My command is this, 'Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends..." John 15:12-13
Today I was reminded just how un-loving I truly am. I'd like to think I am a loving person, and I think I once thought I was ...until I came to know God, who alone is LOVE which he demonstrated through Jesus Christ willingly dying on the cross for our sins...that we might be forgiven and granted eternal life. That is LOVE.
My love can often be self-centered...in that it benefits me. Or it can be conditional... if I am feeling well or someone is acting right or in a way that pleases me. When they are not, then it is hard to love.
I think that God uses our relationships in our marriages and with our children to further reveal our inability to love ...and our need to rely on Him. I fail to love when I forget to rely on HIm and when I lose His perspective and forget His commands. Its so easy to do as it comes naturally. Yet there is hope in Christ, who not only showed us the way but promises to give us grace.
"If a man abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:5 With Christ, we can lay our lives down for our families...for our husbands by lovingly seeking to help them in small and big ways in their priorities, and for our children as we make countless sacrifices to care for and train them.
Sometimes I think that I am such a slow learner that God keeps giving me more to stretch me and teach me how to love :) yet I know it is all for good
May each of us grow in His love this year.
Below are some pictures of my sweet valentines blessings...I don't deserve their love and thank God for each of them.
PS. I told my husband instead of getting flowers etc. I'd love a necklace/bracelet from my daughter's fundraiser for MASHA...
see the posts below if you'd like to have a sweet LOVE bracelet yourself and help her family
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2 comments:
Wow! I could have written that word for word myself. I've been studying/reading 1Corinthians 13:4-7 alot these past weeks. I tell myself many times I don't deserve all the blessings He has given me but I'm so thankful He is a loving and merciful God and will always take me back. Just wanted to let you know you aren't the only one with those feelings. A friend told me after adopting Isaiah (well, weeks after while I was REALLY trying to adjust) that I'm such a good mom. I told her I surely don't always feel that way and she came right back with "you are ALWAYS there". I tend to look at my failures instead of what I'm doing right and how far I've come. I need a better balance...haha. Take Care and God Bless the Adamsons!
Hello, I am working on a montage of children who are adopted from RR, I was curious as to if I could use a picture of your sweet Lily and Sean?
Email me at vanilla.cake.love@gmail.com.
Thanks!
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