To know Christ, is to know love
TO KNOW LOVE, IS TO LOVE GOD
February is a month that brings a lot of anxiety, fear, loneliness for many sisters in Christ. Believe it or not, whether you're married or not, the ever-present reminder of commercialized love, the "Hallmark Card Love Syndrome" as I will call it, will wreak havoc on many hearts.
Many sisters in Christ and out, have compromised for the feeling/experience of "love". We often don't realize that to know true love is to have a loving relationship with God. It is God who teaches us how to love; therefore, setting the plumb line for us loving one another romantically or platonically. It's God's love that should guide our hopes and expectations and defines our significance to him and each other.
However, instead of letting the love of God being our natural guide in the art of love, we allow the culture to inform us; hence leaving us victims to hurt and disappointments. We then become either selfish ( me driven) or jaded and cynical about love. Some, become desperate and compromising; self-sacrificing to achieve love and self-denying to qualify for love. The danger then results in " heart sickness".
The symptoms are, panic over not having anyone to love or to be loved by; fear of feeling left out of the give cards-flowers-chocolate exchange; a loneliness that leads to self-pity and the slippery slimy feelings of rejection, self-loathing rather than Christ's love, self-awareness instead of Christ awareness; and all the other nasty baits the enemy uses to undermine God's for love for us.
Here's some ENCOURAGEMENT, whether you will receive cards, flowers, chocolates, or a fancy dinner; there's a priceless GIFT, you received through Christ that outweighs any earthly demonstration of love you may experience, that is, the love of God through his son Jesus Christ. KNOW, a woman of God, you are loved with an everlasting love that "Hallmark " cannot capture on paper or express in ink. BELIEVE, that in spite of what happens on 2/14 or throughout the month, you're not a victim in the game of worldly love; but rather a VICTOR in Christ Jesus. DO NOT! Definite your significance by the love of imperfect men and women who fall short of the glory of God every day- that is, if hubby or a male friend ( someone courting you) falls short of your expectations, RECOGNIZE, that this is not the end game of LOVE!
The highest height of love is what Paul prays about in Ephesians 3:14-21, he sums up this dynamic prayer by desiring that we all would come to "grasp how long and wide and high and deep the Love of Christ, and to know this love surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Whoa, hallmark could not write that better or more profoundly, even if they tried. Certainly, they cannot guarantee this love through cards.
Did you hear that ladies? To know the love of Christ fills us with ALL the fullness of God. LISTEN, I will not tell you that getting flowers-cards-chocolates -dinner are not great gifts or ways of expressing love; certainly, I'll be the first to tell you how wonderful and special that makes one feel; yet, I'm not after a feeling that last no longer than 24hrs or fades after a month;
I/ we are to be seeking the satisfaction of an eternal quenching quickening love- the love of God. So, as February 14th/ Valentine's Day draws closer, be find your greatest expectation met in loving God with all your heart, mind, and soul. You'll be amazed at the fullness of love you will experience.
Be Blessed.
Many sisters in Christ and out, have compromised for the feeling/experience of "love". We often don't realize that to know true love is to have a loving relationship with God. It is God who teaches us how to love; therefore, setting the plumb line for us loving one another romantically or platonically. It's God's love that should guide our hopes and expectations and defines our significance to him and each other.
However, instead of letting the love of God being our natural guide in the art of love, we allow the culture to inform us; hence leaving us victims to hurt and disappointments. We then become either selfish ( me driven) or jaded and cynical about love. Some, become desperate and compromising; self-sacrificing to achieve love and self-denying to qualify for love. The danger then results in " heart sickness".
The symptoms are, panic over not having anyone to love or to be loved by; fear of feeling left out of the give cards-flowers-chocolate exchange; a loneliness that leads to self-pity and the slippery slimy feelings of rejection, self-loathing rather than Christ's love, self-awareness instead of Christ awareness; and all the other nasty baits the enemy uses to undermine God's for love for us.
Here's some ENCOURAGEMENT, whether you will receive cards, flowers, chocolates, or a fancy dinner; there's a priceless GIFT, you received through Christ that outweighs any earthly demonstration of love you may experience, that is, the love of God through his son Jesus Christ. KNOW, a woman of God, you are loved with an everlasting love that "Hallmark " cannot capture on paper or express in ink. BELIEVE, that in spite of what happens on 2/14 or throughout the month, you're not a victim in the game of worldly love; but rather a VICTOR in Christ Jesus. DO NOT! Definite your significance by the love of imperfect men and women who fall short of the glory of God every day- that is, if hubby or a male friend ( someone courting you) falls short of your expectations, RECOGNIZE, that this is not the end game of LOVE!
The highest height of love is what Paul prays about in Ephesians 3:14-21, he sums up this dynamic prayer by desiring that we all would come to "grasp how long and wide and high and deep the Love of Christ, and to know this love surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Whoa, hallmark could not write that better or more profoundly, even if they tried. Certainly, they cannot guarantee this love through cards.
Did you hear that ladies? To know the love of Christ fills us with ALL the fullness of God. LISTEN, I will not tell you that getting flowers-cards-chocolates -dinner are not great gifts or ways of expressing love; certainly, I'll be the first to tell you how wonderful and special that makes one feel; yet, I'm not after a feeling that last no longer than 24hrs or fades after a month;
I/ we are to be seeking the satisfaction of an eternal quenching quickening love- the love of God. So, as February 14th/ Valentine's Day draws closer, be find your greatest expectation met in loving God with all your heart, mind, and soul. You'll be amazed at the fullness of love you will experience.
Be Blessed.
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