“Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so…”
Yes, according to the Bible, God is absolutely in love with us! And we learn from 1 John 4:16-18, that God is love and His love toward us is perfect and able to settle our insecurities and minimize our fears. This is some very good news.
If God is love and calls us to a life of love, then He is calling me to know Him and extend His love with others. If God is love and love is patient (according to 1 Corinthians 13:4-7), then God must also be patient and we can rest assured that…
His love remains solid, even when love from others may seem unstable
His love remains committed, even when all others seems conditional
His love remains persistent, even when experiencing fatigue
His love remains composed, even when life feels out of control
When we open ourselves to God (who embodies the very definition of love), then we are opening ourselves to a perfect and abundant supply of grace, mercy and acceptance. When we allow ourselves to be perfectly loved by our Heavenly Father, we are better able to love others, because His love that is not measured, rationed or in short supply is flowing in and through us. And when we allow ourselves to be perfectly loved by our Heavenly Father, His perfect love melts away the panic, inadequacies and vulnerabilities that keep us stuck and less disappointed by substitutes that are less than perfect and in short supply from those around me.
To be settled in God’s perfect love affords us the freedom to trust and live a life motivated by “what-can-love-do” possibilities rather than “oh-no-I-might-get hurt” limitations. Gods’ love is perfect, patient and able to melt my fear and enable me to rest in Him.
Join me as today as we look for God’s patient love to heals our hearts and give us hope in times of our greatest need. May we not respond to others out of an imperfect and limited supply of love, but may we learn to receive and extend your perfect love with grace and generosity. May we be more like you.
Gratefully yours,
Pastor Dusty