Genuine Love is Godly Love

"Don't just pretend to love others.  Really love them.  Hate what is wrong.  Hold tightly to what is good.  Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other."

Romans 12:9-10 (NLT)

Genuine love--real love--honest love--Godly love is a love we all seek and desire.  It is also love we are instructed in Romans 12 to give.  It is a love that is the same for an enemy as it is for a best friend.  It is a love that doesn't change because of a circumstance that does change.  It is a love that is constant even if it isn't returned.  It is a love that remains even if a relationship doesn't.  

When we really love  someone, we love out of God's heart.  He has lavished His love upon us so that we can love one another.  Really, genuinely loving someone means we put them before our own needs and wants.  Really, genuinely loving someone is giving without expecting anything in return.  In fact, if we genuinely love someone, then it wouldn't change based on the condition of whether or not that person loves us in the same way back.  This doesn't mean that if we are being abused or taken advantage of by another person that we should continue to allow that kind of behavior to continue; rather, it means that we continue to love that person with the same genuine affection even in spite of the abuse or the advantage taking.  Those kind of relationships may fall apart or change because of that behavior, but our love for that person should not fall apart or change.

Really love someone today.  Take delight in honoring another person, not yourself, today.  Respond to the love God has so richly given you by honestly, authentically loving others.  Not only will you have love overflowing in your heart, you will also have joy.

"We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them."

1 John 4:16 (NLT)

Glorious Gift

 Who doesn't love a gift?  About two years ago, I put together some welcome gifts for the guests attending my sister's wedding.  My sister arranged a destination wedding at this quaint, antiquated inn on Lake Michigan.  The whole weekend was exquisite, and it was my job to put together welcome/thank you gifts for all the guests.  Well, I couldn't just throw together some treats in a gift bag, could I?  Not a chance! 

I ended up driving all over two cities to find and buyout these beautiful white cupcake holder boxes.  The outcome was worth it.  I enjoyed sorting and arranging the treats inside the boxes and tying pretty ribbon and tags around each one.  I enjoyed seeing my sister's delight at what I had put together for her special guests, and I enjoyed the smiles of surprise and awe that each guest had when he/she arrived and was handed one of my welcome/thank you boxes.  Such joy comes from thoughtful, intentional, hard work!

What joy it was for Jesus to leave us His thoughtful gift...the Holy Spirit!  "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,  even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." (John 14:16-17)  What joy it must be to Him we open this gift!  What joy it must bring Him when we use His gift!

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)

A gift given is a joy, and a gift opened is a joy.  What good is Jesus' gift to us if we don't open it?  If we don't allow the Holy Spirit to powerfully work in our lives, to produce fruit; then, we lose out on receiving a glorious gift and we lose out on bringing glory to God.  May our prayers today and every day be of gratitude for such a glorious gift.  May we live with joy of receiving such a gift, and may use this gift to bring joy to others.