Living 4 Him

“Love never fails.”  1 Corinthians 13:8

The first three gospels all contain the account of a lawyer who asks Jesus how to inherit eternal life and Jesus responds “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” “You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.”  Matthew 22:37, 39

Love is the key that opens every door.  Love is the first step on every ladder. Love is what God made us to do, but our love cannot be fully expressed until we accept the love God has for us.  Over the next several weeks, let’s examine the depths of God’s love.

All that God is to his children begins with love.  The unconditional love of God is our most treasured gift.  However, sometimes these riches feel faraway, like a deposit in a future bank account to be withdrawn at a later date.

But the truth is, God’s love swirls among us in every moment we live on earth, whispering goodness over the details in our days.

1 John 4: 8 tells us “God is love.” Since God is love, we can study the definition neatly laid out by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and understand more about God.  Substituting the word love with God clarifies our perspective.

God is patient.  God is kind. God is not rude or selfish.  God keeps no record of wrongs.  God does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth.  God bears all things. God believes all things.  God hopes all things.  God endures all things.  God never fails. 

God sounds like the best friend we all need. 

His heart overflows with goodness, viewing each individual with eyes of grace.  With abundant love, God steers us over bumps and guides us across dark valleys.  His hope stands by, ready to help us endure and conquer. 

This magnificent love helps us to persevere so recognizing and accepting God’s love is imperative.  We must understand the truth that God’s love came first.  His love lays the foundation for us to live upon.

He doesn’t love us because we love him.  He loves us because we exist.  His love is eternal; never wavering or leaving, but always present in our hearts, in our minds, in our souls.

As we welcome God’s love, a union is created; a tender bond of devotion that God desires for each one of his children.

On a recent camping trip, I laid my work gloves on a rock.  When I looked at them several minutes later, the thumb of one of the gloves was sticking straight in the air, like a thumbs-up from God saying, “You are living a terrific life and I love you so much!” 

When we allow the reality of God’s love to seep into the pores of our mind, we feel better.  We function better.  Connect with God’s marvelous love each day and absorb his loving presence in every way.  His love is absolutely all we need!

Reaching in (allowing God’s word to work in your soul):  Read 1 Corinthians 13 for the full effect of the power of love.  For extra reading, Mark 12:28-34 is one account of Jesus speaking the two greatest commandments.

Reaching out (taking God’s word into the world): Start each day remembering the reality of God’s love for you.  Take several minutes to absorb this love.  Use the poem below to envision God’s love for you.

Like a Waterfall

by Janice Gibson

Like a waterfall

God’s love shall be,

Cascading, flowing,

all around me.

Never ceasing,

Running free,

Creating beautiful places in me.