How do we know when we’re loved? When I was younger, I was convinced I was loved by the one who made me feel all soft and warm inside. Then I grew up and learned that love is something much more complex. Sometimes people say that some fathers and husbands have a hard time expressing their love. But these same fathers and husbands may counter that statement by saying they show their love by paying the bills. How do we know we’re truly loved? When the bills are paid…the children fed… when Dad lets us use the car…when someone tells us how wonderful we are…when we’re showered with presents?
I think one of the best ways we can know we’re loved is when someone helps us do things for our own good. When someone lovingly tells us truth about ourselves and gently helps us correct destructive behavior. We may not want to hear it and may not pay attention, but at least someone loves us enough to draw us to that place where we can change, if we choose.
But did you know that the Greatest Lover of all times said, “I have loved you with an everlasting love” ? (Jeremiah 31:3, NIV) An everlasting love—a forever love! Isn’t that what every woman truly longs for? God is our Forever Lover who won’t abuse us, cheat on us, divorce us, refuse to support the kids, or desert us when we grow old. He is the One who is always on our side, and cannot lie to us, or let us lie to Him or ourselves. He is the One who sees us as we truly are, deep inside, but loves us just the same. You might think that to be worthy of such a Forever Lover we’d have to be pretty spectacular ourselves. What He asks is that we believe in Him, trust Him, and love Him in return.
The Greatest Lover...A Forever Love. Now that’s a good word.
Copyright © 2010 Barbara Hemming. All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Loving Others
We love loving and being in love. We even love longing for love and being loved. It seems we were made for love.
We love our spouses, children and significant others. We may even love the folks we work with or attend school with. But what about those that are hard for us to love? The fellow student who cheats and yet is never caught, or the coworker who repeatedly takes credit for your work? What of the car mechanic who suddenly “discovers” additional things that need repair? How are we to love those among us whom we consider unlovely? Most of us shy away from them, not wanting a confrontation. But should we shy away? Should we turn our backs on the very ones who seem to cry out so loudly for our attention?
For Christians, the Lord's commandment to love our enemies can be a challenge. Do we love those who openly flaunt their sins before us or threaten us? What should that love look like? Do we invite them home to dinner? Smile, but keep them at arm's length? I admit to being conflicted about this in some cases. Can we love someone we strongly disagree with politically, socially, or morally? What about those people who vote differently, don't look like us or talk like us and who may be homeless? How far do we take loving others in this 21st century world, where doing so might provoke unintended results? How can we put away our fear and reach out to others?
Matthew 8:3 shows how Jesus put love into practice. At a time when no one wanted to come near a leper, much less touch one, Jesus reached out and touched him. That Divine touch immediately cleansed the leper. What are we to say to this? More importantly, how do we respond? We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves. Sometimes, putting that into practice is not easy.
How do you express love in these cases? I'd love to hear how you personally handle this. Please leave a comment in the box below. Loving the unlovely. Those are hard but good words.
Copyright © 2010 Barbara Hemming. All Rights Reserved.
We love our spouses, children and significant others. We may even love the folks we work with or attend school with. But what about those that are hard for us to love? The fellow student who cheats and yet is never caught, or the coworker who repeatedly takes credit for your work? What of the car mechanic who suddenly “discovers” additional things that need repair? How are we to love those among us whom we consider unlovely? Most of us shy away from them, not wanting a confrontation. But should we shy away? Should we turn our backs on the very ones who seem to cry out so loudly for our attention?
For Christians, the Lord's commandment to love our enemies can be a challenge. Do we love those who openly flaunt their sins before us or threaten us? What should that love look like? Do we invite them home to dinner? Smile, but keep them at arm's length? I admit to being conflicted about this in some cases. Can we love someone we strongly disagree with politically, socially, or morally? What about those people who vote differently, don't look like us or talk like us and who may be homeless? How far do we take loving others in this 21st century world, where doing so might provoke unintended results? How can we put away our fear and reach out to others?
Matthew 8:3 shows how Jesus put love into practice. At a time when no one wanted to come near a leper, much less touch one, Jesus reached out and touched him. That Divine touch immediately cleansed the leper. What are we to say to this? More importantly, how do we respond? We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves. Sometimes, putting that into practice is not easy.
How do you express love in these cases? I'd love to hear how you personally handle this. Please leave a comment in the box below. Loving the unlovely. Those are hard but good words.
Copyright © 2010 Barbara Hemming. All Rights Reserved.
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