Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Daily Light - May 12, 2010

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love,
just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."
John 15:10

What does it mean to "abide in love"? Let me take this a completely different direction than you might expect. I have unfortunately been in marriage counseling sessions and heard a spouse say that they were no longer in love with the other person. They talk about how at one time they were madly in love with the other person but how now that spark is gone. It is just not the same as it used to be. Therefore, they choose to walk away from the marriage no matter how painful or difficult it might be.
This is a faulty mindset that does not understand the principle of "abiding in love". The word "abide" is from the Greek word "meno" which is also translated as "dwell, continue, endure, etc." It is not just about feelings or emotions. There are obviously feelings and emotions that are associated with love, but no true relationship can be built on those things alone. True love comes down to a personal choice that is made every single day of our lives. Paul instructed husbands to love their wives. This word love is an unconditional love. A love that is going to make a choice to stand through the difficult times. A love that is going to make a choice to endure the storms of life. A love that is going to make a choice to dwell with someone in peace and harmony. Love is an action word, because true love is an active pursuit of the object of that love. There is a simple principle that is played out in the passage for today. If we will diligently keep the commandments of Jesus Christ, we will find it to be much more natural to stay close to Him and abide in His love. It is when we have purposed to do our own thing that we slip away from this fellowship with God because of our shame or our pride. However, if we are simply obedient, we find our love for Him to be more natural and complete. When my love for God is what it should be, it also becomes easier for me to love others. I recognize how patient He is with me, and I simply now emulate what He is doing in my life. None of us will ever know a greater love than the love that Christ has for us. It is this love that we are to pour out of our lives into the lives of others.
May you love the people in your life today as Christ loves you today!

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