Oh, yeah? Try it sometime.
What is loving, anyway?
Love does not harm to its neighbor...--Romans 13:10
Love is patient, love is kind...1Corinthians 13:4
Greater love has no one than this: that he lay down his life for his friends.--John 15:13
So we are to care about other people more than ourselves.
Is that love? Really?
If so, any atheist could love.
No, love must be something more.
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.--1John 4:7
Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me...--Matthew 10:37
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind. This is the first and great commandment...--Matthew 22:37
Love comes from God, so we have to love God first to love at all.
So, what does that look like?
It looks like this:
Love does not see the task first. Love sees God first.
Love does not see the person first. Love sees God first.
When the phone rings, we do not hear the phone first, or even the person on it, we hear God first.
When a child reaches up, saying "Mommy..." we do not see primarily her sweet tears, but God.
When we pull out our wallet to buy something, we don't lead with desire for the thing, but for God.
When someone offers a mission trip, we do not see the legions of unbelievers, we see God.
When we hear sermon, we do not listen for the pastor, but for God.
When we pick up a husband's socks for the hundredth time, we don't see the socks, we see God.
The small decisions and the big ones, they are all God's, for His glory, in His name. Where we live, how we furnish our home or choose our friends, or spend our time. All God's, for His sake. No exceptions.
Does that mean we have no fun? Absolutely not.
But God's highest will for us is to derive our primary pleasure from Him.
It means we lead with the Song of Solomon, not with the Ten Commandments.
We live with the Magnificat in our hearts.
My soul does glorify the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior...--Luke 2:46-47
How beautiful you are, Oh my darling! How beautiful!--Song of Solomon 1:15
This is love.
From God. Of God. For God. Back to God.
Once we know that, the rest will come.
New follower - great post
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pamela. Blessings.
DeleteHow honest! This is exactly what we have been talking about in church for the past several weeks. How challenging it is to truly LOVE and when we love truly, we are loving GOD. You put it so well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for you visit...I stopped by My Evident Faith, too, and was blessed.
DeleteVery interesting way to present this! You did a marvelous job of helping to understand the beginnings!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda. Usually hesitate to post at Wordless Wednesday--too long-winded ;)
DeleteLove each other. It's that simple.
ReplyDeleteI attended the online Saddleback Church service today to hear Nick Vujicic. His words truly touched my heart. I can not believe how emotional I still am.
"If I fail, I try again,again,and again.. If you fail, are you going to try again? If you can't get miracle, become one". Nick Vujicic
I love Sundays! Thank you for your wonderful words.
Unfortunately, loving each other is neither simple nor the most important thing we have to do. We love God first because loving people is hard and we just can't do it outside the shelter of His arms.
DeleteThanks for visiting.
What an absolutely true and beautiful reminder! As I read your words, my heart was filled with conviction. Yes, yes, yes! We must see God, even in the socks!
ReplyDelete<3 Tereasa from hispenonmyheart.com
Precious reminder.
ReplyDeletebeautiful! Thank you for sharing at the hop xo
ReplyDelete