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Gift Of Love
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Love comes in many different forms and it always strengthens, heals and uplifts the recipient. Love is when you care for someone else above yourself.
Contrary to popular opinion Love isn't just passion in the heat of the moment; it's so much more than that quick passing moment. Modern interpretation for love makes a shocking translation twist, that turns the word "love" into a completely different direction and is interpreted to mean "lust". A carnal desire, that can be satisfied without real love.
Let love be without dissimulation. (pretense) Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Romans 12:9 This scripture refers to sincere love. It takes God's love, to add spiritual value to a relationship or friendship.
True love, is always a deeper, respectful, considerate, pure, expression that fulfills you in a much deeper spiritual way. It's a fulfilling love that lasts a lifetime and that will always care enough to "go the extra mile" for those who are sincerely loved.
John 15:12 This is my commandment. That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Love begins at home. You can love and be loved by many people in your life, beginning with your parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters. When you really build a strong foundation of love you can allow it to flow out to friends, and others who greatly need someone to genuinely care about them.
A value-centered person is capable of allowing that love to flow freely to others, while a self-centered person can't get beyond stroking their own ego, long enough to give love to someone else. Life is 'all about them' and no one else, so if they try to give love it is stingy, and they react to difficulties with pettiness instead of understanding. Their love is shallow, and not as likely to be long-lasting. If they don't desire to change they will never rise above the heart break of lost love, because they've never been able to produce a depth in their ability to love someone else.
It takes self-control, self-discipline to produce excellence in anything in life, especially to love with a lasting love, that will weather any stormy situation or event in life.
Integrity (high morals) is courage in action. Loyalty (trustworthiness, faithfulness) is courage in action. It takes loyalty in love whether it's for another person, or for God, who loves you with the greatest love ever known, to truly love someone more than yourself.
What does love have to do with your mind and productivity? When you begin each day with the knowledge you are truly loved, you have more confidence in yourself, you aren't caught up in a cloud of confusion. You are free to think of your day's endeavor, and not be whipped into a frenzy of fear about losing someone's love.
That nagging doubt about someone's love, can distract you from anything you are doing.
Every time you are sincerely told those beautiful words "I love you" you are given a gift of love, from someone who cares deeply about you, who appreciates who you really are, and recognizes your true worth. Did you catch the word sincerely?
Insincere statements of "love" are only flattering words, to compel compliance from the one they are spoken to. A snare for the soul of the naive recipient. When those empty words are spoken, they are used to abuse you, they are used by someone who doesn't respect you.
Don't fall for deceitful words, often uttered in the heat of passion, to trap you into something that will lead to harm and heartbreak. They are spoken with wrong intentions, and are the opposite of true lasting love.
Be smart! Falling for the lines people say to you who are deceitful, will always lead to defeat. Lies cheat you from the honesty that is necessary for sound relationships to thrive, whether in love, business, or religion.
True love is sincere, trustworthy, enduring and will give you a deep abiding contentment, when it has had the opportunity to mature fully. There are people who love one another and still have something lingering in their heart from the past, a hurt that is hard to forget and to forgive. Unforgiveness, limits their ability to express all their love in the most fulfilling moments in a mature love.
True love takes time, you can't hit the target of love, through scatter-shooting at anyone who passes through your line of vision. You have to really get to know who you are giving your heart to, and find out if they are a worthy person to spend the rest of your life with.
Forgiveness is a natural part of love, and until it's complete the binding of love won't feel secure. Something wonderful will be missing. Love is incomplete until all the transgressions of the past are washed away in forgiveness and the mind is clear of all hurt, hate and revenge. Love bears up under all difficult circumstances that happen in one's life. The gift of love nurtures the beloved, and enhances their life.
Love is being able to believe the best in others, and hope that with their love and help, they can give the greatest gift ever given, the gift of God's love. God's perfect love casts out all fear.
Love people through their problems. Love them in the place they are at now, in their life, and keep letting them know you will be praying for them, until victory arrives.
While a storm is raging, the wind and rain bends trees to the ground, you can't see the rainbow. As soon as the sun begins to peek out from behind the clouds the rainbow appears, and the sweet fragrance of after rain fills the air.
Love comes into it's fullness, after the grudging storminess of holding others hostage to their past sins, are truly forgotten and forgiven, like Jesus Christ does for us, he cast all those past sins in the sea of forgetfulness, after we sincerely repent of our sins.
The slate of the past is wiped clean, and our relationship with the Lord and those in our life, should be free from the taint of sin, no more shame and guilt, only the fullness of God's love.
Joy comes in the morning after the storm clouds disappear. Love is consistent and stays with you during your stormy times. True love is as freeing to your soul as true forgiveness, and feels as sweet as the rainbow sign of God's promise to Noah, "no more flooding the whole world with rain."
True Love is no more guilt or shame from the past. It's the dayspring of the freshness of a new day in the lord.
The greatest love we can have is the love of God, which opens up the door of our spiritual heart, with a rich, deep heart-felt love that reaches out to others.
I John 4: 7-19
(7) Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
(8) He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
(9) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
(10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
(11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
(12) No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
(13) Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
(14) And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
(15) Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him and he in God.
(16) And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
(17) Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
(18) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
(19) We love him, because he first loved us.
~ Joan Jessalyn Cox Scripture from King James Version of the Bible
Copyright Joan Jessalyn Cox © 2013
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