Category Archives: Love

Aargh! People Do the Dumbest Things!

20 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by in Forgiveness, Love

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The one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.  He must turn away from evil and do good; He must seek peace and pursue it. I Peter 3:10-11

Do you ever want to give someone a piece of your mind?  I do!  Sometimes people just do the dumbest things and I am dying to set them straight! I’m sure that once I get it off my chest, I will feel so much better!

But will I really?  Probably not.

If I want to see good days, I must use my words wisely.  I must hotly pursue peace instead of letting my hot spirit run my mouth.

The beginning of strife is like letting out water, So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.  Proverbs 17:14

He who restrains his words has knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.  Proverbs 17:27

Have you ever started a quarrel because you just couldn’t let it go?  And once the floodgate was opened, there was no stopping it. Everyone was drowned in hurt when it was over.

It’s okay to be hot.  Just be hot in the right way.  Control the heat instead of letting the heat control you!

Be hot in love for one another! And stay that way!

Fervently (hotly) love one another from the heart.  I Peter 1:22

Above all, keep fervent (hot) in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.  I Peter 4:8

at-the-crossWhen someone does something dumb to you, choose to forgive them. Choose good. Choose peace. By doing so, your love for them will stay hot!  And you will see good days!

Christ loves you with a fervent love! Love others the way He loves you! John 15:12

Impossible!

11 Sunday Jan 2015

Posted by in Fear, Love, Power, Strength

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scream-cartoon-paintingTerrified!  Angry! Astounded!  These are a few of the emotions I felt that day as I read a letter that I received in the mail.  The letter was full of lies, accusations and threats. I knew I was in for a battle and I felt like David up against Goliath.  I felt totally inadequate.  I was shaking in my boots.  Whether I was shaking from fear or anger, I’m not sure.  Probably both.

So I ran to the Word of God to find help and refuge.  I poured over the Psalms and the passages that reassured me that God is my Refuge and He is the One fighting the battle for me.  I cried out to Him for help.  I cried out to Him for strength.  I cried out to Him for wisdom – Over and over again, day after day.  And He came to my aide.

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian believers:

“that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”  Ephesians 3:16-21

Sometimes God brings us to impossible situations so He can demonstrate His love and power to us in a very personal way. He wants us to become more rooted and grounded in His love. He wants us to experience His enabling power. He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all we ask or think.   To Him be the glory!

Chosen

10 Saturday Jan 2015

Posted by in Grace, Love

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.  Ephesians 1:3

When feeling weary and worn, I love to spend time reading Ephesians and reflecting on how much I have in Christ.  It always encourages me.

One of the most special things to me is the fact that God the Father chose me.  As a matter of fact, He chose me even before He created mankind.  He chose me even though He knew it would cost Him His only Begotten Son.  He chose me so He could lavish His grace, mercy and love on me – not only in this present world but in the ages to come.  Ephesians 2:7

And He has chosen you, too.  It’s wonderful to be chosen!  And we are chosen by the Creator of the Universe!

A Sinner Woman and Simon

07 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by in Forgiveness, Grace, Love

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And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner. Luke 7:36

And Simon said to himself, “If this man (Jesus) were a prophet, He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.” Luke 7:39

And Jesus answered, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” Luke 7:40

And thus began the ‘in-your-face’ lesson about grace.

Jesus turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You gave me no kiss; but she hasn’t stopped kissing My feet from the moment I came in. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. She has been forgiven much and she loves much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Luke 7:44-47

Grace is the undeserved favor of God.  Grace is a gift with no strings attached. A gift that is earned or somehow deserved is NOT a gift.  And grace that is earned or somehow deserved is NOT grace.

Any claim to merit diminishes grace.  Any sense of entitlement is an insult to the grace of God and blocks our ability to love Him and to love others.

Simon felt deserving and worthy.  He felt superior.  He could not enjoy the richness of God’s grace.  He could not ‘love much’.

How about you?  Do you feel like you are earning or deserving of God’s favor? Do you feel superior?

Or do you embrace your inability to earn God’s favor and come humbly before Him with arms wide open, ready to receive His lavish grace, ready to share his grace with others?