LOVE, FORGIVENESS & REVIVAL

The other night sitting in a group discussion with some women, our topic quickly changed from one thing to another. I found myself surrounded by some women who apparently needed to discuss hurts and relationships. Ironically, I often times find myself  speaking to others concerning issues that are in some way or another related to love and forgiveness. It seems as though, those two topics are always on peoples' hearts and minds and will inevitably rise to the surface of most any conversation. One reason that we so often have heart issues with others over hurts and disappointments is because, we suffer from a lack of genuine agape love. Agape love is the kind of love that God affords to those who are willing to come to Him and receive it. It is that kind of love that enables us to love, forgive and be in a right relationship with others.

One of the many differences between God and us is how, we love and forgive. While we can say that we love, we are not love. God is though! It's like saying that we have a car, but we are not a car. Love is the very essence of God! He loves you and the only thing that you can do about it is accept it or reject it! Like receiving a precious gift from someone, you can misuse it or mistreat it, but in the end, you will have accepted and received it or abandoned it by denying it.  Unlike ours, God’s love is unconditional to us and is not based on our merit or performance. That means that God does not base His love for us on how we perform, behave, respond to Him, treat Him or others and so on, but entirely on His character and Who He is! Paul wrote in Romans 5:8 “that God demonstrated His love for us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us". Our sin was forgiven at the cross and forgotten upon our repentance and salvation, never to be remembered or accounted for again. We cannot earn His love, nor can we forfeit it. Hell itself cannot cause a person to forfeit the love of God, for it is not His will that any man should perish, but that all have eternal life.   All we can do is accept it for ourselves and pass it on to others by showing His love and kindness and sharing the good news concerning Romans 5:8 about His Son. While that verse speaks about God’s love toward us, there is another verse that speaks about our love towards Him because of what He has done for us. It is found in John 14:15, Jesus said,  ‘If you love me, you will obey what I command”.  While we need God's love confirmed to us, we also need to confirm our love to Him and the best way that we can do that is by showing others our love through our forgiveness.

Through the years I have counseled many women who have shared broken hearts over relationships. And in most every situation as we begin to dig deeper, we will find a thread of un-forgiveness. It is those tiny threads of un-forgiveness that keep us bound. When the light of God's love shines on those areas and we begin to compare our love to His love, we will realize that we are not loving the way we should. As His children, we stand without excuse for not being able to get along with one another. We can and should be able to agree to disagree still being able to love and fellowship with one another. It can be done. We just have to be willing to do it.

I have often said that upon entering heaven, the one thing I look forward to the most other than seeing the Lord, is seeing all God’s children finally getting along. I look forward to no more attitudes, pride or predacious towards each other. John 13:34-35 tells us that we are to love one another and it goes on to say that we are to prove to the world that we are His disciples by our love for one another. It is a sad day when folks who claim the name of Christ,  yet hold back their love and fellowship from others because they were hurt and were never able to release or forsake that hurt in order to be close to a fellow brother or sister in Christ, simply because they did not see eye to eye on a thing! Oh friend, it matters not what face we put on when we leave the house. What does matter however, is the face that those that we have shut out of our lives see on us; whenever they reach out to us and we snob and ignore them, because we feel a little more spiritual than what we believe they are. The church today needs revival not because people are dying and going to hell, but because the household of God is bringing Him shame and needs a back porch whipping; and if we are not real careful sweet friends, our name may be called out next to step out and bend over! Don’t you think for a minute that it does not matter how we go around treating one another and representing the Lord God. Oh it matters, we are all just buying our time! We are commanded to love one another and if Christ be in our hearts, we stand without excuse as to how we are putting that into practice. Lord help us all!

Loving you today,

Bren