True Love Pt. 2

See part 1…

Prayer:

“Lord, create within me a humble and obedient heart, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Nearly every night, I pray this simple prayer to God. As mere humans, there is nothing we can do to repay the Lord for all He has done and continues to do in our lives daily. The Word of God urges us to obey His commands, for this is the only way we can truly show our love and appreciation for our sovereign Lord (see John 14:15). As we learn, and practice how to love as God calls us to love one another, we become more receptive to the love of God at work in our own lives. 

God has created each of us with a void that only His love can fill. Often, we mistakenly seek to fill this void in ways encouraged by the world, only to find ourselves feeling empty, lacking the very thing we thought we had found. The Bible teaches us in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 what true love is: "Love is patient; love is kind. It does not envy; it does not boast; it is not proud. It does not dishonor others; it is not self-seeking; it is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 

Through Christ, I have come to realize that we, as humans, are incapable of walking in love as God expects us to without the help of the Holy Spirit. Even with the Holy Spirit, we often fall short. Let's be honest: when tensions rise in our personal relationships, we aren't always so patient or kind to those we love most. Unlike us, God’s love for us remains unchanged, no matter what we do or who we become. Because God is love (See 1 John 4:16), when we experience God, we are, in turn, experiencing true love. It is only through communion with Christ that we are able to experience the fullness of love, and as a result we are able to exude such love as much as humanly possible. 

Experiencing and walking in true love is not meant to primarily bring peace in the midst of the relationships we keep, but in simply knowing Who we belong to, we can then experience peace within no matter what we’re faced with. Because the God of the universe—Love Himself—loves you beyond your understanding, you can trust that although life's circumstances may not always meet your expectations, all things work together for the good of those who love God (See Romans 8:28).