Be Loved, Be Loving ~ An Advent Be-Attitude

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. …. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.  This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.  There is no fear in love. But perfect lovedrives out fear…” (I John 4)

During this season, we hear songs of hope, peace, and joy. It is a time when billions of people experience the love of another human being. Yet for many, this season also magnifies loneliness and a lack of human love. I know this well—I have been guilty of expecting perfect love from fallible humans and feeling disappointed.

But God loved us so much that He sent His son to us 2,000 years ago—the perfect gift. He doesn’t require us to dress up, perform correctly, or present ourselves a certain way to receive it. We don’t have to smile for the camera or write out a list of expectations.

He loves us as we are; broken, wounded, sinful, sad, happy, hopeless, and senseless. “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” (Psalm 103:8) Psalm 36 reminds us that His love is as vast as the heavens. In other words, God’s love is not finite. He has enough love to fill every heart of every human that will ever live. 

I don’t discount the heartache people feel during this—or any—season. God created us with emotions; sin fractured them. God can repair them. Often it is a slow process, but miracles of love can happen. God can restore brokenness in a heartbeat.

While preparing for my mom’s final trek on this earth, I shared my heartbreak with a group of ladies. Later, during my quiet time, the Lord revealed to me that He wanted my heart broken for a season. It was broken open so that He could wash it clean, take the pesky peace of sand that had been threatening to hurt me and make it into a priceless pearl. 

That pearl is my gift of love to my Heavenly Father. The love He pours into me is the gift I can offer others. 

Sometimes that love looks like a smile to someone having a bad day. It might be a word of encouragement to a friend or neighbor, a meal for someone in need, or a simple text that says I am thinking of you. Sometimes love is stepping away from a situation until God gives peace to step back in. 

God does not expect us to love perfectly but faithfully. The two greatest commandments are to love God and to love others. “We love Him because He first loved us.” (I John 4:19) And because He loves us, we love others. (I John 4:11) 

God is love. Love is of God. When His love dwells in us, loving one another becomes possible.

I encourage you to receive the fullness of God’s love. The greatest joy of receiving a gift is sharing it. This is one that is limitless. You can keep pouring, and it will never run out.

Questions to Ponder:

What difference has the love of God made in your life?

How can you share that love with someone today?

Worship with Me:
Light Of The World ~ Chris Tomlin & Matt Redman 

My Prayer for You Today:

“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3 NIV)

For Further Reading: 

Bible Verses About Love – Bible Study Tools 

My name is Keri Willis. I am a semi-retired educator. I spent a great deal of my career working with adults with developmental disabilities and many years in elementary education, in the classroom and as an administrator. My main ministry now is coordinating the women’s ministry for our church in San Diego, CA. I have been married thirty-four years and have two grown and married children. I now have a head of full grey hair and good ideas. I believe we are created to use our gifts and to be creative. That comes in many forms for me. I love to woodwork and use power tools, design, decorate, garden, and create new recipes. And I love to write. One major lesson I have learned in my writing journey is that I need to be still and listen to hear God’s voice before I am prepared to put into words the message he has instilled in my heart. This has been much easier since I am no longer working full time, but it is so easy to get distracted and not listen, which almost always ends with an empty page in the form of writer’s block. While I have written many articles for newsletters and local newspapers, I did not consider myself a writer until I self-published my first book, Teapots and Power Tools. https://www.amazon.com/Teapot.../dp/1466458763/ref=sr_1_3... The idea emerged as I was working on a project in my garage. I had worship music playing, power tools out and saw dust flying. I glanced up and saw my delicate teapot sitting on my router table. The message was clear. Sometimes we are using the power tools God gives us and sometimes he just wants us to be still and have tea with him. The book became the foundation for a women’s retreat, and then my amazing niece helped me work through publishing it on Create Space (now KDP). At least five other projects are in different stages of production. I joined hope*writers to help motivate me and keep me focused and accountable. I am still trying to figure out the whole website and blog thing. That is my next goal for myself; that and finish writing at least one of my projects! Teapots and Power Tools: Effectively using the tools God has equipped you with, while taking time to “Be Still and Know That He is God” View more posts