2/9/2024
God’s Love Versus My LoveMy love for God does not determine His love for me, and your love for God doesn’t determine His love for you.
I am so thankful He reminded me of that fact again this morning, because I had convinced myself that~ I don’t love God. Why? Because some days I serve out of worry about what others will think of me, and not out of love. I do things just so I’ll be positively perceived, then label myself a “people pleaser”. Because some days I don’t keep His commandments, or I feel like I am hanging on by a thread and I don’t want to be strong in the Lord. Some days I don’t even want go out into the world and share His love. Yesterday was one of those days. Yesterday I was on a rollercoaster of emotions. I convinced myself I must not love God because my actions proved otherwise. ◦ If you say you have no sin, you’re a liar. ◦ Be not weary in well doing. ◦ If you do it for the least, you do it for Me. ◦ The greatest of these is love. ◦ If you love me, keep my commandments. ✓ Fail. Fail. Fail. But then God reminded me of something very important. I am human. I may have the bad days, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t love Him. And it never, ever means that He doesn’t love me. Human love does not compare to God’s love, because we aren’t perfect. Too often I treat the ones I am supposed to love the most in this world, the worst. I can’t believe I am admitting this, but I have actually said the words “I hate you” to my husband in the heat of an argument. He’s my person. My best friend. My soul mate. But I am human, and sometimes my emotions get the best of me. I convince myself he doesn’t love me. I want to stay angry. I want to wallow, sulk, and avoid. But my heart knows that despite these feelings, I love him more than life itself. And so, we apologize. We admit we were wrong. We reconcile. We spend time together and we focus on each other. When our relationship is the priority, the bad emotions dissipate. I know I am loved. Yesterday as I was feeling my worst, God did something pretty amazing. He sent me a box of chocolates in the mail. If you know me, you know I love chocolate. He put that thought into a sweet friend’s heart, and she sent them. In all His amazing love and understanding, God knew the exact moment I would need to receive her card and gift. That reminder that I am loved by Him. When I opened it, I laughed through the tears. God’s love is never determined by our works, our accomplishments or our failures. God is love. Period. Nothing can separate us from that love. What a God we have. If you’ve ever been on an emotional rollercoaster like me and feel you have failed God, maybe it’s time to shut the world out and just be in His presence. Admit your feelings to Him. Apologize if necessary. Reconcile. Focus on God and make that relationship the priority. Feel His amazing love wrapped around you as you spend time with Him, and be reminded~ ✓ He will never leave you or forsake you. ✓ He understands our humanness. ✓ His love is not dependent on ours. ✓ Nothing will separate us from His love. ✓ You are loved with an everlasting love. ✓ We love because He first loved us. When I say to Jesus~”Help me to love you better.” When I ask the Holy Spirit to increase that love. When I take the time to be with God, really be with Him, talking to Him, listening to Him, reading His word~ that amazing love dissipates all negative emotions. I know beyond a doubt that God loves me and in turn, I want to share that love with everyone. Not out of duty. Not to be perceived in a positive way, but because the posture of my heart changes. My heart recognizes how deeply I am loved. Because God is love. Period. SCRIPTURE READING: 1 John 1:8, Galatians 6:9-10, Matthew 25:40, 1 Corinthians 13:13, John 14:15, Hebrews 13:5b, Psalm 78:37-39, Hebrews 4:15-16, Romans 8:35, 37-39, Jeremiah 31:3, 1 John 4:7, 10-11, 16, 19, Ephesians 3:16-19 |
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