Todays Devotion-A Gut Honest Look At Love

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Lately I have been waking up, making my decaf coffee, turning the Christmas lights on, telling Gracie to go outside and potty, giving her a treat, and finally…relaxing to my couch to talk to God. I know that opening my day with prayer, conversing with my Heavenly Father, is the best way to begin any and everyday. Sometimes I get a little distracted by other things online, but most of the time I am able to focus, to begin first with prayer, followed by a daily devotion. My Mom, for the entire time I've known her, has done daily devotions, and I've always looked up to her for her diligence when it comes to "keeping the faith". She would sit down, have her breakfast, her coffee and meet with God. So, I think it is pretty cool to follow in her footsteps. I hope that once baby Tristan arrives I will have the diligence to also sit down and meet with God. I decided to try Proverbs 31 Ministries (for Women) as a way to "get fed the word of God", and so far, so good. I wanted to share today's devotion, one because it is awesome, and two because this is actually something that I feel I tend to struggle with in my own life. I prayed this morning that God would speak to me, and I believe he did. Lately I have been guilty of expecting Chris (my hubby) to fill in empty spaces (to "love me" MORE). I am beginning to see that my emotional rollercoaster (mostly due to pregnancy hormones-but is still not an excuse, may be just weighing to heavy on him. He works so hard all day, comes home, and many times has to accomplish a few chores around the house, and then all the sudden I will break down, and he is responsible for "making everything all better"? No. Enough is enough, and I cannot continue to expect so much, so often. He loves me dearly, and yes, at times, like any marriage, there are times where we must remind out husbands that we need certain things, no one is perfect, but I must remember that it is not his responsibility to "fill my cup". Lord, help me to remember this.

Darla


"…if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:2 (NIV)

As the holidays approach, I have to be careful about developing an overly ideal view of love. Sometimes I'm guilty of setting the expectations so high of what a 'love filled' Christmas should be that it dooms me to feeling disappointed and grumpy. Ever been there?

Well, this year I am feeling challenged to look at love a little differently. I don't want to repeat a habit that I've had from the past where I expect unrealistic things from those I love. I used to hold out the little cup of my heart to my husband, "Will you fill my empty spaces? Will you do that one really romantic thing that makes me feel like I'm the most terrific and special woman in the world?"

Then I would hold it out to my children, "Will you fill up my empty spaces? Will you do something that makes me look really good as a mom so I'll feel a little more validated?"

Then I would hold it out to my friends, "Will you fill up my empty spaces? Will you provide something today that makes me feel more included and significant?"

Maybe Christmas is an odd time to consider such things.

Or, maybe this season celebrating Jesus is the perfect time to hit the reset button on my sometimes frail heart. Love is a tricky thing. Our hearts were created to crave it. But misplaced expectations from love can wreak havoc in a person's heart.

God proclaims in 1 Corinthians 13:8 that love never fails. And in the quietness of my heart that verse makes me squirm a bit. I see love failing all the time. Or do I?

If my only view of love is what it will give me, love from others will fail me every time. It's not that love fails. It's that other people were never meant to be my God. Even a great husband, wonderful children and a thriving ministry can never truly fill me up, right all my wrongs, and soothe those deep insecurities. Not at Christmas. Not at any other time of the year.

No, I can't read 1 Corinthians chapter 13 with eyes hungry to see what love should give me and then demand it from those around me. I should read those steadfast Scriptures with the realization that this is the kind of love God gives to me. And this is the kind of love I can choose to give to other people.

I can choose that my love will be patient. My love will be kind. My love won't keep a record of wrongs. (Ouch - that's a hard one, right?)

I can choose that my love will protect and persevere.

And I can choose to lay the cup of my heart at Jesus' feet and stop twirling, twirling, twirling...hoping- demanding- that those around me do things for me they were never meant to do.

Interestingly enough, when I read 1 Corinthians 13 again this morning I found an odd yet perfect verse toward the end of this chapter. "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me" (verse 11).

Yes indeed. How funny I never connected that verse about putting away childish things with 1 Corinthians 13 - known as the chapter of love. Oh how we have the propensity to grow in other areas while keeping such a childish, selfish view of love.

Love isn't what I have the opportunity to get from this world. Love is what I have the opportunity to give. And I guess there's no more appropriate time to remember this than Christmas.

Dear Lord, thank You for the ability to see love in the proper way. Help me to know how to be filled with Your love so I don't try to get others to fill my empty spaces. Lord, give me wisdom with each of my relationships. Make me a woman that properly lives the principals in 1 Corinthians 13. In Jesus' Name, Amen.Reflections:

We need to learn to live the love in 1 Corinthians 13. But this doesn't mean we enable others to treat our love with disdain. Sometimes boundaries need to be drawn in relationships to keep things healthy. Choosing love doesn't mean letting others disrespect or abuse us.

Are there some relationships in your life that need some healthy boundary lines drawn? Are there some relationships where you need to get a pastor or Christian counselor involved? Pray and ask God to reveal to you how to properly live the love described in 1 Corinthians 13 with the people in your life.

Power Verses:
1 Corinthians 13:4-8, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." (NIV)© 2009 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.