This is Love…
Our world has some messed up ideas of love. And, truth be told, in our best moments our love is still pretty selfish. Turns out that all the Disney fairytales aren’t love. All the Hollywood steamy scenes aren’t love. All the happily ever afters aren’t earthly.Â
In John 15 Jesus gives the definition of perfect love without even telling us that’s what He’s doing. “As the Father has loved me,” (John 15:9a NIV) Gotta stop right there and think about how the Father has loved the Son. Without conditions, completely, nothing held back, perfectly.
He then says: “so have I loved you.” (John 15:9b NIV) That would be you and me He’s speaking to. He has loved us with a perfect love. He gives all of it to us, asking nothing in return.
Can you and I love like that? Probably not – at least not consistently. We are fickle. The least little transgression and there we are holding back. Offended, folded arms. Hurt, walking away.
“Now remain in My love.” (John 15:9c NIV) Let His love be enough. Don’t seek any other fulfillment. Stay with Him. When all that love we’re looking for comes because we stay close to Perfect Love, maybe we won’t so easily withhold our love, or only offer it when someone ‘deserves’ it.
When our husbands, our children, our friends are set free from being our source of love – I bet they’ll find us a whole lot easier to love. Lovely is the person so wrapped up in God’s love, that she loves others along the way without expectations.
This is work for me. You? But it’s not really optional. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12 NIV) It’s a command. Just before that verse (verses 10 and 11) He made it clear that obeying His commands keeps us in His love and fills us with joy – complete joy. Isn’t that what we want?
So how can we be sure God’s love for us is perfect, that He makes our joy complete? “This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins.” (1 John 4:10 GWT)
parisrenae 
💞
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This is so beautiful. And convicting. I literally walked away irritated from my husband an hour ago. So yeah, I struggle. Thanks so much for linking up with Grace and Truth this week!
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Smiling – yep, we love with a conditional love – but our Teacher is showing us true love. We’ll get better as we allow Him to work it in us right? 🙂
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Thanks for the love hearts, hope you are doing ok. Your mom was telling me about the headaches – I’m so sorry. But those grandbabies give you a lift each time you see them, I know 🙂
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