Posts tagged with 'Love'

Loving the Unloveable

  • Posted on December 8, 2021 at 6:43 pm

Life always seems to have ups and downs, doesn’t it? I will say, though, that the downs probably cause me to be more grateful for the ups. I’d like to say this isn’t the case, but I expect that I at least notice them more than I would if life were full of constant gaiety.

One of my “downs” lately is that someone has decided to get a burr under their saddle towards me to the point that I can’t do anything right. I hear the comments from a third party who is getting the brunt of the animosity, but it doesn’t make it easier knowing that someone feels this way about me. Thankfully, these feelings are not coming from a friend, and my antagonist is not a Believer so I can’t really expect her to understand why I do the things I do. I also wonder, if I crumble when a few unkind remarks are said, how I would stand if I had to face real persecution. So I turn my hurt and frustration to prayer, asking God to keep me focused on what He has called me to do and praying that He will save the one who may just be unhappy with her own life that she is taking it out on me.

Everyone wants to be liked. I would like to say that’s the way we were created, but the reality is that this desire is rooted in pride. We may say that there is no good thing that dwells in us (Romans 7:18), but at heart, we really think we are pretty likable. Someone told me one time that he thought he was easy to get along with until he got married. I suspect that many can relate to that. When you do understand that you have flaws and idiosyncrasies that others have to look past in order to love you, it makes it easier to love others. I consider myself overly blessed to have friends all over the country that I believe love me and pray for me, but it’s when you live together or have close personal contact with someone over a long period of time that you know how deep that love really goes.

If I have an admonition this evening, it would have to be 1 John 4:7-8: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

Father, thank You for Your amazing love. Help us to love others as You love us. Give us the strength we need to love the unloveable, to bear with those that we don’t understand, and to shine for You in every circumstance You place us in. Thank You that Your strength is perfect, and that You will strengthen us to do whatever You ask of us. We love You, Father. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Studying the Greatest Commandment

  • Posted on November 29, 2020 at 2:31 pm

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”  ~Matthew 22:37

It’s amazing how one can walk with the Lord for close to 30 years and yet still have Scripture verses gain new meaning from time to time. The above verse is a familiar one, being referenced several times throughout the Bible and yet have you ever thought about what it means to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and (some passages include) strength? I would like to break this verse down and give us all some food for thought.

Heart

When a person falls in love, they talk about giving their heart to a person. They feel as though their heart would break if this person were no longer in their life. Sometimes their heart may skip a beat at the very thought of their beloved.

The older I get, the more I realize why Scripture calls us the Bride of Christ. When you first became saved, you no doubt were in love with Jesus. You wanted to learn everything you could about Him. You wanted to tell people about Him. He became the greatest thing that ever happened to you. As in marriage, though, time goes on and feelings can wane. All of a sudden, you are not as zealous. You are tired of reading the Word, and you may have allowed other people and things to take priority in your life. Just as in marriage, you must work to not let those feelings die. You should love the Father more deeply with every day that passes. This comes through continually studying about and conversing with this God who loves you so much that He gave His Son to die a horrendous death for you!

Soul

Dictionary.com defines “soul” as “emotional or intellectual energy or intensity.” Whereas the heart tends to be the center of feelings, the soul seems to be a deeper, more grounded part of you. This is where you not only feel love for the Lord, but you commit to serve and obey Him even when your feelings wane or aren’t as strong as they once were. I believe it is the soul that keeps resurrecting the desire to stay close to the Lord. After your heart has long stopped beating, your soul will live on. How important it is to love God from the depths of your being. Near as I can tell, that would be the soul.

Mind

Many people fight spiritual battles for their minds, and I am no exception. This week has been rough in this area but that is probably what caused this verse to jump out at me last night. God wants to be at the center of our thoughts. He wants us to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) and to think about those things which are pure, lovely, true, and of good report (Philippians 4:8). He wants our focus to be on Him, His Word, and His ways. With everything going on in the world right now, this is hard to do, but we must keep fighting the good fight, and that begins with redirecting our thoughts. It is hard to be depressed when you are thinking about God and how good He is.

Strength

Certain passages also tell us to love God with all of our strength. I deal with adrenal fatigue and fibromyalgia so there are days that I do not feel very strong. But even when I don’t have energy, I can love God with whatever amount of strength I have. Some days, that might be mentally praising Him and thanking Him for His goodness. When I am having a better day, it could be using that strength to serve in some way. No matter how I feel, I can almost always send a text or an email to share God’s love with others and put a smile on someone’s face. If you are God’s child, His love should protrude from you to everyone around you.

The bottom line is that it’s not enough to say you love God. Do you love Him in reality? Does His love permeate the depths of your being? Is your love anchored in who He is or merely what He does? I believe the answer to these questions are part of making our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10).

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