Real Love!

 

Here I go again! God has been guiding my heart and mind as I read scripture during this Christmas season. I am constantly guided back to the perfect gift. It has to be from God because it is so obvious. The perfect gift is love. No one can argue with that. But the real question is:

How do you show REAL LOVE -- God's Love - at Christmas?

We cannot really love people if we don't love God. I know some people do not believe in God and THINK they are loving others. That is not what scripture says:

"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God." (1 John 4:7)

LOVE COMES FROM GOD. AND ANYONE WHO LOVES, KNOWS GOD!

SO, hear me out ----- If you want to give the most perfect gift to your spouse, your family, your friends, your coworkers, your classmates, your neighborhood, or your community, LOVE GOD!

What exactly does that mean? I don't want you to just SAY you love God. I want you to REALLY LOVE GOD. Pursue him, seek him, obey him, know him. If you know God, you will be filled with his love and that love will shine through to everyone you meet. 

"If someone says, "I love God," but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we do not love people we can see, how can we love God, who we cannot see? And he has give us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers." (1 John 4:20,21)

Yes, this talks about fellow believers. But, didn't God say we should also love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us? (Matthew 5:43-45) I would also say we show a lot of hate to fellow believers, maybe even members of our own churches? I know many who claim to be filled with God's love but do not show that love to their own fellow believers, their families, or their friends. 

You cannot hate anyone if you love God. You cannot mistreat someone if you are filled with the Holy Spirit. You cannot speak poorly about someone if you really love God. If we truly love God our world will see it. We will not be able to contain it. 

The greatest gift we can give this Christmas is to fill our own lives with loving GOD! As we pursue filling the love of God within us, our love is perfected:

"God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world." (1 John 4:16,17)

The best things we give at Christmas aren't things at all.

Give the gift of REAL LOVE this Christmas, LOVE GOD!