Today I take a look at some more positive words for God.<\/p>\n
Friend – Without a doubt, God is a friend.\u00a0 A friend is someone you share close moments with.\u00a0 A friend is someone you can count on\u00a0to always be\u00a0there.\u00a0 A friend helps you become a better person.\u00a0 A friend tells you the truth.\u00a0 A friend stands up for you.\u00a0 A friend forgives you when you hurt them.\u00a0 A friend knows when you are hurting.\u00a0 A friend is always willing to listen, whether we are in the right or the wrong.\u00a0 A friend never takes advantage of you.\u00a0 A friend never uses you to get something they want.\u00a0 A friend walks with you in the most difficult times.\u00a0 Jesus is all these things and so much more.\u00a0 Yes, Jesus is my friend.<\/p>\n
*Note that in the preceding paragraph, I started by talking about God and ended focused on Jesus.\u00a0 For me, this is part of how I talk about God.\u00a0 Jesus is the way I experience God in human terms.\u00a0 So, when I think of God as a friend, it is Jesus as the second person of the Trinity who comes to mind.<\/p>\n
Love – God is love.\u00a0 To begin, please note that I did not say God loves<\/em> or that God is the perfect example of love<\/em>.\u00a0 I said God is love<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 God is all about love.\u00a0 God defines what it means to love.\u00a0 It is Jesus on the Cross who shows us that there is no limit to God’s love.\u00a0 I also say God is love<\/em><\/strong> because God is incapable of doing anything but love.\u00a0 When God helps us, it is because of his love for us.\u00a0 When God allows us to suffer the consequences of our actions, it is because he loves us and wants us to grow from our mistakes.\u00a0 When God punishes us, it is because he loves us.\u00a0 We love because we are first loved by God.\u00a0 As our creator, God is the source <\/em>of all that is good and that includes love.\u00a0 Because God loves he shows us compassion <\/em>and mercy<\/em>.\u00a0 In compassion, God knows what we need to hear.\u00a0 He knows when we need to feel his love.\u00a0 In his mercy, God offers us forgiveness<\/em> because he loves us.<\/p>\n *The words source, compassion, mercy, and forgiveness<\/em> are in italics because they are words on the list that I am working from.<\/p>\n Peace – When we hear the word peace<\/em>, we might be inclined to think of a world where there is no violence.\u00a0 If we all embrace God’s love and peace, then yes, there would be no violence.\u00a0 But when we say two parties are at peace with each other, it may not be because of God’s peace.\u00a0 Enemies can remain enemies and not fight.\u00a0 They may choose not to fight because there is a balance of power and neither feels they can win a war against the other.\u00a0 While, in this case, it is certainly good that they are not fighting, the peace they are living is not the same as God’s peace.\u00a0 In God’s peace, we find a sense of tranquility that transcends our physical circumstances.\u00a0 For instance, when we are discerning a very difficult decision and find some peace in what we choose, then I believe that sense of peace is God’s presence affirming our choice.\u00a0 It does not mean it is an easy choice.\u00a0 If fact, for me the more difficult a choice is to make, the more I seek a solution that may not be the solution I want but when I feel that sense of peace, it leads me to believe that it is what God wants.\u00a0 All I want is do to what God wants.<\/p>\n Do you see Jesus as a friend?<\/p>\n Can you feel God’s love?\u00a0<\/p>\n What have you done recently that lead you to feel God’s peace?<\/p>\n Peace,<\/p>\n Fr. Jeff<\/p>\n