exhale:

If you inhale, there is an automatic physical reponse . . . to exhale. Our physical respiration is a simple, natural process. Fortunately, our spiritual respiration operates in the exact same way. If you inhale the breath of God, you will have a natural impulse to exhale his goodness to the world around you. And when you exhale that goodness, the impulse is to inhale the breath of God all over again. It is God's ingenious mechanism to fill the world his his glory and goodness.

Unfortunately, our world is full of distractions and deceptions. Instead of turning to our Creator for our source of life, we believe power, wealth, and other people will provide that life we are looking for. We inhale all the possessions we can find and end up with nothing to exhale. If we don't breath goodness in, we cannot breathe it out. Others of us seem to face another challenge - we seek the face of God and his inspiration, take a big gasp and then hold our breath. I have seen too many spiritual leaders explode because they forget to breathe out. It seems as if they have forgotten that loving your neighbor is an equal part of God's glory - in fact, 1 John 4:20 says "Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars." If we do not exhale, we cannot inhale.

So, to breathe freely, seek the breath of God through intimate relationship and conversation, and let that inspiration flow out of you in the characteristics of God: love, peace, goodness, kindness, and hope. If we each take steps to breathe the breath that gave us life, we will see a healthier humanity emerge.

2004 © Zgroove Inc.