LOVE

I found this picture on a clip art site and it moved me. Today's message at church was about love.... how the Father loves us and how we are to love the Father.

One of the biggest struggles in my life has been feeling loved. I just could not grasp the idea that anyone really loved me.... especially my Father God. I felt totaly unworthy of his love, felt like I failed him more than pleased him. Its sad really that a lwe as Christians struggle with this feeling so much.

I spent the biggest part of my life trying to find ways, do things, say things that would make people love me. What a wasted life. Love is a choice, you choose to love or you choose not to, we can not do enough, be good enough, say enough to make someone love us.

I have to give God the glory becuase my struggle in that area is getting less and less, because I am getting to know him more and more.

The bible says, in John 3:16 "For God so love the world (us) that he gave his only son (Jesus) that if we believe in him (Jesus) we would have ever lasting life. Think about that a minute... would you send the only child you have to die a brutal and painful death so that someone else could live? I dare say most of us would not.

God loves us so much that he not only gave is only son, but he also sent the Holy Spirit to comfort us, he charges angels to surround us and protect us, He has Jesus constantly praying for us, he heals our wounds, provides us with our needs, and has prepared a place for us to share in his glory when we die. Is that not love?

Our earthly fathers (hopefully) are an image of that same love. They provide for us, comfort us, protect us and guide us through life. We do dumb, break thier hearts and ignore the wisdom they try to instill in us because of rebellion. Yet, thier love for us never fails. I thank God for a father who is like that. He means so much to me, I love him with a passion. Why then do I have such a hard time loving Father God, and accepting his love for me?

I have rebellion in my heart sometimes, and anger and bitterness and envy and a few other really ugly things. Praise God however, that he is working them out of me.....and I am learning to love him more every day.

The world is a hash place with people who destroy with thier words and cause deep wounds, and I to am guilty of doing those things, Father forgive me. I want to love as Jesus loved, and as God loves us.

If no one has told you today, allow me. I love you with the love of the Lord and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. It doesnt matter who you are or what you have done or where you have been or where you are now. His love reaches all people in all places at all times. I want to be an ambassador of that love.