Love. Not a feeling or a heart flutter, not butterflies in my stomach, not a fantasy or a crush, nothing shallow or light, nothing superficial. Not something you could happen upon or fall into... naaah, not love.
Love is deep and steady, meets you where you are and serves in your sickness and sticks to you at your meanest.
"Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."
---Yeah love forgives, love forgives---
"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:27
Loving roommates, loud neighbors, and annoying siblings is NOT freaking easy. Somebody once shared with me to think of myself as the difficult person to love, because honestly I am... to Jesus. If we weren't sinners He wouldn't have had to die for us... but He loves us more then enough to die for us and forgive us for that ridiculous sinful life, for that sin that we just can't or don't want to give up.
Or think of it like Matthew 18 where the king forgives the great debt of his slave. Like the forgiven slave I'm to forgive those that have offended me, that have debt against me.
I've learned that loving someone can be hard. Love is ready forgiveness. Ready reconciliation. Ready grace. Loving is really easy when there is no conflict, but it grows deeper and better when there is. Sometimes the person you're called to love doesn't reciprocation after confrontation but I'm still called to forgive and trust, hope, persevere, and protect.
But why? How can I?
I can because I know my Savior. I know that I can trust my Savior with my heart. I know I can trust my Savior to take care of and convict or punish that person. I don't have to be their judge, or their conscience.
It is really hard to live out God's love when you live with someone that doesn't reciprocate or your neighbors drive off late at night in his loud car and comes back at 3am. But I've also learned that these times are special times to praise God for the small things like I have a roof over my head! I can pay my bills! I was sleeping, which is waaaaaaaaaaaay better then not sleeping! You can chose to be angry and boil over, or you can ask for help. You can sing about amazing grace and pray for everybodies hearts to change.
Praising, praying, and singing to your Savior when it's hard to love protects your heart from bitterness and keeps you at peace with Christ. To love is a command not a good idea. It's another way God loves us and takes care of us, commanding us to guard our hearts and mind in Him.
Love is deep and steady, meets you where you are and serves in your sickness and sticks to you at your meanest.
"Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."
---Yeah love forgives, love forgives---
"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:27
Loving roommates, loud neighbors, and annoying siblings is NOT freaking easy. Somebody once shared with me to think of myself as the difficult person to love, because honestly I am... to Jesus. If we weren't sinners He wouldn't have had to die for us... but He loves us more then enough to die for us and forgive us for that ridiculous sinful life, for that sin that we just can't or don't want to give up.
Or think of it like Matthew 18 where the king forgives the great debt of his slave. Like the forgiven slave I'm to forgive those that have offended me, that have debt against me.
I've learned that loving someone can be hard. Love is ready forgiveness. Ready reconciliation. Ready grace. Loving is really easy when there is no conflict, but it grows deeper and better when there is. Sometimes the person you're called to love doesn't reciprocation after confrontation but I'm still called to forgive and trust, hope, persevere, and protect.
But why? How can I?
I can because I know my Savior. I know that I can trust my Savior with my heart. I know I can trust my Savior to take care of and convict or punish that person. I don't have to be their judge, or their conscience.
It is really hard to live out God's love when you live with someone that doesn't reciprocate or your neighbors drive off late at night in his loud car and comes back at 3am. But I've also learned that these times are special times to praise God for the small things like I have a roof over my head! I can pay my bills! I was sleeping, which is waaaaaaaaaaaay better then not sleeping! You can chose to be angry and boil over, or you can ask for help. You can sing about amazing grace and pray for everybodies hearts to change.
Praising, praying, and singing to your Savior when it's hard to love protects your heart from bitterness and keeps you at peace with Christ. To love is a command not a good idea. It's another way God loves us and takes care of us, commanding us to guard our hearts and mind in Him.
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