It's About You
Perfect Love
by Max Lucado
Isn’t it good to know that even when we don’t love with a perfect love, He does? God always nourishes what is right. He always applauds what is right. He has never done wrong, led one person to do wrong, or rejoiced when anyone did wrong. For He is love, and love “does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6 NASB).
God passes the test of 1 Corinthians 13:6. Well, He should; He drafted it.
So where does this leave us? Perhaps with a trio of reminders. When it comes to love:
Be careful.
Until love is stirred, let God’s love be enough for you. There are seasons when God allows us to feel the frailty of human love so we’ll appreciate the strength of His love. Didn’t He do this with David? Saul turned on him. Michal, his wife, betrayed him. Jonathan and Samuel were David’s friends, but they couldn’t follow him into the wilderness. Betrayal and circumstances left David alone. Alone with God. And, as David discovered, God was enough. David wrote these words in a desert: “Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You.… My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods” (Ps. 63:3, 5 NIV).
Be prayerful.
What if it’s too late? Specifically, what if you’re married to someone you don’t love—or who doesn’t love you? Many choose to leave. That may be the step you take. But if it is, take at least a thousand others first. And bathe every one of those steps in prayer. Love is a fruit of the Spirit. Ask God to help you love as He loves. “God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with His love” (Rom. 5:5 CEV). Ask everyone you know to pray for you. Your friends. Your family. Your church leaders. Get your name on every prayer list available. And, most of all, pray for and, if possible, with your spouse. Ask the same God who raised the dead to resurrect the embers of your love.
Be grateful.
Be grateful for those who love you. Be grateful for those who have encouraged you to do what is right and applauded when you did. Do you have people like that in your world? If so, you are doubly blessed. Be grateful for them. And be grateful for your Father in heaven.
by Max Lucado
Isn’t it good to know that even when we don’t love with a perfect love, He does? God always nourishes what is right. He always applauds what is right. He has never done wrong, led one person to do wrong, or rejoiced when anyone did wrong. For He is love, and love “does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6 NASB).
God passes the test of 1 Corinthians 13:6. Well, He should; He drafted it.
So where does this leave us? Perhaps with a trio of reminders. When it comes to love:
Be careful.
Until love is stirred, let God’s love be enough for you. There are seasons when God allows us to feel the frailty of human love so we’ll appreciate the strength of His love. Didn’t He do this with David? Saul turned on him. Michal, his wife, betrayed him. Jonathan and Samuel were David’s friends, but they couldn’t follow him into the wilderness. Betrayal and circumstances left David alone. Alone with God. And, as David discovered, God was enough. David wrote these words in a desert: “Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You.… My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods” (Ps. 63:3, 5 NIV).
Be prayerful.
What if it’s too late? Specifically, what if you’re married to someone you don’t love—or who doesn’t love you? Many choose to leave. That may be the step you take. But if it is, take at least a thousand others first. And bathe every one of those steps in prayer. Love is a fruit of the Spirit. Ask God to help you love as He loves. “God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with His love” (Rom. 5:5 CEV). Ask everyone you know to pray for you. Your friends. Your family. Your church leaders. Get your name on every prayer list available. And, most of all, pray for and, if possible, with your spouse. Ask the same God who raised the dead to resurrect the embers of your love.
Be grateful.
Be grateful for those who love you. Be grateful for those who have encouraged you to do what is right and applauded when you did. Do you have people like that in your world? If so, you are doubly blessed. Be grateful for them. And be grateful for your Father in heaven.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This article reached my mailbox at around 5pm just now. I was reminded again to love as God loves because “God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with His love”.
And yep, I'm definitely grateful. Thanks to Jasmin who came to see me just a while before this with a triple blessing. She wished me "Happy Teachers' Day", gave me a pretty gift and gave me a big hug. Really made my day and I wonder if she knew how much she has (officially) turned my day around. She's such a bright sunshine from my Father-in-heaven. Definitely God-sent.
Pretty Gift From Jasmin :)
Indeed, weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. (Ps 30:5) I literally cried myself to sleep last night. My heart was so heavy that I nearly couldn't utter a word to start my prayers flowing. I could find no one to confide and I wouldn't know where to begin. What had happened, or perhaps what I have interpreted was beyond my understanding. Perplexity. I hope I was wrong.
Of course the ideal was to be able to hit it out with the one who caused the hurt, but I'm not strong enough to do it lest I get hit with a round of indifference. Would you bring yourself out in the open with someone whose words and gestures showed that they won't change to make you feel any better. They'd probably think, "Why should I?" You'll just feel foolish to even bother confessing.
Anyway, morning came with faith arising and I began to look to God again. What happened the night before was not forgotten, and I was a little tired and puff-eyed to bother myself with a 'facelift'. But my heart is at peace and ready to see things in a wider perspective - to get on with things more important than my sob story. It's not about me. It's about You, Jesus.
It's refreshing to spend time before work with some reading of God's word. This morning's passage was something we all need to take heed. If we think we are spared from all these, well, we're not...
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (Amplified Version)
1 BUT UNDERSTAND this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].
2 For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.
3 [They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.
4 [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.
5 For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].
Pretty Gift From Jasmin :)
Indeed, weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. (Ps 30:5) I literally cried myself to sleep last night. My heart was so heavy that I nearly couldn't utter a word to start my prayers flowing. I could find no one to confide and I wouldn't know where to begin. What had happened, or perhaps what I have interpreted was beyond my understanding. Perplexity. I hope I was wrong.
Of course the ideal was to be able to hit it out with the one who caused the hurt, but I'm not strong enough to do it lest I get hit with a round of indifference. Would you bring yourself out in the open with someone whose words and gestures showed that they won't change to make you feel any better. They'd probably think, "Why should I?" You'll just feel foolish to even bother confessing.
Anyway, morning came with faith arising and I began to look to God again. What happened the night before was not forgotten, and I was a little tired and puff-eyed to bother myself with a 'facelift'. But my heart is at peace and ready to see things in a wider perspective - to get on with things more important than my sob story. It's not about me. It's about You, Jesus.
It's refreshing to spend time before work with some reading of God's word. This morning's passage was something we all need to take heed. If we think we are spared from all these, well, we're not...
2 Timothy 3:1-5 (Amplified Version)
1 BUT UNDERSTAND this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].
2 For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.
3 [They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.
4 [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.
5 For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].
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