Thursday, May 3, 2012

Where is the Love?



I really enjoyed my time on this website click here to see more videos and love Scripture.
Where is the Love? I had entered my season of listening (Psalm 37:7) a year or so ago, however, it wasn't until my breakthrough this past week that I started asking questions such as Where is the Love? I intend to keep it real in this post - to share what is on my heart today (no pun intended).

We know according to God's Word that God is love 1 John 1:8, that He has amazing love for me, for you and for all of creation.We also know so much more about love - - from God's perspective in the Bible. I found a webpage that summed up all the aspects of love that I had hoped to cover in this post. Check it out!

Words. More words. And many more words make a sentence. A sentence forms a paragraph. A paragraph fills a page. Pages and pages of words fill a book. Many books fill a bookcase. Many bookcases fill a library. Words.

I am fascinated by the fact that so many "Christians" use all the right words and write many books and fill lots of bookstores but leave out love. I am talking about God's love - the kind of love that leaves you speechless. The kind of love that changes you forever.

And so back to my season of listening. I hit a high note this week when I finally realized the power of silence. Okay, I admit I DVR'd Eat, Pray, Love recently. While I do not recommend or promote this movie, one scene stuck out in my mind and stayed there in the recesses of my brain. There was a scene in which Julia Roberts was in a retreat and came in contact with a girl that had to remain silent for a specified period of time. 

I took away from that scene the fact that I could apply that very same process in my season of listening. After all, James 1:19 states, "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry," And so I heard more. I heard more because I spoke less and I let the other person speak. And I have to say that as a result, I noticed a lack of love, a greater portion of pride (in the selfish way), defensive behavior, and a deficiency of kindness and mercy in many who I came in contact with - - those I had had previous encounters with and did not see this lack of love in their character ever before.

And so, I searched for a solution. Clearly the solution I found in 1 Timothy 1: 5, "Whereas the object and purpose of our instruction and charge is love, which springs from a pure heart and a good (clear) conscience and sincere (unfeigned) faith." As He so faithfully does, God sat me down and gave me a good old-fashioned talking to - - (yes I am getting more real here).  

Christina, how can you display the Christ in you - hope of glory - if you do not live up to the name I gave you? I gave you My namesake because I have many tasks for you to do, to love many people, to love those creatures others plan to throw away. You must love those who preach love but show no mercy, to love those who take you and your gifts and talents for granted and manipulate you for more, only because they want what you have. Do more for Me because of Love. Do more because I first loved YOU 1 John 4:19 Love because when you were hurting and mistreated, I cam alongside you. And now because of that trial, you have heeded the call on your life to those truly in prison Hebrews 13:3

I sat speechless. I sat humbled with my head in my hands. God, you are right. I must love. I must show others the love in me that only comes from the perfect love which was hung on a Cross on Calvary.
Perfect love. The fountain in which I need to fill my cup. The endless watering hole of righteousness which will always lead me back to love.

I pray as you watch the following video, the Holy Spirit will pull off the blinders (2 Corinthians 4:4) and you will see clearly just what perfect love is. Once you understand what Jesus did for you - you will never again ask, "Where is the love?" For you will find it in God and realize it is to be shared with others - even if they show no love back.

What the world needs now is love, sweet love....