Love and Service What do they show?

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all men will know you are My disciples, if you love one another (emphasis mine).
John 13:34,35


Love.  With Valentines Day just turning the corner there has been a lot of emphasis on love, flowing around us.  Cards to buy, flowers, candy and all types of gifts given to express one persons love to another. It is a wonderfully joyous day for couples and looked forward to by all those in love each year.

During this Valentines day, no longer being part of a couple, I spent some time contemplating this word "love", and another word theme that I've been focusing on, "service" to others.   And then after mulling things around later while reading a devotional this Scripture above spoke volumes to me.

We as believers are commanded by our Lord to love one another.  Commanded! Strong word meaning ordered, do.  He commanded the disciples who were with Him at the time of His ministry to love one another, and by that expressed love, others would know they were His disciples--followers.

So how does this have anything to do with the love expressed at Valentines.   It has to do with what love is; what we perceive it to mean.  There is a huge difference between what the world says is love and what God says is love.   A closer look here reveals the reason,  because the key passage of this Scripture is,"even as I have loved you". So many miss this part.  It is only by the love of Christ shared with us, that we can truly reveal love to others.   Jesus Christ is the epitome of love.  Real love. Genuine love.  The deep down core love that's says "I am with you always, I will not forsake you." "I have your hand".

The world offers a type of love that most of us look to today, to mean real love; but much to freqently this love, is  more an emotional "me" directed kind of  love.  What am "I" going to get out of this relationship, this gift, this special day?

As I have come to experience  the love of Christ, I am starting to understand more about what Scripture calls, "love".  Gods love is a patient love, a gentle, love, a kind love, (Gal. 5:22) and above all a sacrificial love.  This is the kind  of love God has for us.  This is the love Jesus is talking to His disciples to show toward each other, the love He has shown them.

It is this quality, sacrificially loving others, I believe that sets true followers of Christ apart from those who do not know Him in a personal relationship.  For myself I never really knew what real love was until I met Jesus.  I also never fully experienced real love directed toward me, until I experienced His love.    Believers loving others in specific ways reflects the love we have for Him.  We also know it, and show it, when we  serve others,-- hence title.

Brothers and sisters in Christ,  the world is watching how we love each other on a daily basis.  Do they see the love of Jesus reflected in what they see from us?  The love of Christ is service to others, not just expecting something for ourselves.  Can we each ask of ourselves, "Am I loving as Christ loves, so that, all men will know I am His disciple"?

O' precious Lord, how I so often I express and show  the worlds example of love, rather than Your perfect love, which is available if I only ask.  Can I love my brothers and sisters, and all Your creations with the love that You show me and I show then as Your disciple?  I pray so Lord!    And only by Your mercy and love for me is it even possible.
Thank You that You came from the Father to reveal to us what Gods love for us really looks like.  Your goodness is beyond anything words can say.  Your life says it all.

Love and Fear... Can you feel both at the same time?

 And there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.     1 John 4:18

As I was reading the blog of another dear friend from whom I find a wealth of experiential and spiritual wisdom,  I came away with a gem she had gleaned from a book she was reading.  The subject was on reactive attachment disorder and the gem that had my attention was a concept that love and fear can not be felt at the same time.
This caught my attention because FEAR, is a subject I am dealing with in my own life.  Seeing exactly how fear, deep rooted and buried within until recent years has ruled my life and kept me from experiencing what real love is.

Fear has colored many of the  choices I have made from a very early age. Fear that hid down deep in  inner thoughts and feelings that I tried to cover with business, or distractions  or the surface things of this world.  Fear for me was deep in my core and I didn't  want anyone else to know about it. Much of the time I didn't want to know about it.   It was covered heavily with the facade that I was in control, I had it altogether; I could handle anything, even when I knew I could not.

The facade was my protective shield. Or so I thought-more later on this.  In this world of broken souls and minds and bodies there are many of us who live or have lived our lives in fear, and there is an answer.

The perfect love of Jesus Christ.  He is perfect love and when you come to know Him in a personal and intimate relationship He truly gives you perfect love. The kind of love that sets you free from the bondage of fear. The kind of love that let's you love others without the need of covering your inner self protectively.
The kind of love that says: "Therefore there is now no condemnation--punishment--for those who are in Christ Jesus...the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free...Romans 8:1-2   We are free IN the Lord.

When He is at the center of our lives we no longer have to fear anything; mentally, emotionally, even physically (with wisdom) because God is Sovereign,  He has established His throne in the heavens and rules over all. God is in control even if we choose not to believe it so.  Unbelief doesn't change this fact.  We as humans get into trouble simple because we choose to disbelieve what His Word says.  Either in unbelief or simply not knowing what His Words says we do not hear the precious truths that sets us free.

Jesus proved His love for us at Calvary.  He gave up His very own life so that we would be free of eternal condemnation.  He took upon Himself the punishment I  deserved but no longer have to be afraid of as Gods  child.  Oh how long it has taken me to understand that I am now free and do not have to let fear reign within.

I am free in Jesus love and then free to love others as He loves me.  When I love, I do not feel fear.  When I fear I do not feel love.  So the answer to my title is no, we can not feel love and fear at the same time. One or the other is in control of how we feel.

Does this mean I do not feel fear at all.  No! Believe me when I say this is still a daily battle of my mind and emotions.  But what is different now is that I can choose to believe what Scripture tells me or let my fear rule.
God speaks many times throughout the Scripture for His children to not be afraid, He is with them.  Isa. 41:10  When I choose to trust this truth when I am experiencing fear,  His love pours in and the fear goes away.
Oh how I desire others to know this freedom they too can experience....it's not for a few "spiritually elite".  It's for each and every person who want's to except this love Christ offers us.   My prayer is that any one reading this may also come to know that same Perfect Love, my precious, precious Jesus Christ.

Oh Lord, so many of this world know so little truth about you The Son of God the Father. How much You love them, each one.  How you have a plan and  purpose for their lives and want to lavish Your  love on Your children.  And who doesn't want to be loved.  All of us seek it so and only truly find it in You.  May You reveal Yourself to fearful hearts and set them free with Your love.