Dwell – Day 17
Ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamed about being loved. I grew up in a home where my dad didn’t have time to invest in his family and rarely displayed affection or uttered the words, “I love you”. My understanding of love was skewed. It seems like I am not alone, throughout the years I have met many people that have had this same deep desire just to be loved for who they are, unconditionally, no strings attached and many who wonder how they can love others this way. There is a line in my favorite movie that says “ love isn’t a feeling, it’s an ability”…and then I met Jesus.
God has a lot to say about love, it’s mentioned over 400 times in the bible, he wrote the book on love… literally and I don’t mean that “love ya” kind of love but the “tear a hole in the roof and lower your friend down to Jesus for healing kind of love”. The messy, don’t count the cost kind of love. Did you know that God commands us to love one another. I think he knew we were going to struggle loving each other in this world but one of the pretty amazing things about God is, before he commands it from us, he demonstrates it to us.
John 13:34 – 35
A new command I give to you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this they will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
Sometimes it’s hard to love people, definitely some more than others… Could it be that we might sometimes think it would be hard for others to love us too? I’ve got good news, God knows all of this, our thoughts, our struggles, our sin, when we feel unlovable and when we struggle to love others and he loves us anyway and shows us how to love!
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 3:1
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God.
Rejoice in knowing this truth beloved daughter of the most high God, that the one who knows you best, loves you the most!
Because of Jesus, I am freely forgiven and fully loved.
Reflection Questions
- Have you ever had a deep desire just to be loved for who you are, unconditionally, no strings attached or maybe you are wondering how can we love others this way?
- Do you struggle to love others at times?
- Do you believe that there is nothing you could do to earn or deserve God’s love and that it is a free gift to all through faith in Jesus?
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
1 John 4:19
We love him, because he first loved us.
Guided Prayer
Father God thank you for your mercy and grace and for knowing me completely and still lavishing your love on me. Help me to love others as you do so those who don’t know you may find their way to you. Jesus, I love you.
Amen