True Love
Love is a fruit of the Spirit. Once we have truly experienced the Father’s love, then we are free to love one another. Others are no threat to us – we are loved. Other’s opinions do not matter – we are loved by God. Our emotions will not rule over us or overtake us – we are loved. Is God’s love a reality in your life? Are you choosing to believe His love even when you don’t feel lovable? True love is found in John 3:16, “God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son.”
There was a time in my life when I felt that everyone that should love me did not. My marriage was struggling,my parents and in-laws were not acting in love and I did not love myself. When I cried out to God, He established in my heart His love for me. He loved me so much that He died for me! I am lovable! You are lovable! God loves you. If others choose not to love you, that is their problem, not yours!
After this prayer and understanding of God’s true love, I was able to feel lovable, and thus I was able to love my husband and my children from the overflow of God’s love. I was free! It took me several years to fully be able to embrace God’s love for me as I had to go back and release a lot of yuck in my childhood to God. But through it all, I never doubted the fact of God’s love.
I was not a planned pregnancy, and I always felt the rejection of not being wanted. But when I understood my new birth in Christ, I was able to replace those feelings with great wonder at the fact that I was not an accident! God knew me before He planned the world! He has a plan and a purpose for my life! I was able to visualize myself in the Father’s arms as a baby and know that He had rejoiced over my physical and spiritual births. Then I was able to see myself in a beautiful dress as a 6 year old and dance before my Father in heaven and be cherished for my exuberance and childishness! Finally, I am now able to stand before Him, sit with Him, and walk with Him as an adult who is loved and who loves her Lord.
Love is a fruit of the spirit. It grows naturally when we are planted in God’s word and are standing in His presence through prayer and praise. If you are having a hard time feeling loved or loving others, ask God to show you through His word how much He loves you. Then walk in that truth, claiming it as reality. The emotions and feelings will eventually follow after!
RJ, our newest grand baby, is loved even though he can’t do anything by himself, he makes messes, and he cries a lot. He is loved because he is ours! God loves you not for your works or words or beauty and in spite of your messes and tears because you are His!
Hint for the Day: Love your kids.Tell them that you love them. Show them that you love them. But be careful! Kids pick up on your actions more than your words. If you are always yelling at them, putting them down, or not spending time with them, your words of ‘I love you” won’t be believed!