Love. How appropriate that Blackaby’s topic for my first entry, which turned out to be the week of Valentines Day, is love. I love my family. I love my friends. I love my church. I love my country. I love my God. If God is love, and I love Him, then I should be love. Am I love? Am I love when things don’t go my way?
The scripture that we read today in 1 Corinthians 13:7 says this about love... “(it) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Does my love look like that? Does your love look like that? I think we often restructure that scripture to say Love…
…bears all things…on my schedule…
…believes all things…that fit into my worldview…
…hopes all things…when we can benefit…
…endures all things…when we get what we want.
It is easy to classify love within our own personal lives, but God wants us to love like He loves. It is hard for me to even think like that. It is easy for me to say, “God, why should I love all those un-loveable people out there?” The problem is I, like many other believers, judge love through my perspective when I should be seeing people with the eyes and heart of God. God loves us all. What a blessing to know we are loved by our Creator.
Lord, help us look at our own lives and give us the realization of how much you love us. We are so focused on ourselves, yet you still sent your Son to die for us…to free us. You still provide for us even though we are not worthy. Help us to love the seemingly un-loveable. Teach us to love those who hurt us. Empower us to love those who are different. Help us remember that we do this because you first loved us.
The scripture that we read today in 1 Corinthians 13:7 says this about love... “(it) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Does my love look like that? Does your love look like that? I think we often restructure that scripture to say Love…
…bears all things…on my schedule…
…believes all things…that fit into my worldview…
…hopes all things…when we can benefit…
…endures all things…when we get what we want.
It is easy to classify love within our own personal lives, but God wants us to love like He loves. It is hard for me to even think like that. It is easy for me to say, “God, why should I love all those un-loveable people out there?” The problem is I, like many other believers, judge love through my perspective when I should be seeing people with the eyes and heart of God. God loves us all. What a blessing to know we are loved by our Creator.
Lord, help us look at our own lives and give us the realization of how much you love us. We are so focused on ourselves, yet you still sent your Son to die for us…to free us. You still provide for us even though we are not worthy. Help us to love the seemingly un-loveable. Teach us to love those who hurt us. Empower us to love those who are different. Help us remember that we do this because you first loved us.
Jeff Carlisle
Missions Pastor
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