“So that’s the story,” Austin said finally. “Jesus came to earth to show us that all we needed to do to be with him is to love him, God The Father, and the Holy spirit with all of our hearts, mind, soul and strength.”
“His death covers us for everything we could ever do wrong, and there’s nothing we have to do to repay him. All that’s left for us now is to listen to him, and love him.”
“But how can I listen to him?” Tim asked.
“That’s a very good question that confuses a lot of people.” Austin responded. “A lot of people might hear a little voice in their head, urging them to do things because they feel guilty. It can be anything, like what kind of clothes you should wear or even something good like sharing with your friends.”
“That little voice might hover over you and tell you that you should do something otherwise you’re being bad or not loving Jesus enough. That little voice is not Jesus. That’s guilt.”
“Jesus asks you to start with one thing, and that’s love him. Start there. If you ever are somewhere and you’re afraid you might be doing the wrong thing or are questioning yourself. All you need to do is close your eyes, do your best to stop thinking, and imagine looking in Jesus’ eyes.”
“Take deep breaths, and after you look at him, give him a hug.”
“The second thing Jesus commands us to do, is love your neighbor as yourself.”
“Make no mistake, you can not love your neighbor as yourself, unless you love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. Loving your neighbor as yourself is what happens when you love God, there’s no extra ‘effort’ required.”
And with that, Austin and the kids left the room, until next time.