True Love

Quiet. The only sound is a slight wind rustling the leaves, ever so gently. 

Everything else is still.

No birds singing, no car engines, no clamor and hurry of the city. 

Reflect. "Be still and know that I am God." I know why the Lord said that to us.... I know that I need quiet to be able to focus. Noise, bustle and adventure are all nice, but after a while, it grates on the nerves.

I continue to reflect on love, the topic at a recent Bible conference I attended. What is true love? How can I consistently love my family in simple, small ways? Cleaning a room, washing the dishes, cleaning the bathroom, reading a book to a younger sister, giving a piano lesson, talking in kindness, patiently listening, not leaving a job for "someone else" to do. The list could go on and on. 

Really, it is all about my heart. If my heart is in tune with the Lord and has been conditioned after reading His word for the day, I will be happy to love. If I have neglected my Bible reading, neglected prayer or have unconfessed sin, then I will not be a nice person to live with.

If I truly love, I will be willing to sacrifice my time, my minutes, my hours, my days, for another person. Even when I don't feel like it. Even when I would prefer to do something for myself. Even when the person has been unloving to me. Then I remember that Jesus Christ died for me. He wants us to be channels of His love. Without Him, true love is never possible. 

By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 
1 John 3:16-18 

• What are three different ways you show love?
• Is it harder to love your family than to love friends? 
• How do you like to be loved? Do you desire words of affirmation or acts of service? Maybe you enjoy receiving gifts, quality time, or physical touch?http://www.5lovelanguages.com 

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

1 John 3:1-3