Where is the LOVE?

Today’s sermon could not have smacked me more in the head then I could have myself. Today Pastor Steve spoke of John 14 and the “Last Words” . John 14:12 “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father”.  And this weeks word if JOY!  Okay Lord I get the hint… I love the way He make things obvious. The verse for today is John 15:10-11.  “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” 

Once again I love that as I have been struggling the past few weeks with experiencing God’s pure joy, and allowing the worries and the weight of this world get me down, God comes along side me and gives me a gentle nudge to remind me of His LOVE!!

The past month or so it has been hard to focus on God, I feel that I have been sucked into the things of this world; being consumed with “getting skinny”,  “looking cool” and of course “fitting in”.  The path to obeying Christ is no mystery. He highlights two commandments, and both focus on love. Love God with all your heart, soul and mind and second love your neighbor as yourself. Reflecting on the past month, when I am not following God’s commands and not reading His words, my joy is dismal. Jesus’ desire is for us to be filled WITH HIS JOY!! There is great blessing in doing what God has asked, and what He has asked of me is simple…LOVE HIM, LOVE MY NEIGHBORHS. In fact I would be so bold to say that God, mandates us to LOVE!! 

Pastor Steve left me with these challenges:

1.     If God is in me, there ought to be LOVE coming out of me. (Of course because God is love).

2.     Obedience in the only proof of LOVE

3.     Jesus promise we will not be alone and He promise to continue to reveal himself through His Spirit.

4.     The more I walk in LOVE, the more I understand who God is and what HE is doing.  

   

      Number 4 is my favorite; (no lie that’s the one that really got smacked me in the face).  Jesus offers us a simple prescription. TAKE HIS LOVE and GIVE IT BACK. In exchange, He blesses us with joy.

Thank you Lord for loving me, even as I fail to do as you have called. Please help me to LOVE ALL, in the mist of difficulty. Teach me your ways of LOVING people.