Love

So I have this necklace I got from camp that is just a circular washer-type thing that has 'Faith, Hope, Love" on one side, and then 1 Corinthians 13:13 on the other side. I've worn it since I got home from camp, and I think it's funny that until now I haven't really even paid attention to this verse...

"And now these three reamin: Faith, Hope and Love. But the greatest of these is Love." (1 Corinthians 13:13)

I've read over that passage before..I skimmed over it a couple nights ago, actually, and read about how the greatest of all commandments is love..Love your neighbor, love God..Yeah, cool!

Something I've noticed that I do a lot is that I tend to read the Bible and downplay what it's saying. But seriously, ya'll, when the Bible says that the greatest commandment of all is love..GOD MEANS IT! The cross is the perfect picture of love, because God sent His only son to die for us out of LOVE. If we followed a God that didn't love... imagine what life would be like! But God is perfect, and His love is PERFECT.
When life gets busy, and when I start to get stressed out or anxious, or I just get distracted and my focus shifts to something besides the Lord, I have to step back and remember, and just allow myself to realize how much God loves me to have died for me.  And it's not like I did anything to earn this. Even though I constantly mess up, and I legitimately turn my back on Him daily, He still died for me, a cause that seemed helpless. And I am helpless, we all are, without the perfect love of Christ!
So where does that leave us? Besides drowning in this AWESOME love Christ has showered us in, that is....

Earlier in chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians, listen to what Paul has to say!

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames but have not love, I gain nothing."
1 Corinthians 13:1-3


Reading that up there really convicted me in crazy ways, guys. These past few weeks at school I felt like God just wasn't using me..I kept on praying for courage to be bold in my faith, and praying that He would offer up opportunities to take up my cross and follow Him..But I seemed to overlook the fact that, like paul says, I am NOTHING if my main goal is not to love other people...And not just people that seem easy to love. When We, as Christians make the active decision to love everyone around us, it speaks so loud. But I think it's important to remember that in order to love other people the way Christ loves, we have to love the Lord, too, and love Him with all of our heart, soul and strength. That love for the Lord WILL reflect in our lives, and give us encouragement to go out and love other people, even those who are 'hard to love'. Because when we choose to love those who may seem unlovable, or someone who has persecuted us, man that speaks so loud. And people are going to notice!!!
But I think it's important to know that this kind of love does not come from our own ability. The Holy Spirit does though, and he stinking LIVES INSIDE US! Which is so cool! Only God can give us the ability to love, and to love 'His Way'..It doesn't come from ourselves! I believe that the love God has to offer is so great, greater and brighter than anything the world has to offerBut how cool is that!

I want to encourage ya'll to love, and love well. I know it's something I definitely need to work on! Praying foryou all! Love YOUU!