WHO LOVES YOU - Part 3 - God's Healing Love

 

Some people seem to laugh easily; others laugh sparingly, almost grudgingly. Some cry at commercials; others hardly shed a tear if hit by the worst of personal disasters. 

Emotions are often frightening. They are so intense that they cause us to feel insecure and unsure of our self. We feel out of control and unstable. This causes many people to shut off their emotions.

They function from their mind and refuse to feel. They do not want to experience the pain which accompanies many emotions. They do not like feeling vulnerable and defenseless.

Men are taught that emotions are a sign of weakness. They will not allow themselves to cry or to admit being hurt. Their macho identity is in peril. They often despise emotions and disdain anyone who expresses them.

They think people will reject them if they knew how they really feel. This hinders them and their significant others from the free exchange of expression from their souls.

They separate from this vital part of their existence. They only connect to others through their mind, body and choices. They stop considering how their behavior affects another person's life.

Some people are very independent. They are self-sufficient, having their own agenda and they prefer not to interact too intimately in relationships unless they are in the mood for companionship.

Others are quite the opposite. They are dependent on others in order to survive. They feel no value in their abilities and are incapable of living alone. They lack confidence and self-esteem.

Some are codependent. They live for others and are only happy when they can rescue or enable someone else. They deny their own needs as a martyr.

Then they feel resentful and grow angry and bitter about all the sacrifices they make and responsibilities that they carry, which are not reciprocated.

Ideally, we all grow from these tainted and lopsided philosophies into interdependent people. We learn to accomplish things with our God-given talents and to form equally mutual relationships. We enjoy alone time, but also intimacy as well.

These healthy people recognize that positive emotions improve our life. They understand that negative emotions flag some issue, which need our attention. They easily commit to others as the Lord leads, and they readily forgive others.

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to have the mind of Christ and allow us to feel Your healing love. Help us to love what You care about and to hate what You despise. Lead us on the pathway to wholeness. We are Your children and You spend every second of Your time showering us with Your abundant love.

Sometimes, we get so busy that we are not even aware of You communicating the unfathomable depth of Your love to each of us personally. You know us intimately and You want us to love You intimately as well. 

As we allow Your Spirit to bring us gradually closer to Your perfection as well as harmony with one another, we come together as Your Body, knit together with You as our Head and as the lover of our soul (Ephesians 4:16; Isaiah 38:17; Psalm 143:8).

Thought for the Day:

God only asks that we repent and ask for forgiveness when we fail; then He wants us to open up to the Holy Spirit’s direction so we can walk in obedience to His will for our individual lives. - Acts 3:19

WHO LOVES YOU - Part 2 - The Love of the Son

God proved His love for us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might live eternally through Him. Jesus loves you more than a pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45).

This is true, authentic love: we did not earn or deserve God’s love, but He loved us first and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 1:9, 4:19).

Jesus left all that was His, relinquished his kingly status, forsook the glories of heaven; and for 33 whole years, He lived on this sin-cursed earth.

Then, at the peak of His manhood, He purchased us back from Satan for the Father by suffering the horrendous death on Calvary’s Cross.

Jesus gave His life so that we could live as God's adopted children, joint heirs with Him to receive all that the Father owns. We will dwell in God's Kingdom and enjoy fellowship with the Trinity now and for eternity.

We begin each day by sitting at His feet and learning from Him: talking to Him, listening to Him, reading His Word, meditating on what we read, praising Him and waiting on Him.

He stills the chaos in our body and soul - our thoughts, choices and emotions. We remain in His presence until we feel His Spirit directing our next step (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Jesus empowers us throughout our day and night. He never, ever leaves us for any reason or circumstance (Hebrews 13:5). He meets life's demands on us by using our body and soul to accomplish His will in and through us.

Prayer:

Father God, You give us the gift of new life each and every day. Just waking up is proof that You love us. We often take for granted things like air to breathe and eyes to see; but each of these miracles is evidence to us that You love us.

Remind us to appreciate You and not to take You for granted. All through the day, You send people, events and natural wonders to bless us. We want to live in Your divine will through the divine opportunities You provide for us.

Thought for the Day:

Trying to find a fulfilling relationship with another human being is close to impossible, and only the rare interdependent couple ever succeed; however, every human being can find fulfillment in the love of God and in Jesus Christ whom He sent. - John 6:29

Healing Relationships - Part 4

When our soul begins to heal, our personality, behavior and beliefs change. This may put our partner on the defensive and cause them to feel insecure.

Our relationship changes from independent, dependent or codependent to interdependent, and our family and friends are not used to it.

The healthy changes, which we make, will bring healing in our body, soul and spirit. It will help us to establish an interdependence with our mate, as they get used to the changes.

It will limit our negative reactions to one another, improve feelings of self-worth, change the way we meet our own needs and give us more energy to serve others as God’s Spirit leads us according to His will, rather than by codependent urges.

Intimacy increases, expectations decrease, and in conflict we blend differing ideas into a whole new concept on which we both agree. We are mutually interdependent with one another.

Unresolved disagreements cause a couple, which normally live in an atmosphere of cooperation, to form independent lives that disrupt their interdependence.

Interdependence means that it is healthy to have differing ideas, hobbies, interests, likes and dislikes, because these differences bring variety to the relationship.

Interdependence is living in a mutually reciprocal relationships. It is about forming intimate connections with another human being. We share the decision-making process in our relationship and mutually care about one another’s welfare and feelings.

We are conscious in our choices, own responsibility for the consequences of our actions, and readily admit when we are wrong.

We enjoy deeper, more meaningful associations, and greater productivity, service, contribution and growth in our relationship.

We cherish, appreciate, admire, respect, enjoy, love and care about one another, and we never miss an opportunity to affirm and to validate one another.

Prayer:

Father God, help those of us with wounds from the past to heal and to have the wisdom and courage to develop an interdependent relationship with our partner, children, co-workers, associates and church family.

Give us patience with them as they too heal from the wounds of their past. Then allow us to serve You together in our individual gifts and calling, according to Your will for each of our lives.

Thought for the Day:

Interdependent relationships bring harmony and enjoyment to any marriage, partnership or community.