When I was a little girl my parents divorced. By the time I was a teenager, I remember thinking my mother hated me. I was such a rebellious teen. Although I did everything I could to win her love and please her, yet I spent years trapped in fear thinking she never loved me.
During those years it was a tremendously difficult time for me and my mother. Then one day as young adult I heard her read a poem. It was as if I had met her for the first time. She stood in the crowd so confident; I had never seen that side of her.
When the crowd was gone I went to my mother and told her, “I love you”. But it was as if I told her for the first time. I will never forget that day, for I realized that we had so much in common and our river of love flowed again.
As I contemplate my past, my mind is captured by writings of the Apostle John. He wrote, “No one has seen God at anytime. If we love one another, God abides in us and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us His Spirit” 1 John 4:12-13.
The Scripture is saying while we have not physically seen God with our eyes, we see Him spiritually through the expression of sincere, godly love. We are able to love one another because His love has been placed in us, once we confess the Savior. We are able to testify that we live in Him and He is us because His Spirit dwells within us. As His Spirit dwells within us, His love supersedes all else, casting away the negative. Through it we are able to lay aside every harmful, malicious and irresponsible thing anyone has said or done. It is by the power of God’s love that we are able to love as He loves.
Maybe you have been hurt by someone you love yet can’t seem to understand their actions. Possibly someone has been so malicious towards you that you can’t see beyond their actions or even your own. Could it be you have not been perfected in love? Could it be that you have confessed the name of Jesus but no one can tell He abides within you?
Later in the passage, John says, “There is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” 1 John 4:18. When we walk around in agony over what another has done or did not do, are we displaying the Spirit of God’s powerful love or the fear of love? If we are hurt by something from the past and have a fence guarding us against loving another, or being loved, we are being tormented. Our fruit shows any imperfections in our love. Yet when we love even when it is difficult, we allow the Spirit to take over and consume us.
Consider allowing the Spirit of God’s love to override your fear of love. Ask Jesus to come into your heart so you may truly love and accept love. Pray and ask God to forgive you for any hatred that may dwell in your heart. Then call upon the Lord to cast out fear so you may love as He wills.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Loving someone who hurt you in any capacity can be challenging but possible with Christ. I pray that we all are able to set aside our differences and uphold our similarities so that we may love.
Ephesians 4:2 says "demonstrating all expressions of humility, gentleness, and patience, accepting one another in love."
Post a Comment