Love

Matthew 5:45 (ESV)

So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

God’s love falls like rain on all people, even evil ones. “God so loved the world,” says Jesus in John 3:16. God loves wayward children. He loves wounded and despised people. And if God loves in that way, Christians must love in that way too.

We can churn up a lot of unhappiness for ourselves and for others by trying to control, manipulate, or condemn other people. We can burn a lot of energy getting angry with secular people and shouting at them. But God’s love rains down on all people—good and evil alike.

Jesus does not give me permission to hate and despise any other human being. If you’re a human being, I am supposed to love you in word and deed, whether you are a Christian or not.

A soup kitchen in an inner city is a great place to practice this, because you don’t have to ask anyone any complicated questions like “How did you get this way?” or “Are you ever going to change?” You just have to scoop some chili into a bowl and smile at another human being and say, “God bless you.”

That’s a good way to start. But somehow I think Jesus would do more than that.

Love. This is so difficult for us. But it is a happier way to live.

Dear Lord, we know we need to be an agent of Your love, but we have so many barriers and attitudes that hem us in. Lord, show us how to love. Help us to love as You have loved. In the Name of  Jesus, Amen.

You are loved

Philippians 1:3 (ESV)

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.

In letters or emails that we write today, we place our signature at the end. And, depending on whom we are writing, we adjust the way we sign. You don’t sign an email to your boss with “Love, George.” And you don’t treat your spouse aloofly by signing “Regards, Jane.”

Back in Paul’s day, people signed their letters at the beginning, and the greeting often gave a preview of what was to come. In Philippians we can tell right away that this letter is going to be full of love and warmth. Paul calls his readers saints, “God’s holy people,” and showers them with grace and peace “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Then he makes clear how thankful he is for them. They are gospel partners, coworkers in whom God is doing a great thing—and this comes with a promise that God will bring his work to completion. Paul reveals his pastor’s heart here by offering great encouragement and displaying deep care and affection for the Christians living and working in Philippi.

We all need to know that we’re loved, and we all need encouragement. We need someone to see God’s work in our lives, call it out for us, name it, and give thanks for it.

The Philippians needed that kind of encouragement. So Paul makes sure it is the first thing they receive in this loving, pastoral letter.

Dear Lord, Thank you for loving us and for encouraging us by Your Spirit. Your grace and peace are our very life. In the Namr of Jesus, Amen.

Love

Colossians 1:3-4 (ESV)

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints.

Frederick Robertson, a young nineteenth-century preacher, defined love in two phrases: the desire to give, and the desire to bless.

Love desires to give. Robertson says that when you examine that mysterious thing called love, you will find this yearning to give. It may be as simple as giving money, or some of your time, or a word of encouragement. In marriage, it involves giving your whole self. Giving can take the form of praise: "It is so good that you exist, that you are in my life."

God expressed His love to us not only by giving us life and this astonishing universe but also by giving his Son.

Love not only yearns to give; it also wants to bless. We give in order to bless. This separates the giving that is done for selfish reasons. There is a giving, for example, that seeks to put others in our debt. Love gives not to manipulate but to bless the other.

God gave his Son in order to bless us with eternal life. The desire to bless includes seeking what's best for another. So giving is not always a simple matter, as any parent knows. At times, love struggles mightily to find the best way to give in order to bless, to help another person become more fully alive to God.

As members of the church, we seek to give whatever gifts we have in order to bless others.

Dear Lord, as You love us, may we love one another. Help us to follow Your example by desiring to give in order to bless. Help us to build one another up for Your sake. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The look of God's love

Luke 22:61 (ESV)

And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”

Peter was one of Jesus’ closest followers. A natural leader, Peter was a doer who often spoke up and motivated others when it was time to get things done. But sometimes Peter spoke when he should have kept quiet. Brave Peter promised loyalty and then didn’t follow through. Earlier he said, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33). But in the priest’s courtyard he denied even knowing Jesus. Still, I think Peter deserves some credit for coming around and being there that night.

While this account tells of Peter’s denial, it also shows the Savior’s love. In all that Jesus did here—allowing himself to be arrested and mocked, healing a soldier’s ear, and even looking Peter in the eye—we can see the heart of Jesus, who shows us his Father’s heart.

When we get to know Jesus, we learn—often slowly—that his way of doing things is different from ours. It is not with swords or in trying to get even with people who have hurt us. Instead, it’s the way of compassion and forgiveness.

The look and love of Jesus are a marvelous message! It was not a look of condemnation that melted Peter’s heart. It was the loving look of a Father caring for his wayward child. It was an inviting look of grace, a look that brought remorse and repentance. It was the look of the redeeming, restoring love of God.

He’s looking at us with that same redeeming love today!

Dear Lord, thank You for Your look of love, fill us today with the love you have shown. Help us to love those You put into our life with Your love. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Limitless Love

John 13:34 (ESV)

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

The thing about love is that it almost always has limits.

You might really love someone or something, but there is probably a limit to that love. You may love a certain food, but you will only pay so much for it. Perhaps you love a certain sports team, but after so many losing seasons you may just give up. Even in a marriage, one of the more infinite loves, we say our vows with, “Till death do us part.”

Even though almost every love we know has its bounds, we still crave truly limitless and unconditional love—a love without any end.

God filled our desire for limitless love by sending Jesus to win eternal life for us. God didn’t set a limit or an end to his love. With his limitless love Jesus came to live and die for us to take away our sins and to win for us a place before God forever. This love will never end.

In response to his love for us, God commands us to love one another as he has loved us.

How can we do that? We can do the kinds of things that will make sure even death will not limit our love. If you want to love your spouse, pray for and encourage their faith. If you want to love your children, make sure that they grow up in a place where their faith can be nurtured. If you want to love your neighbors, do the kinds of things that allow you to share with them the hope you have in Jesus. Helping those you love to be in the Word of Christ and to follow his commands is one of the greatest expressions of love, because it is the only thing that is truly limitless.

God loved you in the ultimate way by winning eternity for you. Go and love others by sharing that message with them.

Dear Lord, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Jesus. Help us to love with the limitless love You have shown to us. In the name of Jesus,  Amen.

God is LOVE

"I love Star Wars."

"I love tacos."

"I love listening to praise music."

We often use the word "love" to describe the affection we feel toward a finished work ingenuity or cleverness. We see something that is well-made and call it “good.” In this way, we are like God, who marveled at his creation in the beginning:

Genesis 1:1, 10

“In the beginning, God created…and God saw that it was good.”

But God’s love doesn’t stop there. He responds to the enjoyment of something beautiful by surging forward to create yet more marvelous and satisfying things in an unending cycle.

God's love is an active force, alive and on its feet, producing new and appealing compositions. His love prompts him to produce works of art and write poems; specifically, us.

The word "poem" comes into English directly from the Greek poiema.

Ephesians 2:10

“You are God's workmanship (poiema)…”

We are God's crafted poems. We are composed in the ardor of his passion, the passion that renews and sustains all things.

Psalm 139:13

“You formed my inward parts, you knit me together in my mother's womb.”

The word "knit" calls to mind the image of a grandmother smiling to herself as she stitches together a scarf for someone she loves, humming a gentle tune as she works. That is the spirit of our origin story: affection, care, intentionality.

When we see a person freshly in love, we may say that she is “glowing.” This is what is meant in the Blessing of Aaron, “The Lord make his face to shine upon you” (Numbers 6:25).

Another person newly in love might find himself possessed by the inexplicable urge to sing, just as God sings songs over us: “He will exult over you with loud singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

We were created in love, by love, since God is himself is the very essence and epitome of love.

1 John 4:8

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1 John 4:12

“No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”

John is saying that even though God is invisible, he can be seen most clearly through the love Christians show for one another. He's saying that the love of God radiates through us and finds its fullest, truest expression when we give and receive love; it is then "perfected in us."

In fact, the night before Jesus died, he made a point about love. He could have said so many other things. He could have commented on when communion should be taken, the proper age for baptism, or worship styles. Instead he speaks of love.

John 13:35

“By this all people will know you are my disciples, that you love one another.”

The calling of our own lives is to imitate God by pressing into the very force that brought us into being, returning love back to God and extending it outward to one another.

In other words, the essence of Christianity is this:

God is love. Love writes poems. You are God’s poems. Now go and love.

Dear Lord, fill us with your loving-kindness so that it overflows to those that You bring into our life. Help others see Your love in us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Service

1 John 3:18 (ESV)

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Longwood University basketball coach Jayson Gee’s life has been spent in service. Not only to the young men on his teams, but his heart of serving like Christ has been best exemplified in his unflinching belief and dedication to his son, Brandon.

While Brandon suffered years of severe child-onset paranoid schizophrenia, Jayson constantly streamed love and affirmation to his son. He brought the Luke 15 parable of the shepherd going after the one lost sheep to life. Even as he endured streams of verbal and physical tirades from his son, Jayson steadfastly responded to each outburst with a soft, “I love you” and believed in faith that God would make good on His promise to heal Brandon.

Jayson went to extreme levels to give of himself day after day for years for the sake of his son. Much like God, the Father who gave out of love His own Son, who served and suffered for us. We can hold to this sacrifice as an example of lifting others above ourselves when we believe God to do amazing things in the lives of our friends, neighbors, and teammates.

There is healing when we offer our hearts to care for another. And God can take our offering and multiply it beyond what we can imagine. We just need to keep the faith and believe God will do what He says He will do.

Who can you think of that is a difficult person in your life, but God wants you to serve?

Dear Lord, this is a broken and hurting world. So many cry out for mercy and for kindness. You are the light of the world, and You cannot be hidden. We want to pour our self out in service to others to show them Your love; give us the grace to bear another’s burdens. In the Name of Jesus,  Amen.

Common Courtesy

Philippians 2:4 (ESV)

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Rub shoulders in enough malls, sports arenas, and airports – anywhere there are people, really – and you’ll discover one thing: common courtesy isn’t so common anymore. But if more of us were like Christina and Michael, we could turn that around.

Have you ever had to board an airplane with a baby in tow? It can be an awkward and uncomfortable experience. Weary passengers are a notoriously impatient bunch, and the sight of a baby can sour their attitudes in a flash. No welcoming smiles here. Just icy glares … if they’re willing to make eye contact at all.

Lots of parents, sensing that condemnation, guard against it with a cynical attitude of their own. But one couple chose a refreshing approach. They launched what could only be called a “preemptive strike of courtesy.” After boarding, Christina and Michael handed out baggies of candy to the passengers around them. Attached to each was a note on behalf of their twin fourteen-week-old boys. In part, it read: “We’ll try to be on our best behavior, but we apologize in advance in case we get scared or our ears hurt.”

It was a simple gesture that diffused what is typically a tense situation. Fellow travelers who otherwise might have been easily irritated were suddenly understanding and friendly. And these thoughtful parents showed that when you extend consideration, you’ll often get it in return. So as you go about your day today, what can you do to look to the interests of others?

Dear Lord, we pray that we look out for the interest of others today. Help us to find small ways to reach out and show Your love to those around us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Simple Kindness

2 Peter 1:7 (ESV)

And godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

Something amazing happened at a Major League Baseball park not long ago. No, there weren’t any records broken. In fact, the extraordinary event didn’t even take place on the field. It happened in the stands.

The whole scene unfolded on camera. At the end of the third inning, a player from the Milwaukee Brewers threw a ball into the stands to a young fan wearing their jersey. Also standing at the railing hoping for a ball was twelve-year-old Arizona Diamondbacks fan, Ian McMillan. When the ball came down, Ian reached out and caught it in his hat. Excited, he headed back to his seat. But that’s when Ian looked back and noticed how sad the younger boy was about not getting the ball. Without prompting from adults, Ian immediately turned, walked back to the younger fan, and handed him the ball.

It was an unusual display of selflessness and maturity. In the days that followed, news stations illustrated that fact by contrasting Ian’s behavior with that of adults. One man literally wrestled a ball away from a woman a few seats away. And, in another video, two men nearly got into a fist fight.

Maybe it strikes you like it does me that selfish behavior is so common that a simple act of kindness by a youngster at a ball game is enough to capture our attention. That’s why we need more examples like Ian to remind us of what’s really important in life. May our love for Christ make an impression on everyone around us simply because we’re quick to do what’s right toward other people.

Dear Lord, help us to look for ways to show kindness today. Thank You for being a great example of on that shows love. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Are you attentive to people's needs around you?

Galatians 6:2 (ESV)

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Are the people around you happy, or are they struggling in some area of life? Maybe the real question is: Are you attentive enough that you would recognize the difference?

Let’s face it, we have pretty shallow relationships with most of the people we cross paths with every day. Sure, we’ll nod at co-workers in the hall and grunt a robotic “How’re you doing?” But our demeanor lets the person know we’re busy and would prefer a generic, “Fine, thank you,” rather than a genuine answer. It could be that someone near to us is having a rough go of it, but we’d never notice because we’re too wrapped up in our own world.

It reminds me of a poem I read from the 1950s, called “Not Waving, But Drowning.” It serves as a metaphor for people suffering alone in their pain. The stanzas describe a dying man, thrashing about in the surf, struggling to keep his head above water. But the people walking by on shore simply nod with a smile and continue on, confusing the man’s frantic struggle for survival with a friendly wave.

How many people do we run into each day who are fighting to keep their head above water in life? Are we simply nodding with a smile when what that person really needs is help carrying their burdens? Although we may not be able to solve all their problems, a simple word of encouragement is sometimes enough to lift the weight of the world off their shoulders. But to do that we have to be tuned in to the lives of the people around us and God’s leading. Be willing to stop, listen, and care.

Dear Lord, we ask that we would be sensitive to those around us. Help us to see those in need and help them and not just wave. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Being a neighbor

Luke 6:31-33 (ESV)

31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. 32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

Robert Frost wrote that “good fences make good neighbors.” It’s true. But so does “being neighborly.”

I read a story about a family that took a trip in the used camper they had bought the year before. Unfortunately, they were still unfamiliar with many of the camper’s hook-ups and settings, which led to a mini comedy of errors as soon as they arrived at the grounds. Right away, they popped open the side panel and wrestled to get the sewer hose connected. The problem was, they forgot the panel was open above them, and they bonked their head. When they stepped backward, they scraped their back along the bottom latch. And that’s when they stood up and hit their head again. When they looked up, they noticed several veteran campers were intently taking in the entire scene.

Given the spectacle they had created, you’d think some of the more experienced campers nearby would have offered a helping hand. Instead, they were surprised by the distance they kept from them. They seemed almost offended by their inexperience. Over the course of the week, they did get to know some of the folks around them … after they took the initiative to say hello.

That story reinforced the importance of “being neighborly” with the people God has placed in our path. Whether it’s a family moving into your neighborhood, a new co-worker learning the ropes, or just a bumbling camper next to you, we should take the first step, extend to them the love of Christ, and help them feel welcome.

Dear Lord, we pray that we would be the neighbor You would have us to be. Hep us to reach out to those around us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Lessons from Diamond

John 13:34-35 (ESV)

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

As I am dealing with some unknown health issues I have done a lot of thinking.  One of the things that came across my mind was how I miss Diamond.  Diamond was our pound puppy that we had to have put down in August due to her failing health and strength. As I thought about her today I thought about some of the lessons I learned from her about love.

If Diamond were to teach you about love  and life in general here is what she would say:

1. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

2. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride with family.

3. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

4. Take naps.

5. Stretch before rising.

5. Run, romp, and play daily.

6. Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

7. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

8. On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

9. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

10. When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

11. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

12. Be loyal.

13. Never pretend to be something you're not.

14. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

15. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

As a good friend of mine always reminds me, “Love is the answer.”  Take the time today to share the love that God has put in your heart.

Dear Lord, we thank You for all that You do for us, especially for loving us. Help us to share that love today. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Happy Valentines Day

There are so many verses about the "heart" of Valentine's Day, which is L-O-V-E!

Probably the most well known and one of the best Bible verses on love is John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

God is Love

1 John 4:8 - "The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

1 John 4:16 - "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him."

God's Love Described

1 Corinthians 13 is typically called "The Love Chapter" because it describes love; verses 4-8 say - "Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails;"  Verse 13 continues - "But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Jeremiah 31:3 says God loves with a never ending love - "The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness."

Why we can love

Matthew 22:37-40 records when Jesus was asked which of the commandments was the greatest - "He replied And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Luke 10:27 records the same - "He answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."

How we should love

1 Corinthians 16:14 - "Let all that you do be done in love."

1 Peter 4:8 - "Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins."

John 13:34 - Jesus tells us to love others like He has loved us:  "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

John 13:35 - Jesus goes on to say that when we love each other as His followers, all men (both other believers and unbelievers will see & recognize:   "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Take the time to share God’s love today and every day.

Dear Lord, we thank You for Your great love. Help us to show it to those You bring into our life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen

True love

1 Corinthians 13:4 (ESV)

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant

We live in a world that gives us all kinds of messages about what true love is.  The TV shows, movies and books we read all portray love in so many different ways. Sometimes with all the different portrayals of love, it’s hard to really determine what true love is. Let’s take a look at three things true love is.

1.  True love looks out for the best interests of the other person – This means thinking about what is best for the other person. Many times, dating relationships are centered around selfish motives. For example, someone might date the starting quarterback in high school because it helps their popularity, or it makes them look good.  This isn’t true love because true love looks out for what is best for the other person. True love puts its own best interests on the back shelf and is looking out for the needs and interests of the other person.

2.  True love is based on friendship NOT the physical – a relationship based on the physical stuff won’t last. Any relationship should focus on getting to know the other person long before the physical comes into play. That’s why God asks us to wait to have sex before marriage. Its one of the best ways to make sure your relationship will last, because it is based on something deeper than just the physical. Physical attraction isn’t a good judge of love. Attraction can fade, but a relationship built on a solid foundation of friendship will be much more likely to succeed.

3.  True love has its foundation in Jesus – The most important thing in a relationship is the other person’s feelings toward Jesus. If the person you’re dating doesn’t love Jesus like you do, run away from the relationship. It is never a good decision to become involved with someone that doesn’t love God like you do.  This will set you up for lots of heartache in the future.

The Bible gives us the best picture of what true love is. If you want to really understand what true love is, you will find it by reading your Bible. A good place to start is by reading 1 Corinthians 13, which talks a lot about what love looks like.

Dear Lord, we thank You for setting up a picture of what true love is in Your word. Help us be an example of true love to others and to let Your love shine through us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

What is love?

1 John 4:10 (ESV)

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

You’ve probably have heard that you should love others. But you may have wondered, what does that look like? What does it really mean to love others, and what does it look like to love your enemy?

The answer to that question, is that love looks different. It looks different than what you see on TV. It looks different than what you hear in the hallways at school or work. True love, the way God meant it, looks way different than the way we see it portrayed. Many times, the definition of love on TV, school or work goes something like this: I’ll love you if you can do something for me, or if you can give something to me. However, this isn’t the meaning of loving others that the Bible describes.

This verse in 1 John describes love as something different. It shows us that God defines love differently. God didn’t wait for us to be able to give Him something for Him to love us. God loved us first. He loved us and gave before we even knew Him. Then God challenges us to take the love He gave to us and show that love to others.

Loving others isn’t based upon how others treat us. It’s based on God’s love and grace which empowers us to then love others. We are to love others and value them, not because they have done anything to deserve it, but because it’s the example God showed us first.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer says it this way: “The Christian must treat his enemy as a brother, and requite his hostility with love. His behavior must be determined not by the way others treat him, but by the treatment he himself receives from Jesus; it has only one source, and that is the will of Jesus.”

So choose to love others. Treat them with respect and love, not based on what they can do for you, or how they treat you, but rather based on how God treated us!

Dear Lord, we thank You for Your love. Help us to use Your example and treat them with respect and love not based on what they do for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Can we love our enemies?

Matthew 5:44 (ESV)

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

People can be mean.  I think back to when I used to ride the bus to school every day. I remember one kid that would just pick on everyone. He was an older student and he sure was mean.  It got so bad that he even made some of the kids cry.  There are some people like this boy that are just plain mean.  So the question is with all the mean people that we meet around us, is it really possible to love those who are mean to us?

I think the answer is “yes”.  The Bible says in Matthew 5:44 – “But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you.”   How do we do that? How do we muster up love for people who are mean and don’t treat others with respect? The Bible says in Romans 5:5 that the love of God has been placed into our hearts. So yes, God tells us to love our enemies which can seem hard, but he gives us the love to do it with.

So, that bully you come across everyday, or the people in your life that seem to be too hard to love, you can love them. Why? Because you don’t have to love them with your own love. You love them with the love that God has placed into your heart. So remember that when loving mean people gets hard, you’re not doing it alone. The love of God has been placed in your heart. You’ve got all the love you need to love your enemies.

Dear Lord, thank You for placing Your love in our heart. We thank You that with that love we can love those who are mean and unlovable. We ask You to help us to love others and know that with Your help we can love my enemies. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Your worth

1 John 3:1 (ESV)

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Do you have days where you doubt your worth? Maybe you wonder why you are the way you are, or why you can’t say the right thing at the right time. Or perhaps you don’t look the way you wished you did. All this self-doubt can start to weigh on you, and make you feel like you’re not important.

Today’s verse gives us a true picture of our worth to God. It tells us that God has adopted us into His family. Because of this. we now have value and purpose. All the superficial things, like how you look and what you do no longer matter. What matters is what God says about you. Your true value is based on what God thinks of you.

The good news is, God thinks you’re great. He loves you in a big way. He wants nothing more than to know you. He loves you with a greater love than you’ll ever know. So when you have days where you question your worth, take some time to think about how much you’re worth to God. He loved you enough to adopt you into His family. To Him, you’re priceless!

Dear Lord, we thank You that You have adopted us into Your family and that You think we are priceless. Thanks for loving us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

God is love

1 Corinthians 13:7 (ESV)

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

If you were asked to describe God in just one word, what word would you use?  The word would need to be big enough to capture God’s greatness, goodness, kindness, and power.  The word that many people would choose is this word:  LOVE.  What does LOVE mean?  Is it a feeling?  An action?  Maybe the best way to describe love is to look at what love is and is not.

Love is NOT:  envious, boastful, proud, rude, self-seeking, easily angered, rejoicing in evil.

Love IS:  patient, kind, forgets wrongs, rejoices in truth, protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres.

Paul wanted to use the word love to describe God in a letter to the Corinthians, so he used all these words to describe love—to make sure that the Corinthians really understood all the things that God is—and is not.

Jesus’ friend John also used the word love to describe God.  He wrote, “This is how God showed his love among us:  He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” (1 John 4: 9)  Then John said, “God is love.” (1 John 4: 16)  But John didn’t stop there; he said that we respond to God’s love with……love.  How?

“Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3: 18)  God is love.  He loves us.  We can pass his love to others.  Let us make it our goal to try it today!

Dear Lord, we thank You for Your love. Help us to share that great gift today. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Showing love

1 John 4:7 (ESV)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

Babe Ruth had hit 714 home runs during his baseball career and was playing one of his last full major league games. It was the Braves versus the Reds in Cincinnati. But the great Ruth was no longer as agile as he had once been. He fumbled the ball and threw badly, and in one inning alone his errors were responsible for most of the five runs scored by Cincinnati.

As the Babe walked off the field after the third out and headed toward the dugout, a crescendo of yelling and booing reached his ears. Just then a boy jumped over the railing onto the playing field. With tears streaming down his face, he threw his arms around the legs of his hero.

Ruth didn't hesitate for one second. He picked up the boy, hugged him, and set him down on his feet, patting his head gently. The noise from the stands came to an abrupt halt. Suddenly there was no more booing. In fact, hush fell over the entire park. In those brief moments, the fans saw two heroes: Ruth, who in spite of his dismal day on the field could still care about a little boy; and the small lad, who cared about the feelings of another human being. Both had melted the hearts of the crowd.

Dear Lord, thank You for loving us. Help us show love to all those around us today. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Win them over with love

Romans 12:20-21 (ESV)

20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Between the years 1861-1865 the United States found itself in the midst of a bitter civil war over the issue of slavery, and several other serious disagreements. By the time the North won the war nearly 620,000 soldiers had perished. There were many in the North who were so embittered that the South had dragged them into such a deadly conflict that they wanted the South to pay dearly.

At the end of the war, a group of Southerners gained an audience with President Abraham Lincoln. His gentle, kind and friendly personality quickly softened the hearts of his once-hardened foes and the Southerners left the interview with a deep respect for the man who had been their bitter enemy. Not long afterward, a northern congressman criticized Lincoln for "befriending the enemy!" He suggested that he should have had them shot for being traitors instead of welcoming them!

I love Lincoln's response. He said, simply , "Am I not destroying my enemies by making them my friends?"

As we serve the Lord –- we can expect our share of enemies. Don't let a root of bitterness grow up because of them –- but rather, seek to win them over with gentleness, kindness, and even love. Show your enemies the Lord's grace and His peace through your Spirit-controlled response...and in so doing, you'll "heap coals" upon their heads! Satan wants to provoke you through their hatred and opposition. Don't let him! Instead, shock your enemies –- not with angry retaliation...but with Spirit empowered LOVE! Win them over with love.

Dear Lord, we pray that we would love our enemies and win them over to You by showing them love. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.