Love: from me or God?

Sometimes, we're like the Beatles and think, "All you need is love." Other times we act like Johnny Cash: "Love, is a burning thing..." And the rest of the time, we feel like Alicia Keys: "I keep on fallin' in and out of love with you."

Needless to say, we humans think a lot about love. Unfortunately, this allows opportunity for bad opinions and incorrect teachings. As a Christian, I want my view of love to be influenced by God's love, not others around me. This is really hard. And if you're not a Christian, this is even harder to understand. Here's some lies that I have been taught:

1. Love is a feeling. 2. Loving is easy. 3. Love is something I create within me.

To counteract the first two lies, I think it's best to first answer the third. Love originated in God. If we believe God is the Creator of the world, then we must believe it was His love that was instilled in us. Genesis 2 tells us we are made in HIS image. That's an awesome truth! The only way we can love others is by accessing the love God has given us.

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:7-8

Anything other than godly love is no love at all! When we forget that dedicated love stems from God, lust, passion, and greed are mistaken for love.

1 John 3:11-12 says, "For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous."

When we have relationships with others to see what we can gain, they will always fail. If we only interact with others to see how we compare, we will fail. Worldly "love" is no different. If I serve you for what I can get in return, "love" will fail. If I "love" you because of how I compare to you, "love" will fail. Lust and selfishness are not characteristics of love.

In order to love others, it is imperative to realize love originated in God.

"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19

Hope

I ran across this today. It was something I wrote when a friend of mine died of cancer last year. It gave me a new sense of hope and reminded me of what truly matters. Maybe it will encourage you too.

Oh, the beauty of angels singing. Their constant praise of salvations and homecomings ring like silver bells throughout the universe. Stop and listen, their shouts of “hosanna” are ever ringing. Listen ever closely and you will hear the Conductor, leading the chorus and singing the loudest. Quiet! Listen, and you will hear His shouts of joy while He holds His lamb in His arms.

Listen, the angels are singing “hosanna,” as they welcome him home. Quiet! Listen. It’s the Conductor, singing and shouting with joy as He embraces His lamb in His arms.

"Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." Hebrews 13:20-21

A Real-life Example

It is easy for me to say, "Jesus understands," "God is awesome," or "God can help." But I wonder if it does much good if I don't explain how or why? So, here's me, taking the chance to do what I should do all of the time.

This summer God has taught me so much. One particular way He is doing this is by directing me to Jesus' life on earth. The first truth that God reminded me of is that Jesus, above anyone else, understands the feeling of homesickness.

[Jesus] "who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."
Philippians 2:6-7

As a Christian, we live our lives in anticipation of living eternally with God in perfect bliss, away from the pain and heartache we face now. Jesus, on the other hand, existed to leave what we long for to come to what we hate. I can't imagine how that separation from God made Him feel. As a human, I am sure he felt deep, deep pangs of homesickness, and His homesickness is greater than any I have ever felt. He knew the presence of God first hand, and He chose to leave it.

I hope this encourages and humbles you as much as it did me. It is comforting to know our Savior is not impersonal; rather, He understands first hand, and much deeper, the pain we go through. Even if we don't categorize our emotion as homesickness, we all long for something: friendship, peace, comfort, family, or rest. It's foolish to ignore how much "homesickness" hurts, but forgetting about God during those times is also foolish.

Remember that Jesus truly and honestly understands where you are coming from. His 33 years on earth were filled with intense and bitter longing for His Father and home, the perfection He once knew. But He didn't give up. He knew in the end, God was still waiting for Him. He knew perfection was coming, so He held on tight. And, what's wonderful about that, is that the whole reason Jesus came was to offer all He was longing for to us. Now, once we believe in Him and feel those pains of homesickness, etc., we can look to Jesus and remember, the best is yet to come.

Doubting Thomas

Doubting. It is something that unites us all, but something we are ashamed to talk about. For a long time I thought doubting was a sign of a lack of faith. A sign of weakness. And to some extent it is. Thankfully though, when I realize my weakness and inability to understand, I am reminded of my strong Maker who sees, hears, and knows all things.

After discussing the life of Thomas in Sunday school it has given me reason to hope. A man whose legacy is that of a doubter is really closer to a picture of me then I would like to admit. Maybe you are like me and by sharing what I have learned, hopefully it can help you too.

First of all, I want to make clear what I am not saying. I believe there is a big difference between doubting and unbelief. Doubting being a question, an attempt to understand, and unbelief being a conscious decision of the will to reject truth. Reading John 14:5-14 taught me so much on this issue and how doubting can actually be beneficial. Here’s what God’s Word says,

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

John 14:5-6

First thing I learned: In the passage before this, Jesus is talking about going to His Father in heaven. I believe Thomas’s question is an honest question. He doesn’t understand what Jesus is saying and wants to understand. He is humble enough to admit his lack of knowledge but committed enough to want to understand. The Bible tells us we must work out our faith (Philippians 2:12-13). What better way to understand God and learn more about Him then by asking questions? If you’re like me, you’re scared to ask questions because you’re afraid the answer might not be what you want to hear—you’re afraid it might cause you to see Christianity isn’t the truth or you’re afraid of being disappointed. So, you just ignore these questions and try not the think about them.

These leads to the second thing I learned: the answer to the question is worth the asking. In this passage, Jesus answers Thomas with one of the biggest and most informative theological truths throughout the Bible. He explains to Thomas, and to us readers, exactly how to come to salvation. It amazed me to realize how generous Jesus was with a doubter. When Thomas sought Him, Jesus not only answered him but provided him with great insight. This encouraged me so much. To think that when I do have questions about the Christian life or God only by thinking through these questions can I know more about my great God. Learning more about Him will never ever be disappointing. It can only lead me to a closer relationship with Him. A relationship where I know Him better, appreciate Him for what He has done, and can ultimately worship Him better.

I am so thankful God is gracious with the doubter. I want to encourage you that genuine questions that seek for God’s wisdom can only lead you to a closer relationship with Him. It is difficult and terrifying to confront these doubts but the rewards are worth it. In the verses following this passage, Philip also questions God. We all have questions. Never forget, you aren’t the only "doubter."

A World On Fire

Taking a turn from the dating world, I want to share an excerpt from Corrie ten Boom's Each New Day. I don't think blogs are meant to show-off prideful opinions or rant about meaningless things. Hopefully what I am learning and going through is relevant to you and might bring us closer together as brothers and sisters in the body of Christ.

February 21

When a house is on fire and you know that there are people in it, it is a sin to straighten pictures in that house. When the world about you is in great danger, works that are in themselves not sinful can be quite wrong.

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil."

Ephesians 5:15-16

Lord, open our eyes to the world around us. Use us to warn people and tell them that when we walk hand in hand with You we are safe, even in the midst of a storm, and that there is an eternity to lose or gain.

May her words encourage you and all those godly ambitions you have hidden away in your heart. There's a world "on fire" and you have the desire and a Way to help them. Do it!

Settling

Lie 3: Nothing better is going to come along.

What’s wrong?
If we believe this, we are . . .
acknowledging that what we have/who we are dating is bad.
welcoming problems, pain, and (quite possibly) sin into our lives.
lacking faith that God will provide.
underestimating the importance of our relationship/future marriage.

When we settle for people we do not like, who we don’t believe are godly, or who we aren’t completely smitten by, we are doing ourselves and the other individual a huge disfavor. If this guy/girl is not living an admirable Christian life, they can lead you into spiritual problems. If you are scared no one will ever be with you besides a crummy schmuck, remember, God promises to give you all you need. If the guy/girl you are dating doesn’t know that your affection is lacking, you can hurt him/her very deeply.

There are so many problems with dating someone you do not admire, respect, and treasure. Not to mention how it can affect your marriage (you end up marrying some nasty person or investing too much that should’ve been invested into your husband/wife). This list could go on and on.

What do we do?
There’s a verse that I think can really help this falsehood:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

Is the person you are dating a good and perfect gift? If not, it didn’t come from God. Don’t get me wrong, every couple has their problems; it’s expected—we are sinful! But temptation from Satan is different than trials and discipline from God. (Read verses 12-15; it’s true!) Yes, we’re sinful but God offers forgiveness and the Holy Spirit offers strength. Therefore, carefully analyze your relationship. Satan’s always looking for a way to trap us; make sure it’s not through your relationship.

So, if it’s you that someone is settling with, step it up! It doesn’t have to be that way. And if you are settling with someone, pray about it, check yourself for problems, and leave a bad relationship with faith that God will provide a new one.

God’s children are not promised bad things. On the contrary, we are given more than we could ever deserve! Remember that relationships are also a gift from God. He expects them to honor Him, and if settling with an unworthy companion is not honoring Him, it is time to fix it or leave it.

If you have any advice or thoughts on this subject, feel free to leave a comment! I am no master of relationships. I am just sharing what I have learned.

Needing

Lie 1: I need a boyfriend.

This is the easiest lie to believe. You can replace boyfriend with anything--fiancee, girlfriend, a job, etc. And let's be honest, we should replace I need with I want. Sometimes we think having a romantic confidant will fix our problems. We tell ourselves, "I will never be lonely," "Someone will always know the right words to say," "I will always be in a better mood," "I will have someone who understands what I am going through." While those wishes are really, very, terribly, easy to want, there is no way any human can grant those wishes. There is not a magic person who can come in your life and fix everything. And, there never will be. It seems depressing, I know.

So can anyone be trusted? Should I ever look for a decent guy? Whats wrong with wanting a boyfriend?

Of course dating is alright. The best part of being imperfect people is realizing we're all in the same boat! None of us are perfect and can "fix" each other. But, there is a problem with believing you need a boy/girlfriend.

Here is our problem:
We seek in humans what should be sought for in God. We begin to misunderstand the point of relationships. We base our identity and self-worth on who we do/do not date. We forget our lives' true purpose and goal.

The truth:
1. Love is not about needing.
"I need a girlfriend because I want someone to love me." "I need a boyfriend because I want compassion." As logical as this might sound, love is not about what you can get. Throughout the Bible, true love is compared to the love Christ had.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 1 John 3:16

Christ's love was sacrificial. Love is not about what we need. It is giving of ourselves in the name of God. We shouldn't seek people to give us love, to show us compassion, to give us grace. We should be doing this for others in the name of God with no reward expected .

For Christ's love compels us . . . And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

2. Contentment in God.
When we believe we need a person to fulfill us, we are forsaking what Christ has offered us. He is the creator of everything! You want love? He is love. You want guidance? He is all-knowing. The list goes on and on.

You need grace? God is grace.-2 Timothy 2:1
You need peace? God is the God of peace.-1 Thessalonians 5:23
You need some you can trust? God is ruler of all and in control.-Colossians 1:15-17
You need a blessing? God grants spiritual blessings.-Ephesians 1:3
You need love? Nothing can separate you from His love.- Romans 8:35-39

Humans are not the origins of any of these things we desire. They are only found in God. When you realize you, or any other guy or girl, don't have the power, love, grace, etc. you seek, look to God and He graciously gives those things. Realize your weakness and neediness, and He will follow through.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

What do you do?
1. Crucify the desire to need anything but God.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:24

2. Realize your desire is for Him.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning...we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies...we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:22-23, 25

3. Remember your true purpose is not looking for a boyfriend.

...God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God... Romans 15:15-16

You won't miss out on a guy or girl by following God's purpose for your life. He can place a lady or gent in your path as a benefit to your ministry. How will you know?

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

When we realize all we need is Him, I believe He blesses us with more than we could have ever wished for.