Living Out Loud -- Pat O'Connell

Often when I come to God with deep questions and a pen in my hand; a blank sheet of paper before me, he seems to address my heart’s concerns as I simply begin to write whatever comes to mind. The question on my heart when I recorded the following was, ‘Lord Jesus, why do I fail so often to allow the truth within to influence or be exposed to the reality without?’

Oh, how mighty, how benevolently motivated is the King, your King, Patrick. Your sovereign Lord, your kind, all knowing, all loving, all pure, all perceiving, totally real God. Keep pursuing me as the real, all human/ all God Creator that I am.

Consider what motivates. You’ve read, ‘God is love’; and as you know, Love motivates. So when you are motivated by love, you may be sure that it is I who motivates. Power motivates, greed motivates, control motivates. Fear of injury, fear of ridicule, fear of failure, fear of rejection motivate. Resist/ reject/ renounce [using my name] all sources of motivation except Love. Then stand. Stand, confident in your salvation. Stand in the limited knowledge given, content with the resultant mystery to be revealed at the proper time.

Live out-loud. Be my witness. Haven’t I made my home in you? Don’t you daily surrender to me? Haven’t we shared multiple, marvelous life-giving moments recently? So why won’t you let this light, this ongoing life in you be seen by those around you? Has any part of you bought the liar’s lie that I may be ‘right’ for you but not for another one of my creatures? If so, choose again and stand in the truth found in Acts 4:12… “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Do you disqualify your witness as not pure enough for ‘public display’? Think again. Isn’t it more attractive, more credible when you see my peace, my joy, my enthusiasm, my compassion emanating from someone who has obvious weaknesses and unanswered questions? Someone who readily agrees with Paul’s desire stated in Galatians 6:14 “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Then ask the Father for grace to let your light, the life of Jesus in you shine brightly. Live out-loud!