How well do you love? Have you thought about how you project your love? Would others know you love them if you could never speak again? What would the answers be if they were put to the test using a lie detector machine?
It has been said there are three versions of ourselves. The person we think we are. The person others think we are. And the person we really are. The key to combining these three into one and the same is to have a solid foundation.
A solid foundation begins with good principles. When our foundation is based on God’s principles, we have a good foundation. Love is God’s number one principle. Unfortunately, our definition of love isn’t necessarily the same as God’s. Our definition includes emotion, feelings, and maybe dedication.
God’s definition of love includes patience, kindness, selflessness, humbleness, self-control, forgiveness, grace, protection, trust, hope, and perseverance. That’s quite a list, isn’t it? Have you ever defined love that way? God does and He wants us to learn to love by His definition.
As parents, we learn some of these traits of God’s definition. However, we only progress so far on our own. To grow more loving, becoming more like Jesus, requires us to submit to Him. When we submit, He takes control and we become the beacon of light He wants us to be.
Light is attractive. Light is powerful. Light throws the darkness back. Love is the light of Jesus. Love can be the light of our lives. We may never be able to love perfectly as God loves in this mortal life, but we can grow much closer to doing so by submitting to God and make this world a much better place, experiencing the abundant life Christ promised.
I pray we all yearn to be the light of Christ. I pray we submit to God, allowing Him to change us. I pray each one of us will grow in the love of Christ and demonstrate His love to others. Submit to God. Allow Him to change you. Grow in love. Be a light in a dark world.
1 Corinthians 13:6-7 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Marty Pressey 