do not speak much.
The disciples of Jesus had a real sense of his loving presence as they went out to preach. They had seen him, eaten with him, and spoken with him after his resurrection. They had come to live a deep connectedness with him and drew from that connectedness the strength to speak out with simplicity and directness, unafraid of being misunderstood or rejected.
The more you come to know yourself- spirit, mind, and body – as truly loved, the freer you will be to proclaim the good news. That is the freedom of the children of God. – Henri J. M. Nouwen, “The Inner Voice of Love”
I want to be free! And so I must always stay connected with the knowledge that I am deeply loved by God. Indeed, I must embody that knowledge in my life; in every choice that I make.
What does it mean to say, “I live for God”? To know that I am nothing without him, and that nothing I am given in this world is greater than his love for me? If it is God that I seek and it is his love that animates me, then I will not fear losing the things I have been given or being rejected or misunderstood. Then I will be free to be his instrument – an instrument without fear.
Help me, Lord. I want to be free!
Journey of the Heart 