How can I say I love God but not love my brothers and sisters whom I see each and everyday? I most certainly have been one who spoke love from my lips but my heart really truly despised even the sight of the person to whom I spoke. After seeking and searching, looking high and low for God...Yearning for God's love and acceptance (I really needed to be accepted)...Professing my love to God (ONLY because I wanted someone to profess their unconditional, unadulterated, pure love to me)...I finally realized His love for me is so much greater...God's love is so great that He not only gave His only begotten son for me (for us) but He loves me despite my ugliness. God loves me despite all my flaws and faults.
When that pierced my spirit, when I opened to the reality that God looks beyond my blemishes and loves me anyway, I realized I have to love the same way as God...without pointing a finger...without regret...without fear of being hurt...without seeing the flaws of my neighbor...regardless of whether they love me back (YES, God loves us even when we deny Him...even when we don't and won't love Him). Wow, what a revelation. I can truly tell God I love Him now and mean it because I love my neighbors like I love Him and I love them the way I love me.
It wasn't easy LEARNING to love myself but I do and its easier to love yourself when you understand to whom you belong. It is so much easier to love yourself when you can forgive yourself. It is so much easier to love yourself when you have an intimate relationship with God who is Himself, LOVE! I love you Lord and I am so grateful you love me!
PRAYER:
God my Father, giver of life, friend to the friendless, comforter, supporter, encourager, hope to the hopeless, guard of my heart, lover of my soul, thank you for loving me right where I am. Thank you for keeping me and bringing to the forefront of my spiritual mind that I am one of your beloved children. Thank you for carrying me and for caring for me when I lacked love and strength. Thank you for building me in love, for love, to be love, created by Your great love! Bless those who desire real love but are not sure where to acquire what it is they seek. Turn their hearts towards you. Wrap them in Your loving arms that they may come to know you as the loving and gracious God you are. In Jesus loving name I pray, Amen.
The love that you so eloqently echoed can only be understood and found in God, and even then our perspective is grossly limited.
ReplyDeletePrecisely, Exactly & Absolutely!
Delete"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" ~ John 15:13
Who does this? Who demonstrates this kind of selfless love?
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" ~ John 10:11
Jesus, the Christ! We endeavor to be Christ-like, yet we are self-serving, self-seeking & self-centered.
Each day we must have our minds purged and our hearts examined that we come to know the TRUE love of Christ AND demonstrate it in the earth as the sons and daughters of the Most High God.