The truth is. God loves me. The truth is. God loves you. While you were yet a sinner, Christ died for you. God, the Father, gave up His only Son for you. Jesus gave up heaven to come to earth, to take on a body for the rest of eternity, just so he could be with us, to be with you. Our only calling is to love Him. That may look like obedience, like sacrifice, but it’s really a display of overwhelming love for a God who loves us in overwhelming ways, doing things we couldn’t even possibly ask for or imagine, like choosing us to be His and dying for us before we were even born, before we ever said a prayer, before we ever did a kind or good deed. He chose to love you. He chose to love me.
love
Perfect Love Casts Out All Fear
How can we keep from being afraid? The same reasons we have for rejoicing are the reasons we have to not fear. The Bible tells us that God is love, that He’s a good father, that He’s watching over us, always with us. The Bible also tells us that God has the ability to control all of creation, including Satan. If we can hold onto these truths, then we have a reason to reject fearful thoughts. We can be confident knowing that our good, loving Father is looking out for us, taking care of us and that we are never out of His reach or in any situation where He is unable to save us. We can live without fear because we are loved perfectly.
Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS
Rejoice in the Lord always. That’s the command. How do we rejoice when we suffer? There’s always a reason to rejoice, despite any circumstance. The Bible tells us that God is love, that He’s a good father, that He’s watching over us, always with us. The Bible also tells that God has the ability to control all of creation, including Satan. If we can hold onto these truths, then we have a reason to rejoice and to be thankful. We can rejoice knowing that God is using all things, even the horrible, awful things, together for our good; He has our best in mind. If you really believe that God is your perfectly loving and caring Father who has everything under control, then you can be thankful and rejoice even in the darkest of circumstances.
Choose to Love
There may be someone in your life right now that you don’t particularly like, but love is a choice. It’s kind. It’s good. It’s generous. It’s patient. Galatians 5:22
How Do I Love Thee?
God loves in many ways: with His life, His death, His sacrifice, His words, His friendship, His song of rejoicing over you, His touch on your life, His gifts, His discipline.
His love comes in many forms: in mercy, in grace, in peace, in division, in testing, in rewarding, in celebrating, and in weeping.
Enthusiastic Love
Be enthusiastic for the work God has for you. Love your children. Love your husband. Love your neighbor. Love God. Make disciples by loving with the truth. Be absorbed in loving others.
Definition of enthusiastic: absorbing or controlling possession of the mind by any interest or pursuit; intense and eager enjoyment (from Google search page)
Love Conquers All
Have you heard the news? Love is a conqueror. Love wins over death and love wins over sin. Love wins over fear. Love wins over disobedience. Love will rule the earth. Love is not an acceptance of evil, but a draw to do good.
In the Midst
If the Holy Spirit is in you, then you have God in your presence. He’s there in the midst of your day. He’s there in the middle of the mess, in the middle of the chaos, in the middle of the laughter, in the middle of the singing. Wherever you are is where His family is gathered, and He promises to be there too: eating around the kitchen table, playing on the living room rug, reading a good night book on the bed. Look for Him there in the middle of it all, in all the little moments of your day. See Him there. Hear Him there. Honor Him in those moments by shining His light and sharing His love.
What You Are
If you are in Christ, you are His ambassador, His representative. You are to be His light and love for all to see. In Christ you are God’s light and love in the world.
Living Out God’s Love in You
God is love. You cannot truly love without God’s help. Christ in you is God’s love in you. Christ living through you is God’s love reaching out. Turn your life over to Him every day to love through you. When you feel anger instead of love, turn the person over to God. Thank Him for creating this person and placing him or her in your life. Thank Him for the grace to respond in love.
How do we respond in love? What does that mean? Love is patient. Love is kind… (There are three versions of the verses below.)
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. -NASB
Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, 5 never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. 6 It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. 7 If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him. -Living Bible
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end. -The Message
Life in Christ - Christ in Me 