Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. it does not insist on it's own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hope all things, endures all things.
Love never ends. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
I'll be the first to admit it...My attitude isn't always the best. I wish I could say I that I am perfect all hours of the day, every day. But alas, I am not. Just ask my family :/
It's this part of being human that's, well, a tad bit human.
My dad spoke about love a couple of Sundays ago. It was a really good message. Too good...I felt convicted.
I long so much to treat everyone with the same kind of love Christ shows us but I feel like I fall short so often. It's easy to SAY that we love someone, especially during easy times, but do we always ACT like we love them? The part of the verse above that really got me this week is, "is not irritable". Oh dear. How many times have I gotten irritated with the actions of others, OR was the one being irritating?! More than my little fingers can count.
I have asked God and myself many times, "Why is my strongest point my weakest point as well???". It gets quite confusing at times. And this is only one subject. What about all the others?! Will I ever grow up? Will I ever get this right? My best is feeling like it's at the bottom of the barrel.
I could go on and on about this, but that's not really going to help. And trying to love on my own strength isn't going to help either.
Going back farther into 1 Corinthians 13, verse 2, it states that if we have not love we are nothing. And yet, let's go even deeper than this: Without Christ we have not even the love. So where does that leave us? A stressed out, muddled mess that is getting pretty much no where. Can anyone say, "Oh dear."?
Amy Carmichael penned this, "If I have not compassion on my fellowservant, even as the Lord had pity on me, then I know nothing of Calvary love."
Ahhh, but God. If we are fully committed to Him, then we can, as Philippians 4:13 states,"... Do all things through Him who strengthens me.". The Lover of all lovers also promises us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. When we are weak, He is strong! Are those not the most freeing statements you have ever heard?
Love is a decision, not an emotion. We have a choice today. I choose to do my best to love others. How about you? C'mon, let's go glorify Christ together.
If love through me, Love of God,
Make me like Thy clear air
Through which unhindered, colors pass
As though it were not there.
Powers of the love of Good,
Depths of the heart Divine,
O Love that faileth not, break forth,
And flood this world of Thine.
~ Amy Carmichael
Since I know I am not going back to Thailand in February now, and John has my old job at our (GRN) offices, I've been trying to think up ways to make some money from home. I think it is good for now and the future. I have already been selling magnets on Etsy, but I really wanted to try something bigger, yet easy enough and not so time consuming that it takes me away from my regular "duties". So, this past week I have been experimenting with candles! 100% Soy candles to be exact. So far I really like making them! I've chosen to work with soy wax because I appreciate the organic nature of it. Plus it doesn't give off as much soot as paraffin does and they seem to last longer.
