The Word: Love

Today, the Word was about Love as an active choice and Love as an action. Love is not simply warm feelings, but an attitude that reveals itself in action.

In John 13: 34-3
So now I am giving you a new commandment; Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.

But how do we love others as Christ loves us? According to the New Living Translation, we do this by helping when it's not convenient, by giving when it hurts, by devoting energy to to others' welfare rather than our own, by absorbing hurts from others without complaining or fighting back. This kind of love is hard to do...people will notice when you do it and will know you are empowered by a supernatural source...

But, when our love for someone is rejected, or cast aside, or not appreciated, or unwanted, we experience Grief. Our hearts become heavy. Our hearts break.
That is what God must feel whenever we reject or we sin against Him.

Love is something rare, precious, incredible, and something to be nurtured and cherished; it should not be given cavalierly or used as a means to an end.

The Word is very clear what Love is, as described in Corinthians 13.
But though people quote it, read it at weddings, read it in poems, it is rarely applied to our daily lives.

Is it impossible to truly Love and be Loving?

Love can also only be experienced within relationships. The power to change is given in relationship, and what you Love, you become like.

God is the total embodiment of Love. That is why when we strive to live and to model our behavior to be like our Loving God, that is why when we love God, it makes us His shining examples to the outside world.

That was God's Word today.

Today, I gave up something that I so dearly loved and cherished. It was special and so precious to me. It was not by my choice. But it was clear that things had changed completely...I was unprepared; I was left numb and in grief. But I loved more than anything. I loved with all my heart. With all my soul. And both the heart and soul grieves. But sometimes, it is said, that is not enough.

It is the grief experienced when something, a precious gift from God, is given and is cast aside.

I gave it completely to God. I will not lean on my own understanding anymore.

The experience of overwhelming, extraordinary heavy Grief was something that I had worked so hard and was so careful to avoid, but it came...anyway.

But I will hold on to the Lord, because He says in Isaiah 41:10
Don't worry, because I am with you. Don't be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you.