Showing Love...

How do we as humans show love to others? Do we try to do things that make them happy? Do we try to be respectful of their feelings and their likes and dislikes? Or do we do the opposite of what we know they would want? Is that how to show someone love? I am not saying you wouldn’t still love a person that disappointed you or purposely did things that they knew would hurt you. What I guess I am wondering is… how do you express the love you feel inside for someone???

When my hubby and I were first married, I thought the way to show love was through food. I liked to cook and he loved to cook. Needless to say I think we both put ten pounds on in our first year of marriage! Yep, not the healthiest way to show love!

But real love from the heart has to be done with a death to selfishness. Death… selfish… those aren’t very pretty words!  Yes, we are still human so selfishness will still rear its ugly head from time to time… I just don’t believe that is ever the intention of real love.

As Believers we are to live by Christ’s example… right? Ephesians 5:2 says, “Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” Was there ever a time Christ was selfish? Was there ever a time He was disobedient? Even when His Father told Him He would die a horrible death on the cross… He was obedient! Selfless obedience! Wow, that just really struck my heart… how many times has God asked me to do something small and yet I have drug my feet to do it or did not do it at all? I am not meaning this in a condemning way… this is a wake-up call to my selfishness! It is not about me… it is all about Him… that is what it has to be about! I believe that every opportunity God puts before me is not only to grow my relationship with Him, but even more importantly it is to bring others into a relationship with Him. I am not talking about good deeds to win God’s love… I am talking about being selfless to win others to Him because I love God. It is a beautiful circle… if I am willing to help complete it!

I know for myself I have spent a lot of time comparing how I am or what I do to others. I would think, if so and so isn’t doing it why should I have to? I know I wasted many opportunities squabbling in my head and heart about the things God wanted me to do. Nothing like a good wrestling match with God! I was making it all about me and how I would look or how uncomfortable I would be… and using other people as my excuse not to! God has shown me that what He is asking me to do is for me to do… He is asking me, not so and so! Why am I so stubborn sometimes? Flesh vs. Spirit… that great battle I fight daily!

Do you know, showing kindness… speaking truth… encouraging someone with a smile… those are small things that we can do that could change someone’s perspective. I may not be the one who prays the prayer of salvation with that person, but obedience in those small gestures could be what points them in the right direction.

When I sat down to write this, the verse that got me started thinking was… “If the death of His Son restored our relationship with God while we were still His enemies, we are even more certain that, because of this restored relationship, the life His Son lived will save us.” Romans 5:10  You are probably wondering how this verse ties into what I just wrote… what it boils down to for me is there can never be life (restoration) without the death of something… self… pride… ideas! How bad do I want it? Am I willing to let these things die to achieve it? The Great Love that God gave me through His Son is enough reason for me to put aside my selfish agenda. God has just been stretching me so much in the area of obedience and I wrote this and I’m sharing it with you… in obedience! God, shine the light on those selfish areas in my life, in Jesus’ name.

Rejoicing in Truth!