Out of Love...

I came across an amazing revelation in my devotional, My Utmost for His Highest, the other day. It has stuck with me now for days and I feel I am needing to pen some thoughts on this Resurrection Day. The words are these:

"The Cross did not happen to Jesus: He came on purpose for it."

This is a most amazing thought and so much so, it overwhelms me. The purpose of Christ included restoring fellowship back to the Father. The great love He has for each of us continually moved Him to lay aside His on will and take up the will of the Father. His motivation was one of love, not obligation.

Lately, the Lord has been dealing with me about doing things or 'performing' out of obligation. What SHOULD be our motivation in anything is for us to act out of love. Our heart should be motivated by Jesus alone, it should be effortless but often times seems so elusive to attain. I think, perhaps, it is simply because we are more concerned about what man thinks about us rather than what God thinks. We are so programmed to achieve pats on the back, kudos or whatever way you want to dress that up. Lord, help us!

I don't entirely understand pure love, although I pray Jesus reveals that to me more and more each day. But maybe my desire to understand is flesh rooted rather than heart motivated and grounded in Him. I look to His Word in order to see the reality of His Love. There is no where else to find truth other than this and 1 Corinthians 13 reveals the heart of the Lord more than ever.

1 Corinthians 13
The Way of Love

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, Doesn't force itself on others, Isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, Doesn't revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.
Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled. (to vs.12) We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

Lord, teach me to love extravagantly! I thank You precious Lord for this day of life You have given me. I thank You for loving me even before my conception; loving me enough to give Your very best, Your Son Jesus Christ, to redeem my soul and restore me to right standing in Your eyes. I praise you, Heavenly Lord, for the precious Gift of Grace, Salvation, through believing in Your Son and accepting Him as Lord and Savior.

Oh Jesus, teach me how to love. Teach me how to love!