Love…Where Are You?
By Lynn Mosher
What is love? Is it definable?
Is it a feeling? A passion? Something romantic?
The dictionary defines love as a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person, a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection for a parent, child, or friend, sexual desire, affectionate concern for the well-being of others, the benevolent affection of God for His creatures or the reverent affection due from them to God.
Passions and feelings can be fickle; they can change. So, where do you look for an unfickle love…
* in a bar
* in a friend
* in a marriage
* in a father or mother
* in a boyfriend or girlfriend?
Is it found…
* in status
* in things
* in money
* in a career
* in notoriety
* in possessions
* in power or position?
If you’re looking for love in the people or things in the above lists, you’re looking in all the wrong places. You must first look inward. If you have no love within you, you will not be able to give love to another.
Let’s see if we can answer…
* Do you look for that perfect someone to love?
* Do you yearn for that special love, the kind of love that believes in you, nurtures you, encourages you, supports you, comforts you, is always there for you?
* Does this elusive, unchanging, lasting, forever-kind-of-love exist?
The answers are the same. So, where is the best place to find the answer? In the Bible! This love comes in the person of Jesus Christ.
You love yourself and others, you find that perfect love, when you give your heart to Jesus. He loves you. Have you loved Him back? The disciple John wrote in one of his letters, “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 NKJV)
You have been loved with an everlasting, all-sacrificing, all-forgiving, unconditional, perfect love. You are beloved. Cherished. To die for. Jesus says to you, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” (John 15:16a NKJV)
You are the one He loves; He gave His life for you. “This is My body which is given for you.” (Luke 22:19 NKJV)
The apostle Paul wrote, “Long before [God] laid down earth’s foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love,” (Eph. 1:4a Msg) and “[In His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ.” (Eph. 1:4a Amp)
When you know this kind of precious love, you will begin to truly love yourself and others. Your love life will be in order.
So, what or whom do you love? If I asked you to answer, without thinking, what you love the most, what would be your immediate response? Your boyfriend or girlfriend, your spouse, your children, your car, your bank account, your physical appearance, your iPod, your cell phone?
Jesus asks you, “Do you love Me more than these others?” (John 21:15 TLB)
“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. 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.” (1 John 4:16-17a NLT)
May you know the perfect, Valentine Love!
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Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for your question. I appreciate your honesty and pray that the Holy Spirit will use my feeble attempts at words to convey His message of love to you. First, I would like to lift you, my sister, up to our Lord in prayer.
Heavenly Father,
I pray today for my sister who wrote in with this question. She longs to feel your love and presence in a mighty way in her life. I pray that You will reveal yourself to her and work in her life so that she will know what a wonderful, precious treasure she is to You. I pray that You will work to guide her steps and heighten her senses to be completely aware of your presence.
In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Sweet sister, your question reminded me of the psalmist, David who cried out to the Lord in Psalm 13 and asked God “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” Is this how you are feeling, friend? Be assured that God loves you so very much. I know that at many times in my life, I have felt like I knew ‘mentally’ that God loved me, but really ‘feeling’ that love in my heart in a very personal way was difficult for me. However, I know that each word in the Bible is the complete truth of God and when he says in John 3:16 that He loved us so much that He gave His only Son to die for our sins, that is truth. I encourage you to read John 3:16 and substitute your name in the verse. Know that he does love YOU very much!
I encourage you to read the Psalms and join the psalmist on his journeys of highs and lows in his search for God. I believe we can identify with him, and learn from his words.
I also encourage you to seek out any unrepented sin in your heart that might keep you from completely hearing the Holy Spirit in your life. 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Take time each day to read your Bible, pray, and seek God’s face. God will speak through the Holy Spirit directly to your heart, and you will know His love in a great way.
You may find God’s love in unexpected ways. God’s love may be revealed to you in a friend, in a song, in an unexpected smile, or even in a sunrise. God’s evidence of His love is all around us, but sometimes our emotions can cause us to fail to recognize it. Emotions are tricky things and can lead us incorrectly. I encourage you to journal each day and list a few things that remind you of God’s love for you. These can be very simple things, but all work together to reveal God’s heart to you.
How great is the Father’s love! I pray that you will feel it in a powerful way!
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” ~ 1 John 3:1
in His precious, unfailing love (for you!)
Heart of Worship
It seems like evrytime i ask God for his love nothing happens.Maybe im waiting for a feeling or something,but i just dont expierance God’s love.nd when i hear other people talk about it i get sad and angry.When people talk about god being ther strength and comfort and etc i dont know what they are talking about.I hope i am not blaspheming about God,but i just dont know what other way to put it.I dont feel loved,and i have given my life to Jesus
Thank you, Kimberly! And I’m so glad you know His love! Blessings to you!
Asia, Oh, I am so happy to hear you say that. You have found the best love of all, the love of the Lord. And because of His love, you will respect yourself more by living in a godly manner and desire not to tarnish His presence within you. May the Lord bless you!
Thanks for sharing Asia!
Amen! Thanks for your comment Kimberly!
Amen Lynn. what a great message of love. Thank You Father for Your true love and that we can live in You to experience it. In Jesus’ name, amen.
I use to think that I found love in a guy. I use to put all my attention in this guy and it was like he was my god. I would have done anything for him…Soon I realize that this was lust and all he wanted from me was sex. I did not want to keep myself up like that so I broke it off.
I then turn my attention to God. I realized that He loved and cared for me more then any guy could. I started my relationship and had to get the guy out of my life. I spent my time getting to know God and now I know what real love is. It is not selfish but kind and patient. I love God and who He is. I love that He is my refuge, strength and comfort.