Living Inspired.

"This Love."

 As everyone knows, yesterday was Valentine's Day. The day where approx. 189 stems of red roses are sold (US), chocolate (35 million heart-shaped boxes) sales shoot through the roof, and restaurants all over are packed out. Not to mention the class parties in schools all over, the trading of Barbie and Spiderman valentines, etc.

When you turn on the television or get on the computer, you see headlines/top stories like: "10 Ways to Say I Love You," "The Perfect Valentine's Day Gift," "Tired of Being Single-Find Your Perfect Match Here" and so on. Does it strike anyone funny other than me that we are almost taught how to love? Like it's almost out of our nature to know how to say "I love you." The better question: Is the love we are being taught true love? Don't get me wrong, I do feel like gifts/words are an expression of love, but it has almost become manufactured (if that's the word I'm searching for). We (including myself) have lost any idea of what love really looks like. 

This month Abba has been really pressing on my heart about His love. Of course, His ultimate act of love was sending His Beloved Son to be the atonement for our sins. However, there's more. I have been reminded of John 13: 12-17 (Jesus washing the feet of his disciples), Luke 7:44-50 (woman with the alabaster jar), Mark 12:31 (love your neighbor as yourself), Deuteronomy 6:5 (love the Lord with heart,soul,and mind), and so many more...

These are the acts and commandments of love that we don't see much anymore. This kind of love has been pushed aside because it is just too challenging or uncomfortable for most of us. I'm not saying that we should run up the next person we see and start kissing their feet or go over to the neighbors house and give a big bear hug. First, that's super creepy. Second, that would be missing the point.

My point is that the love that Christ has clearly shown and taught us is far away from the love we have made. Imagine what it would look like if we showed Love that was loud, selfless, compassionate, extreme, humble. What would happen if we loved not only when it's comfortable or convenient? Our world would be turned upside down. While I was chillin' with Jesus yesterday, this verse came up and I think it just sums up everything that He's been teaching me.

  

*1 John 4:7-12 

(MSG)

 ^"My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God.

My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love."