spend like there's no tomorrow

February 14, 2013

Love.

Four little letters with such big implications.
It's what all little girls dream of, right?
I know it's the one thing I've searched for, it seems, my whole life.
It's the standard I've used to measure my worth as a human.
If I was well loved, then I was a good person.

But love is so much more than that.
It's not merely a feeling.
It's certainly not an option.
It's a command. {Matt 22:34-40}
It's the cornerstone of Christianity.
It's the key. The mystery revealed.
It is the answer!

Today, Valentine's Day, has me reflecting on how well {or not} I have loved others.
Have I been a good daughter? Wife? Mother? Friend?
I have. Sort of.
I've performed the obligatory duties of each role.
But, if I am honest with myself, I could do so much better.

Somehow, I let myself get tangled up in the lie that I deserve to put myself first.
Even if only on occasion.
That leaves room for selfishness to dance among my relationships.
It robs others of some of what I have to give to them.
I let laziness settle in and keep love stored up inside of me where it serves no good.
It only withers and dies alone.

The truth is, we can all love better than we do.
No matter how good of a job we think we are doing.

Yes, I love my husband & my children more than one human mind can comprehend.
But, I hold back sometimes.
I get complacent and languid.
I assume that they know how my heart beats for them.

I am fortunate enough to have friends & family that I cherish.
But, I have let past hurts hold me back from giving my all.
I allow jealousy and fear to keep me from loving as Christ has instructed me to.
The world has misguided us into believing lies. Satan's lies!
It's so easy to forget that it's not about what we get out of life, but what we give.
Sure, God will bless us richly and abundantly.
Pressed down, shaken together, and running over. {Luke 6:38}
But that's only lagniappe.

There are moments here, in this life, that are so precious and awesome.
Can you imagine how much more so it will be in Heaven where the awesomeness never ends?
It's constant and magnified beyond what we can envision.
We should live our lives Kingdom focused.
It's really all about ETERNITY- not a fleeting moment here on Earth.
I want to spend infinity with those that I love- in Heaven.
The only way to get there is through Christ- who LOVED.

And the funny thing about love, the more you give it, the more it comes back to you!

Chocolates are yummy.
Roses are pretty.
But spend more than your money on your Valentine this year.
Invest in something that will last more than a few days.
Spend YOU!

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." John 13:34