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The One True Love

 

"Intense love does not measure, it just gives."
~Mother Teresa

❤ I love street tacos and pizza.  I love my husband, family and friends.  I love Pride and Prejudice.  And I love when I solve Wordle.  Is this "love" all the same?  Of course not, Wordle is just a game. 


❤ But back to tacos.  Taco Tuesday should be every day.  It's already the reward for surviving Mondays, but there should also be a Taco Wednesday because Tuesday is supposedly the hardest day of the week because it's so far from the weekend.  Then Taco Thursday would tell us all, "hey good job on getting through the mid-week point; congratulations - tomorrow's Fri".  Then on Fri we should all have the option of Taco Fri but just in case leave it open for pizza night.


If only I was in charge...

❤ But on the other hand, thank our Lord that I'm not, and that He is.  He is the author and creator of Love (Capital L).  What is love to Him (as much as our finite minds can understand it)?

The Love that accepts us where we are at, as sinners. With all our baggage and yuck.

"But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." Rom 5:8

❤ The Love that exchanged the death in hell we deserve (eternal separation from God) for eternal life with Him in heaven.

"But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead.  (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)"  Eph 2:4-5

❤ This unconditional, unselfish Love that sent us His One and only Son to die on the cross for our sins.  

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16



We have to be careful we don't become so familiar with a passage of Scripture that we scan over it without the proper reverential thought.  Jesus died for me-my sin; you- your sin.  

It's easy to build a sin hierarchy in our minds - one where the murderers and thieves are the only ones who deserve death and punishment.  But God is so holy that He can't be around any sin- any time we fail in light of a perfect God.  The Bible says this deserves death-




"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Rom 5:8

"For the wages of sin is death,but the free gift of God is eternal life in 
Christ Jesus, our Lord."  Rom 6:23


❤ Can you think of someone who needs to know this true Love?  Someone who is looking for this unconditional acceptance but is looking for it in a job, status, wealth, power, or fame?  This Christmas, maybe ask them to church?

Or is there someone who we think doesn't deserve this love?  We have to humbly confess that Jesus died on the cross for them too.  This Christmas, maybe ask God to help love them?

❤ Can you think of someone who needs to be reminded of this true Love?  That our security and peace can be solidified by coming to Him, laying our anxieties, fears, insecurities, flawed relationships, unforeseen circumstances, potentially crippling health concerns and suffering- all at His feet.

We were never intended to carry all these burdens alone and solve all our problems by ourselves.  He came as a babe to this world to offer us peace and give us rest from our burdens:

"Come to Me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is comfortable and my burden is light."  Matt 11:28-30

Isn't that a relief?  We aren't in control, don't have to solve it by ourselves or make sense of it.  We don't have to hope it turns out ok, but instead put our trust and hope in Him.  Our souls need rest. 

❤ This Christmas season, find time to just bask in God's love that is so intense, relentless, here for all eternity.  His true Love. 


 ✙ Dear Heavenly Father, 
Thank You for Christmastime.  It gives us a chance to refocus on You, Your gift of pure true Love - Your Son.  Change and guard our hearts to be like Yours and help us love on others - so much that people marvel and know we have spent time with You. Let everything we say and do point people to our Loving Savior, for Your glory.  Amen.

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 22, 2024 at 9:19 AM

    Oh Terri! What a gift ! Thank you for your humor, wit and faith!! I’m so grateful to have your friendship!! Love! Dianne

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousDecember 23, 2024 at 1:32 PM

    I love your "hierarchy of sin"-- isn't that the truth? Everyone else's is so much worse than ours! We'd "never" do what they did (until we do!).... Help us to love each other as the sinners that we all are.

    ReplyDelete

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