Tag: sacrificial love

What do you base your Love on?

What is love? Why is love so important? Where does it come from? Is it found in a feeling, thought or action? Or are all three of these involved in love? Does love include your mind, will and emotions? These are a few questions I would like to look at and think about.

First what is love? The Dictionary states, noun 1) “An intense feeling of deep affection. 2) A great interest and pleasure in something. Such as love for football.”

The Urban Dictionary defines love as “The act of caring and giving to someone else. Having someone’s best interest and well being as a priority in your life. To truly love is a very selfless act.” These definitions show us a few things that describe love according to the Dictionary.

Any time I do premarital counseling I like to ask couples why do you love each other; this question causes thoughts and expression so that each one can hear why each other loves them. Just saying I love you is not enough; love is always an expression of action. In healthy relationships love is selfless, it is always moving and growing. Love is stable, reliable, security, with meaningful communication and affection.

Relationships that embrace the differences in each other develop into healthy friendships. Love accepts the differences in others. For example, my husband is a drummer he played drums all his life. I do not have rhythm I struggle to clap in time. But my strengths are in other areas I love to sing. These differences do not hinder us because we embrace our differences, and we are not trying to make each other be like our selves. I think being able to laugh at yourself helps keep balance in love too. Laughter does the heart good.

Parental love also expresses to the child stability, consistency, security, communication, acceptance, affirmations, affection, boundaries and consequences. Healthy love has boundaries it also says I am sorry when wrong or I have hurt someone or reacted in a wrong way. Parental love teaches children how to love.

The Word of God describes love in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5-does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6-does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7-bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8-Love never fails.” This description of love is actions, thoughts and words. This is the kind of love we are to walk and live in daily.

God loved us so much He sent His only begotten son to die for us so that we could live eternally with Him. In John 3:16 it tells us of Gods sacrificial love. Jesus laid down His own life for us, His love for us endured suffering, sorrow and death by taking our place, to buy forgiveness of sin for us. God showed His love through His Son Christ Jesus. Love expresses itself in sacrifice at times.

Love is a decision so your will is involved in love. Love is not just a feeling it is a choice. You can choose to walk and live love every moment. Let’s choose to love today.

Are You Quieted by His Love?

Let’s take a look at God’s love in more detail. I thought the month about love would be a precious time to write about Gods love. There is so numerous distinct aspects to His love because, who can comprehend the unfathomable riches of God’s love?  The one lovely aspect of God Almighty is that He opens our understanding to His love. He did this by sending His only begotten Son Jesus to show us His love. If you want to know The Father, you will need to learn from the Son. He is the exact representation of the Father the bible says. By searching and understanding the many qualities of God’s love it helps you to grow, stand, and trust His love for you.

God’s love never fails, is eternal and everlasting.  Deuteronomy 7:9 “Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;” His love is faithful He keeps his love and mercy for your generations beyond you it is a promise.  I’m a product of my grandmother’s prayers. I thank God for their love and their faithfulness to Him.

Isaiah 54:10 “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed.” Says the LORD, who has mercy on you.” Mercy=His love and so does kindness. Things will be gone as well as landscapes change but not God’s love for you it is unchanging and enduring.

Psalm 136:26 “Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever.” This is enduring love. Mercy equals love.

Psalm 86:15 “But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.” God is full of compassion, graciousness and longsuffering with abundant mercy and truth. There is no limit in His love for you.

 I John 4:16 “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”  This passage needs to be referenced to the previous passage. 1 John 4:15 “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” Gods love is abiding love it is continual flowing enduring love. God doesn’t just have love He is love.

John 15:9-13 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10) If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” Verse 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” Jesus laid down his life for his friends and for all of mankind.  His love is not only sacrificial love it is abiding love. It remains steadfast with you.

Romans 5: 8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ dies for us.” This shows us His love is demonstrative in that he displays his love with actions and sacrifice.

1 John 3:16 “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”  God doesn’t just speak he creates His word with actions.

1 John 3:1 “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God.” What manner of love the Father bestowed on us is His sacrificial love to send His son to die for us, so that we could be sons and daughters.

Romans 8:37-39 As you read this passage of scripture you will see nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.  

Ephesians 2:4 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),” His love is great love. He is rich in mercy and loved us before we even knew Him.

 Are you quieted in His love? Zephaniah 3:17 “The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His Love.” I believe this scripture tells us of God causing you to rest and be still in his love for you. When you’re resting in His love you no longer have to figure it out, you’re trusting in His care and love to guide and guard you. This helps to release anxiety about your situations. It builds a trust in Him and His love for you.

If you are questioning all your situations due to anxiety or fear of the unknown or unlike of what is happening, you can rest in God’s love for you. Allow His love for you to quiet your anxiousness and to quiet your fear of… As His child he promises to bring you through every situation you can trust Him in the trials of life.

Search out passages on His love and meditate on those aspects to help you grow in your faith in God. He genuinely cares for you. Lean on and depend on His love for you it will quiet your heart and mind.