This is love: He loved us long before we loved him. It was his love, not ours. He proved it by sending his Son to be the pleasing sacrificial offering to take away our sins. Delightfully loved ones, if he loved us with such tremendous love, then “loving one another” should be our way of life! No one has ever gazed upon the fullness of God’s splendor. But if we love one another, God makes his permanent home in us, and we make our permanent home in him, and his love is brought to its full expression in us. 1 John 4: 10-12 TPT
In his devotional New Morning Mercies, Paul David Tripp makes this simple statement, “Theology without love is simply very bad theology.”
He continues,
“Truth not spoken in love ceases to be true because it’s bent and twisted by other human agendas. I cannot forsake truth for relationships, and I cannot forsake relationships for truth. They need to be held together, because we need to understand truth in community with one another to compensate for our blindness and bias, and we need truth to define for us what kind of community we should live in together…
We must understand that theology is never an end in itself, but a means to an end, the end that we would progressively become like the One who is the ultimate definition of what love is and what love does.” [emphasis mine.]
Choosing to walk in love is essential.
I believe many who call themselves “Christians” try to walk out their daily lives without the deep-down-knowledge of how much they are truly and deeply loved by God.
…I have loved you, O my people, with an everlastinglove; with loving-kindness I have drawn you to me. Jeremiah 31: 3 TLB
We read Jeremiah’s words, but do we really know that LOVE Christ died to give us, deep down, in our own hearts?
Or, is this scripture just words from a book?
When you understand, and know, how much you are loved by God, you then can walk with other imperfect humans (with all of your failings and flaws) and all of their failings and flaws, in the peaceful harmony that His love will always bring.
Love truly is the fruit of His Spirit!
It is His love, operating in us, through His Holy Spirit, that gives us the grace, confidence, and compassion we desperately need to truly love others.
We then do more than just talk the talk; we walk the walk.
The MAIN REASON I blog is simple…
I love words. And stories! Especially stories about overcoming. Stories about how I found HOPE. I believe hope is the one thing (after Jesus) that none of us can live without! So I write… stories that I pray will bring hope to anyone who is struggling.
If that’s you? I want you to know one thing today. I have prayed for you. You haven’t come to this page by chance. I have asked God to bring you here. I have asked God to give you everything you need most…
And yes, I have asked Him to give you HOPE.
LORD, right now, will You wrap your arms around the precious one who is reading this. Will you breathe fresh hope into their heart, and bring fresh strength to their life. Please teach them Jesus… just HOW MUCH You love them! In Jesus Name I ask this, amen.
(He does you know.)
…LOVE YOU! And I’ll tell you something else that might surprise you… He always answers that prayer. Thank you for coming to this blog. God bless you and keep you, today, and all the days of your life.
“I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking to me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!” Isaiah 65:24 TLB
I know, when you begin to experience this tender LOVE He has for you?
You will be able to “walk out” this kind of love, both for Jesus Himself, and also for others.
It all begins here: with knowing and BELIEVING beyond all shadows of doubt, just how DEARLY you are loved!
Women With Destiny 