Like all things in life, these blogs have a pattern and I guess this week, the pattern concerns love. How do we come to a great faith? By loving one another and acknowledging the love Jesus has for all of us. It's really not rocket science. The reason the world scorns God is because they don't understand Him and they don't really know what it's like to be loved.
The world views love from a romantic sense. We have movies, books and television to tell us how we should feel and what love looks like. The truth is that we live by feelings, but true love is not a feeling, it's a commitment. God intended us to all know it and live it. Why do you think He wants us to love our neighbors more than ourselves? Crazy, but if you look it at, it's because love means we are committed to doing the right thing for others and denying our own selfish ways.
The flesh enables us to feel all kinds of things; anger, bitterness, joy, and even love. Love in the romantic sense of course. If we couldn't feel the euphoria of love, which really is sexual desire, we wouldn't even know what the word love meant, at least from a worldly prospective.
I have learned that over time, love means sacrificing for someone else, pushing your own needs aside and striving to give when you can't give anymore. If you've had the opportunity to birth a baby, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Every two hours, you get out of bed, get the baby and feed it and you do that for as long as it takes. You barely get a few hours sleep and you're up again and you do it gladly. Why? Because you love that baby. You brought it into the world and you are willing to carry it's burdens, it's heartaches, and cater to it's every need. No one wants to go without sleep, or food, or shelter but you will do anything you have to in order to protect and take care of that child.
Part of that protection is providing a safety net, through rules and guidance. Once they are able to walk, you don't want them to hurt themselves, so you start to gently provide authoritative monitoring so that they know, no means no. Why? Because you want to guide them. That's what love is. It's a commitment to love, as well as, providing consequences so that one day, they can provide the same direction to someone else.
No one likes rules. We all want to buck the system. I'm sure you remember saying to your mom, why do I have a curfew and why do you need to know who I am going out with? I'm sure you hated checking in with your mom, just to get a few hours away from her. That's probably pretty normal for most families. But the problem comes when there are no consequences. Because absolutely no consequences doesn't equal love; it equates to chaos.
Love has consequences. If the world doesn't understand that God is love, it's probably because of the rules he set out for us to follow. There's a reason for the 10 commandments, even if the world says there isn't. If you read them, and I suggest you do, they are right. No one feels better when they break a commandment, eventually they will feel shame, hurt, or their lives will become empty and depressing. God knew that we could not live with just a rule system to follow. We break it way to much. So, He provided grace through His Son, so that we could have eternal life. That's how a Father shows His children they are loved. He sacrifices His own to win many.
I don't know where you're at in your spiritual walk today. Maybe you feel hurt or angry because life isn't giving you a great dose of joy. I know those feelings but I want you to replace them with the awareness that your Father sacrificed His Son, so that you could experience Him.
He made a promise to Abraham and He kept it. We have all failed our Father. There isn't one person that won't fall short. But He gave His grace to light our path and provide a way to Him. I hope if you have never experienced it, that you will ask Jesus into your heart today. The world will say you can go to heaven if you're a good person but the truth is there is just one way, through the Son of God.
1 John 4:9 KJV:
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him.
If you don't know Him, you are probably wondering how our Father sacrificed His son. We will never understand the full power or glory of God. His ways are not our ways. Obviously, because we wouldn't want to sacrifice anything, including our lives. But in His infinite wisdom, He chose to bring His son into this world, so that you and I can be with Him and for that; we should all be grateful.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, you know how messed up we all are on earth. We lash out at one another, forge wars, take from the innocent, become greedy and spiteful and through all our failures; You love us anyway. You loved us so much that You made a promise to Abraham that You have fulfilled through many generations. The world continues to turn from You, but for me, I choose You. You are my faithful companion, my shepherd, my father, my love. Without You, I would vanish because there isn't a possession or a person that could fill my heart this full. You gave Your life, so that I would be with You. I don't deserve it, but You did it anyway. Today, we come before you, women that need a Savior. The world wants women to look the other way, to use their bodies and their minds to destroy themselves and others. I pray for all those women, Lord, lift them to You, love them and bring them into Your Holy presence. Help the young girls too, Lord. Protect them from the evil that preys on them. We need You to be with us as we fight this battle from the earth to Heaven. You came to us so that we might know what love means. Help us make the commitment to love one another no matter where we live or what color our skin is. Take us up and bond us in the one thing that holds true, You. Bring women to us that will be mighty warriors for You and mold us and make us Yours. We desire You. Forgive us and wash us of our sinful nature and raise up bold and beautiful women that love You. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. Give us hearts for women everywhere. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
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