from performance/somebodiness, which is a conditional form of love, but my soul wants something better — unconditional love. The flesh’s strategy for happiness depends on conditional love from others and self, a strategy that leaves me empty, unsatisfied. By contrast, the Jesus-dependent’s strategy for happiness is to experience unconditional love from Jesus, and from self. Ahhh.
Example. All my adult life I have been captivated by cool, fast cars, and currently own one. But my flesh is a bottomless pit of need, never satisfied, always thinking about the next one. I’m an expert on them all. I’ve finally concluded this hobby is dangerous to my soul. Distracts me from Jesus. So I’ve decided to end the hobby — stop looking for happiness in cool, fast cars, in automotive perfection, because this pursuit strokes me in a dangerous direction. Independence. Strong. Winner. ShepherdDave. This decision is a death to my flesh, and painful, but the vacuum motivates me do what I can to experience unconditional love from Jesus and self. Ahhh. Priceless. Incomparable. Ultimate selfishness.
Interestingly, as I experience unconditional love from Jesus and myself, I find it so easy to extend unconditional love to others, even enemies. Surprising. Amazing.
–DumbSheepDave, enabled more than ever to ignore his flesh’s desire to be ShepherdDave, hoping the pre-believers around him are noticing the difference Jesus is making in 2013
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