This is not to say I want to change the fact that I love to laugh, live life loudly per say. Rather I wish to be peaceful in word, deed, countenance. But that is not the topic of this blog. As usual I find myself wandering off track where ever my thoughts are leading me. :-)
The topic is love. What it truly means for us as Christians. Recently I have found myself going back to a study I did on love while meditating on a passage in I Peter. His Spirit convicting me yet again of rather my heart is showing His love the way He has commanded us to.
I Peter 1:22-2:1
22Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
My thoughts meander as is my way, but I will attempt to put before you the path they are taking. So much yet to be learned. Even more to unlearn. However I am striving- striving with everything in me to show even the smallest speck of love to others that He has shown me- My Christ who died on Calvary.
Mrs. George reminded me of this, " the fruit of the Spirit are nine qualities of life the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit produce in our lives when we are abiding in Him and walking with Him by His Spirit. And what is the FIRST (emphasis mine) quality that life in Christ should manifest in us? It's love." And Peter brings that to light in these passages "Seeing ye have purified your souls" he says- we are to love. And is not the correlation beautiful- as Christ loved us so I am to love you. People are afraid of love these day. The words I Love You being used either flippantly or not used at all. Only in a few relationships are they spoken with any depth of meaning behind them that I can tell. And when spoken in the context of brotherly love often spoken without understanding of their true meaning. To love with agape is to love how? Do I know? And if I do do I obey?
How am I to love-
Peter says for us to love with a "sincere love" Hmmmm! Ok! I think I am sincere. I would say I am sincere. But let me double check what Mr. Webster has to say about sincerity.
2: marked by genuineness : true
And Mrs. George had this to say- "This means a love that does not pretend or merely "play-act". We are not to merely express love verbally and in gushy terms... Sincere love holds no inward grudges while pretending to love on the outside, has no ulterior motives, and wants nothing from the one loved. "
And Mrs. George had this to say- "This means a love that does not pretend or merely "play-act". We are not to merely express love verbally and in gushy terms... Sincere love holds no inward grudges while pretending to love on the outside, has no ulterior motives, and wants nothing from the one loved. "
Ouch! To say that is hard is an understatement. To remove self so totally from anything is a battle. A war against your very nature. To love sincerely is not an easy thing. It is a conscious, continual decision. A choice if you will with every interaction. I do this for you because I love you not for what it may bring me or in pretense.
I John 3:18
"My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth."
That was fun. Can I stop now, Lord? But no His Word continues whispering in my heart and soul -love one another with a pure heart fervently:
I have got fervent if anyone has got fervent. I do everything with passion!
Or do I. A fervent love would be pretty much limitless would it not? Pretty much the kind of love I feel when I see a stack of chocolate chip pancakes sitting in front of me drizzled with chocolate syrup and topped with whip cream and a cherry. A do anything kind of love! Yowzers!
John 13:34
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
And it does not end yet. Peter goes on to say that we are to love with a pure heart .
Mrs George calls it to love heartily. Heartily- to love from and with the heart. Your heart is the strongest organ in your body. It works hard at what it does pumping at least 2,500 gallons of blood throughout your body each day. So if we are to work heartily I would say we were to work STRONGLY with everything in us.
Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
At this point in time I could get discouraged I guess. After all a report card on my agape love after a heart check is a big fat F!! But thankfully My Father is looking through a veil of blood given in love and sees a cleansed heart. I know this. Many times my heart checks end up exactly that. Showing me exactly how far I have to travel. Take strengh in the fact you are not taking this journey alone and forsaken. This path is guided and mediated by a Father who knows the effort we each are making. Each inch closer to becoming like Him.
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' – Matthew 22:37-39
Our God is love. Also a God of justice but that is for another day. As well is the continuum I did of this study about unity in the Spirit in the bond of peace! This post has gone long enough. Give each brother grace!
And most of all know you are loved with an everlasting love greater than one we could ever give. He loves you and sent His Son. A greater truth and a greater love there will never be found. Simple truth but profound.
Beautifully said my sister. I heard a reminder recently that we must pray for His grace moment by moment for His Word to come alive in us. We can't, but He can. Thanks Becca!
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