I am in constant search for God’s love.
It has been…and continues to be…a lifelong search.
Because of this search, I have been asking some tough questions like…..
Am I using God instead of getting to know God?
OR
Do I love ministry more than I love God?
Yes, God has been showing me and teaching me about His love layer by layer, revealing who He is and how much I need Him.
“For God so loved the world…”
“Jesus loves me this I know…..”
“While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us……”
Pressing In and Digging Deeper
I have learned that Jesus loves me enough to die for me, that He loves me enough to secure my place with Him in eternity. Thanks be to God!
Pressing in further and digging in deeper though, God continues to reveal how His love just doesn’t save me. I’m learning that His love can change what I believe about myself. I can fail but He still loves me. I can turn the other cheek because He still loves me. I am beautiful because He. loves. me.
Every misplaced, thirsty desire for attention, recognition, intimacy….or even chocolate, is a deep soul longing that only can be satisfied by God’s eternal love. I truly believe that so many of our “issues” can be restored or resolved if we allow His love to meet our needs.
So, if that is the case, let me ask this question:
“God, in what areas of my life can be changed, truly changed, by Your Love and how can that really happen in an everyday-practical-way?”
One of the answers came to me from 1 John 4:11-
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Do We Love Others Like God Loves Us?
Of course, I have heard this message of loving others. Of course, I know “love your neighbor as yourself.” But when this verse flashed across the screen during the sermon a couple of weeks ago, a light clicked.
To the degree that God has loved me is the strength, intensity, and duration that I should love others.
We spend so much time searching for God’s love for ourselves, getting our own needs met, and figuring out how God can help me. But how much, in comparison, do we spend loving others? Do we love others like God loves us? I don’t mean your BFF or your mom or husband or friends. Do you love the widow, the smelly kid or the mean girls? To the degree that God loves you when you are grumpy, depressed, or hurting is that how you are attempting to love others?
Pouring Out Every Drop
Could it be that the fullest expression of God’s love in our lives is only realized when we pour out on others what’s been given to us? Like a plant drawing nourishment from the soil, it must not hoard the water in its stem, but rather it’s converted into energy and produces a flower or fruit to be shared with others.
Could it be that while we are in the center of our own storm praying for God’s sustaining love to carry us through, we find His strength and courage more tangible while reaching out to others in their need? Because like the widow who kept pouring out the last drops of oil until every pot in the house was full (2 Kings 4:1-7), how much more will God continue to fill us with His love as we pour what we have into someone else’s jar?
Love Comes Full Circle
Love comes full circle when we receive it and then give it away only to receive more and more in return. The supply never runs dry.
Is your circle a little incomplete? Even though you know God’s Love is working in you, do you need a little help letting His Love work through you?
I’ve written a *free* mini email course to help with the question, “Do you love your ministry more than you love people?”
Along with asking similar questions, this 3 Signs You Need to ReNew Your Ministry (sent to your inbox) will help you examine your relationship with God, your ministry, and your relationship with others. The course has questions and reflections to help you get things back into the right order in your life and prioritize what really matters.
If you believe you could use a little help in your ministry, take the 3 Signs You Need to ReNew Your Ministry.
Like Beth Moore said in a message “You are greatly blessed to bless!”
While in the midst of God’s love transforming you, how can you lavish that love on someone else in order to make the cycle complete?
~Amy
Yes! I have been on a similar journey.
Glad to know I’m in good company!
Very good reminder! I can “think” of others but truly loving others is something I should probably work more on in the life God has given me. Thank you for sharing. Came in via the Alabama Women Bloggers Sunday Brunch Linkup, and Co-editor of the site.
Yes, I have to admit that after I wrote this post I felt the gentle nudge of how I can do better myself. Thanks for stopping by!