December Devotion

I am just inspired beyond words as I hear my Father speaking to the depths of my heart inside this message I came to share. This devotional that I receive each month from Patricia King's ministry, XPMedia is too good not to pass along this month!!

Written by Lorrie Myers and singing with the voice of Jesus into my heart!!

Think about being “in love” for a minute. Remember that intense, wonderfully sweet feeling of first loving someone – and being loved back. It’s such a raw feeling, it makes your heart leap and your feet barely touch the ground!!! It envelopes your entire being like a warm blanket. Ahhh, the early first stages of love that enrapture and enfold us!

Unfortunately, most of us were taught that those early feelings of love couldn’t last, and that love is a commitment, not just a feeling. There may be some truth to these statements, but then why does Scripture tell us to return to “our first love”?

“But you walked away from your first love – why? What’s going on with you, anyway? Do you have any idea how far you’ve fallen? A Lucifer fall!
Turn back! Recover your dear early love.” —Revelations 2:4-5 The Message

I think the Lord knew how easily we would ‘fall out of love’ with Him. We tend to be so goal- and success-oriented, especially in our North American culture, that before we even know it, we’re back into striving and performing, trying to please God with what we do. We even fall to a place of manipulating and controlling others so they contribute to our own agenda. All of these actions are certainly not from a place of love!

We may say, “Of course, I know that God loves me, I’m a believer, aren’t I?” But we can so easily relegate this love to a mere form of theology: God is love and “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” But do we fully experience and live in that love to its fullest? I know I don’t. But bit by bit, He’s teaching me and opening up my heart to receive more and more of His love. Wow, I thought I had already understood this, but obviously there’s still more love to get!!!

How do I know I need more of His love? Any time that I’m frustrated, I know I need more of His love. Any time that I want to control a situation to achieve my own ends, I need more of His love. Any time my goals or “my ministry” becomes more important than loving the person in front of me, I need to experience more of His love. Any time I fall into worry and anxiety, I need a greater revelation of His love and His care for me.

The really hard part for a doer-and-achiever like me is that I can’t force myself to love better. I can only ask Him to reveal His love to me in a greater measure and for His help in staying in first-love with Him. One song I have been soaking in these past several months has been Kim Walker’s version of “How He Loves Us.” (YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoC1ec-lYps) Talk about getting a love-hit through that song, again and again!!

All I then have to do is to let that love grow in me and be extended to those around me. The fruit of the Spirit is LOVE. And brace yourself for some wild theology – LOVE IS AN EMOTION WE EXPERIENCE!!! In fact, did you notice that the first three fruits of the Spirit are all emotions-based: love, peace and joy. Am I talking about a flimsy “only if everything around me makes me happy” kind of emotion? Certainly not. But love, peace and joy from the Father are heartfelt emotions, experienced deep in our spirits. That’s where we can learn to live from, regardless of what is happening around us.

How much do we lose sight of this love? We pursue our goals and our dreams, and that may be fine and good. We attempt to reform our society, and that may be fine and good. We want our ministry to be more influential in the sphere around us, and that may be fine and good. EXCEPT when these things become first, and love falls to second. Then we’re in trouble – we have not kept the first thing, first. And His love must always come first, otherwise we will start to use, manipulate and control people, even as sincere and honest believers.

Now, especially during this Christmas season, let the reality of the incarnation be made fresh and alive through the eyes of love – that God’s perfect love became flesh, demonstrated in Jesus, in order to show us how to live our lives out of a place of intense and pure love.

“I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them, even as you have loved me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:23,26

Oh, Lord Jesus, help me to learn what You taught and modeled: to be in love with You, and then to love others with that same love You’ve shown me.

From there, everything else will fall into place. Whether our dreams are fulfilled, or whether they shatter. Whether our expectations of our spouse are met or whether they’re not. Whether our kids succeed, or whether they struggle. Whether our ministry moves forward or whether it shuts down. Whether our “giftings” are recognized or whether we’re ignored. His love will become the foundation of our lives and then we’re okay, no matter what happens.

“Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it – because it does!”
—1 Corinthians 14:1 (The Message)

Live loved. Live in love. Love others.