“Everything else is fading away only love remains.”-Jon Thurlow (worship song)
Listening to one of my favorite worship artists tonight and reflecting on a conversation with my husband over dinner led me to write about the love of God tonight.
1 Corinthians 13:13 says, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. “
There are a LOT of things I spend my time on. I tend to research everything. I have always been one to ask questions and inquire about things. My husband knows that there’s no conversation I love more than asking and being asked questions. Questions provoke me to think, evaluate my life, and make me find truth in midst of everyday trials.
Tonight while washing dishes with my opening quote resounding in my spirit, I asked myself, “Why do we spend so much time in life (especially ministry) worrying about and trying to achieve things that aren’t based on the love of God?” “Why do we get so distracted about communicating other things besides the love of God?”. If the only three things that remain are, “faith, hope and love”, with love being the greatest, then those should be the key things we focus on.
Obviously it’s necessary for me to spend time on relationships and my job, so I’m not negating that. I just feel that while it’s ok to ponder and inquire about certain things, we must come back to love at the end of the day. When we posture our hearts in prayer to say, “Father, what role does faith, hope and love have to do in my current situation?”, we will have a much more stable outlook on life. There are many things that I can say or do with my life, but I want them to be built upon love. If there are selfish ambitions, I want to die to them so love can remain. If I am in fear and not trusting God in an area, I want love to come in and perfect my thoughts. If I am dreading something and have no idea how to believe for God’s promises to come to pass, I want love to bring hope and faith alive in my heart so I can look unwaveringly to Him.
His love is steadfast and never changing. LOVE and that of a perfect God who sent His only son who freely left the pleasure of Heaven to come to the earth to die for us, who was raised again and ascended to the Father to then send the Holy Spirit to abide with and help us forever! There is only one source of perfect love. When we let other “loves” dwell in our heart or negate seeking the One who created love, we miss remaining in the greatest thing—God’s perfect love.
It’s so easy to let money, identity, fame, building a name, finding a spouse etc. to fill your heart and desires. It’s easy to spend your life inquiring why this person wronged you, why you didn’t get the said job, why you don’t look like so and so, and completely miss the most important thing-love.
My prayer over you today would simply be that you would inquire of the love of the Lord and let it cover every anxiety, worry and fear. I feel David said it best in Psalm 27:4, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.” David’s life was marked not because of his title as a King, nor his sin, not even for building an incredible temple. David instead learned to cultivate his inner man before God and thus God called him a man after His own heart. What does that look like? What can that mean? (Here I go with my questions ;) ) How can we be like David in this not moved by titles, accomplishments or living in regret of sin? David made God the ruler of His life and inquired of His love and was then able to receive revelation of the depth of love.