filled with love

Ephesians 5

1 Follow God's example in everything you do,
             because you are His dear children.

2 Live a life filled with love for others,
      following the example of Christ,
           who loved you
           & gave Himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins.

And God was pleased, because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to Him.


How does someone "live a life filled with love for others"?

hmmmmmm...

all I know is all I know...


For me, I'm plugged into God.

And I'm plugged into the people I know & am around.

And somehow the current of His love runs through me.

It's not something I've earned the right to be & do because I'm so everlovin' holy. It just happens. I don't know how. It's a supernatural thing.

And if God can do that through a sinner like me, He can certainly do that through you.


I also ask myself "why" questions about people.
   Why are they like that?
   Why do they do those things?
   Why are they the way they are?

Everybody's got a story & a reason for why they are what they are & do the things they do.


And I let people tell me who they are.

John Savage says, "People cannot not tell you who they are."

If we listen, watch, & remember what we see & hear, people will eventually reveal who they are.


And it's also helpful to remember that Jesus died for everyone we'll meet today, & delights in & cherishes them just as much as He delights in & cherishes us. There's gotta be a reason He does - although it is hard to see sometimes ;-)


And I try to remember that my life isn't all about me. I'm not the center of my universe. God is.


I've just reread all this. My goodness! I sound more than a little pompous & "I'm more holy & loving than you"

Please remember that it was after over 50 years of my life had passed that I finally began to connect to some of this stuff. It wasn't easy - it still isn't. I'm a pretty self-absorbed kind of guy.


Anyway, loving people is a whole lot simpler (but not easier) than we think. We just shift the spotlight of our thinking from ourselves to them. Easier said than done. It is simpler when we realize that none of us are very capable of loving anyone or anything, but with God's love channeling through us, it is possible.