Love

1 John 4:7-13 (NIV)

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. ¹³ This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.

I have always heard the verse, “love your neighbor as yourself” and taught we should love people.  I have found that I have no problems loving my friends and family that I like, have something in common with, or get along with.  Yup, I am the master at love when it is easy :)  However, I am not the master of love if I am asked to love someone who has hurt me, offended me, rejected me, have nothing in common with or do not really like.  If I was being honest, I really do not want to spend a lot of time with family or friends that I perceive as hurtful.  I want to run the other way and only spend time in my circle of family and friends where it is easy to love and get love in return.  The problem is as I grow in my relationship with God I am learning that is not what God asks me to do.

Matthew 5:43-48 (The Message)

^43-48"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. "In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." 

God is calling me to love the unlovable, the friends and family that I perceive as hurtful.  I have to love them regardless of whether or not they love me in return.  My desire is not to please the person I am loving or try to change them.  My one and only desire is to be pleasing to God and have him change me for His glory and love everyone.  Right now the book I am reading is helping me learn more about loving God’s way.  There have been several sentences that have gotten my attention and had me saying “oh my” and I love that!  While reading this morning this is the sentence that had me saying “oh my”, 

love isn’t about getting others to fill your sense of need.  Jack Miller offers a great definition of what it means to serve one another in love:  “Practically it means to labor to make others successful.” Love involves your effort to help friends, family, and your spouse be successful. (Marriage Matters, Winston T. Smith)  The book goes on to explain we are God’s children and He wants all of us to shine brightly for His glory, not our own glory.  So this morning I find myself asking the question, am I helping others shine for God’s glory or am I taking away their shine?  It is impossible to love the unlovable without God living in me!  When I am not asking God to guide me, help me, teach me, change me, or show me how to respond to family and friends I perceive as hurtful then it is a guarantee I will not respond in love.  When I do not respond in love I run the risk of helping someone shine just a little less and possibly hinder them from being successful. 

Galatians 5:13-15 (The Message)

^13-15It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?

God promises when I do not love other the way He loves me, unconditionally and completely, I will not be all He created me to be and reap the benefits of a God controlled, God centered, God surrendered, God focused, and God dwelling in my heart, mind, and soul life.  My self-centered life and a God Centered life cannot exist together; it has to be one or the other. Last night while at church I heard my pastor, Bill Ramsey, give this word picture; imagine Jesus is walking right next to you as if you are walking with a friend.  Can I just say that if I had Jesus walking next to me as physically as one of my friends, then my life would not be the hot mess it is now!  There is just no way I would have made some of the choices I have made standing right next to Jesus, My Savior.  Honestly, it never even occurred to me to think about Jesus being right next to me even though God’s word is very clear He is with us…*sigh*  The good news is I am growing every day, gaining a clearer understanding of what a God Centered life really means, and how I am supposed to live my life daily.  I am finding that the bottom line of a God Centered life is to love and forgive unconditionally.  

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Pastor Bill Ramsey quoted this verse and reminded us that there is not one law created to prevent us from living a life that is God Centered.  All the commandments and laws are for us sinners who make the choice to live a self-centered life, a life fulfilling the flesh.  AMAZING, again something else that never occurred to me.  I have never been told hey you love and forgive me too much and we can’t be friends!

When you get to this point I would like to ask you to please pray for me, pray God continues to show me how to live a God Centered life, that He gives me the strength, grace, and mercy to live each day in the moment, that I be a true reflection of Him. For me to help anyone that crosses my path be successful in giving Him all the glory.  Thank you for lifting me up in prayer.

Sidewalk Prophets: Live Like That

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwZsywhXDg8