Love Matters Most

God has been teaching me how to love people. He has been showing me that it is not about me, and that even though when I don't feel loved, I should still love. But not only the way I know how to, but love how they NEED to be loved.

Loves never gives up on people. We need to love how God intended.

I Corinthians 13 tells us all about Love and how God fashioned it to be, just like He fashioned us!

Starting in verse 4 it really takes off and tell us all kinds of characteristics of love: It is patient, It is kind, it does not boast, it is not proud, it does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preservers. Love never fails.

I feel that we need to read this Love chapter every week to remind us how to love. I was just reading through it recently and found myself saying, "Oh yeah! Wow, that has to do with love too? I need to work on that.."

How do we love someone that has offended us?

How do we love someone that has given up on us?

Who has been rude to us?

Or who has flat out made it clear that they don't want to be associated with you?

How do we love then?

Supernaturally and by God's grace, that's how.

Then what are we so afraid of?

The cost.

The cost of loving someone, even though we get nothing in return.

Didn't Jesus give the best example of that fearless love on the cross?

He did that for us. So that we may too love like that. Through persecution, He still loved us.

1 John 4:16

"So we know and rely on the love that God has given us. That is how we know that we live in Him and He in us: He has given us his spirit.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us."

God has spoken to me and told me that if I know Him, I will give those really hard-to-love-people up to Him, and through Him, and by His grace, I shall love them.

No one said it was easy.

I write because I know my Father, and I hope to share with others how they may know Him better. My ministry is simple, yet complicated. Minister to others and LOVE ON THEM.

1 John 2: 14

"I write you young people, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Praise God! I have overcome!

My challenge to you, (as well as myself) to pray and ask God to show you who it is He wants you to love on this week, even though it may not be very easy. Remember, by God's grace, we can reach out and love those who we would have never imagined we would be walking and talking with.

I Corinthians 13:13

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Hidden

Having no voice really makes you realize how much you actually use your voice in a day.

Being a preschool teacher, I really need to use my voice. But it wasn't until I lost it, that I realized how much I needed it and took it for granted. Isn't that the case for most things we lose?

God is always showing me something in my weaknesses: I have no voice. Yet, I had a voice up until now and was I using it for glorious things? Well, not exactly. I have ministry opportunities here and there. Am I putting myself out there? Not really. I could be doing more. Now that I am voice impaired, of course I make excuses, but when I eventually get my voice back, I really have no excuse.

Do I hear God's voice clearly? The answer is yes I do. I have a gift. A gift that was given to me when I was just a little girl. A gift that is not meant to be hidden. What am I so scared of?

Why does the enemy whisper such horrible things in our ears?

I know anyone can relate. Those negative thoughts that start out as little negative suggestions and then in turn become a state a mind. Why are we living feeling sorry for ourselves? I don't want to feel sorry myself anymore. I want to use my voice that God has given me! Since I cannot physically speak, I will write what is on my heart. What is stirring inside.

I am in the process of self-discovery. I am in need of MORE, but don't know how to get there. I am now attempting to ween myself out of the kid business and now move onto a possible writing career? We'll see. The point is: I need to live in a way that I constantly surrender to God. My writing, my free will, my ideas for the future; I need to surrender all of it.

I have to trust that the promises God has given me are real and that they are true and they WILL HAPPEN. Definitely not in my time frame but in His. I am growing, and I am being shaped. It hurts, like my throat hurts right now. But it's a wake up call! I had my voice all along, why wasn't I using it to worship praises to my King? I had a voice, why wasn't I using it to proclaim the truth? Why wasn't I using it to encourage my friends and family? Now my voice is gone. But not forever. For when it comes back, I will be ready to use it again :)

To those of you who have a voice: Use it for His Glory and Purpose. Pray to the Father about what that means for you.

I was made to worship. Whether it be in song, with my words, or in my writing. I was made to worship. I surrender all. For I cannot do it on my own. Thank you Jesus for the reminder, and please can I have my voice back now? :)

Listening to Brian and Jenn Johnson's cd "We Believe."