Living On The Edge...Loving Relentlessly

Loving Relentlessly

dancingdreamer | May 19, 2009 09:13

The injustices of life, the words and actions of others, what others thought of me – these were the things that held me captive for many years...not anymore. Christ’s love has set me free.

I have found the purpose of life. I have discovered that this journey on Earth is a beautiful time for seeking out opportunities to share Christ’s love.

The Lord is expressing His message of love to my heart more than ever before. It seems to be consuming my mind. God has quests for me to conquer everyday.

I’m making progress in my ability to love better only because of God’s Spirit. If it were left up to my strength I would be a hard-hearted woman, living with my heart encased by an imaginary brick wall about 10 feet thick. But by His Spirit I am being led and shown how to love.

God wants for me to love everyone I come into contact with and trust Him with my heart. In other words, when someone dishonors me, He wants for me to repay the unkindness with His love.

In the past I have struggled with loving those who have hurt me for fear of being hurt worse. But I have found that where there is love there can be no more hurt.

A typical scenario of my past would be letting the words or actions of another wound me, then I would run to God in my hurtful state, and beg Him to help me to forgive the offender. My prayer would be something like this: “Lord, I feel so hurt, so wounded. Why does this person keep hurting me? Please, Lord, please let this hurt go away.” I have done this too many times in my life to count.

My motive seemed to be innocent and admirable. But I am learning that in many ways this prayer was self-centered. It was all about me and my need to be loved.

While meditating on God's word and thinking of how He wants us, as Christians, to display His love. I was telling Him how hard it is to love unkind people. This is what He said to me:

"Amy, think of the people in your life that you love the most, the ones that honor you the most, the ones that show you the most love and respect. Remember how you show them love by sending cards, giving gifts, giving flowers and lavishing them with loving, kind words. Now, think of the meanest people in your life, the ones that don't honor or respect you, those that treat you the worst. I want you to treat the meanest, most unkind people the same way you treat the people that love you the best. I want you to lavish the disrespectful, unkind people with love, encouragement, and I want you to honor them as much as you honor the kind people."

At first, I was thinking, “Oh my! That is quite a request.” But my final response to God was..."WOW, I will do this, I know I CAN with Your help!"

Immediately the words of Matthew came flooding into my heart:

Matthew 5:44 – “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you…”

The amazing thing about God’s love is that it causes darkness to be illuminated. My flesh tells me that if I love those who hurt me that I am giving them a license to hurt me more. But the reality is quite the opposite. God’s love actually causes unkindness to dissipate.

Love breeds love.

When we respond to hatred with love – this is when we see God at work the most.

The Lord is showing me that He needs me to display His love to hurting people. How will hurting people know the love of God unless His people freely display it?

God is shouting this message to my heart: He wants for me to love relentlessly…leaving fear behind.

My greatest need, the need to be loved is being met by the Creator of the Universe. This means that through Him I can love others first. I don’t have to wait for an apology from those that treat me unkindly. I can love the way Christ loves – with no strings attached, loving simply because God’s Spirit is flowing out of me. This is true freedom.

I don’t have to be in despair when someone is unkind to me. Instead, I am able to look at it as an opportunity to display the love of Christ. I am free now to love God with all my heart, soul, and strength…and as I do this I will be able to love my neighbor as myself.

I am a new woman. My new prayer is:

Lord, pour Your love into my heart, help those who are hurting to be drawn to You through Your love that is displayed in me. Amen.