June 27, 2012

  • Furious Love

    Often, we think of love as an emotion. Of course, our emotions are involved, but there is actually more to it than that. We see in the Bible that love is a COMMANDMENT. We are commanded to love God with all that is within us, and we are also told to love others and ourselves.  God expects us to love. Whether we feel like it or not!  It's nice, when that warm, fuzzy feeling is a part of it, but even if it isn't there, we must choose to walk, talk and act in love.

    One of my roommates in college taught me a lot about loving when the feeling isn't there. We were so different, and we had to work to get along sometimes. I had to MAKE myself choose the loving thing -- the right thing -- even when that lovely emotion was not there. I think most of us married folks can understand the commitment to love, even in the times when you are so mad at your spouse you could chew nails and spit rust!  The amazing thing I have found is that when you make that choice, often, the feeling follows it. Not always, but often.

    I have learned to love people who honestly did not WANT to be loved. Sometimes to love can be such a struggle. Some of those God has given me to love have been suffering with many problems. Loving them was a challenge, because they were convinced they were unlovable, and they rejected me hundreds of times to prove they were right. But love -- God's love -- is a powerful thing! His love conquered death! His love is soft, but strong. What a pleasure it is to see people begin to respond to it.

    Love never gives up on people. Sometimes we do, but God's love is always reaching out -- always waiting. Always there.

    (1Co 13:4-7 MESSAGE)  Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others. Love doesn't revel when others grovel, It takes pleasure in the flowering of truth. Love puts up with anything, trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.

    I am amazed every day by this kind of love. I love the words to this song by Jeremy Riddle. You can listen to it here. 

    His love is deep, His love is wide
    And it covers us
    His love is fierce, His love is strong
    It is furious
    His love is sweet, His love is wild
    And it's waking hearts to life.

    Can you imagine what this world would be like if God's people really loved with this kind of love?

Comments (12)

  • I am so stealing this post.  Hope you don't care.  This is so good.  Thank you

  • God's fierce and furious love ~ wonderful way to put it ~

  • some people are easier to love

    I tell my family at get togethers that we don't need to like each other but we need to love each other.

    I've really gotten to thinking about how God said,"love your neighbor as yourself.:made me realize that I need to love myself first."

  • @TheSunnyC - I am always happy when something I feel inspired to write about is useful to someone! Help yourself, and thank you!

  • It's amazing how much God loves us and cares about us. I know for certain, had it not been for His love for me I probably wouldn't be alive today. Beautiful post.

  • I love to think about His furious love for us - for me.

  • Very good post, Mae. I think Jesus replaced what ever the O.T. represented to Love--a God kind of love--love for God and others--as you pointed out so well.

    I had to do a hard one--love my wayward grand daughter--pregnant again without being married. Poor thing needs the Lord so badly. I talked to my daughter about how she was doing and then our grand daughter came to us via my wife's I-Pad and we both talked to and saw her. It went well. I don't know why but her sin seems more serious than mine.  Oh well, human nature again.

    loved your scripture.

    frank

  • Can we only love just certain parts of the whole package? In a way certain things have a function, like a tree provides shade and fruit. The whole tree is protected and our love for it is shown by how we water it and prune it carefully.

    We should not get angry when a tree sheds its leaves and branches. If we got really angry and chopped the whole tree down, we would be without in the future shade and fruits. When love cultivates something, that is hope for stuff in  the future.

  • great thoughts, as always, friend! 

  • yeah, it's not always easy and sometimes it's best to "love" from afar...but with His power to do as He commands it can be done!

  • Your last sentence summed up the entire post beautifully! 

  • nice

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