As a progressive, I believe there are many names for God and many ways to God – this article reflects one of those ways. Take from here what works for you. Celebrate life with joy and peace!
Love is beautiful. It is as unique and wonderful as the multiple combinations of all of God’s unique and wonderful creation can be!
What I’ve come to know is that as long as you’re alive, no matter how long you may live, you never stop learning. We can choose to learn the easy way or the hard way – it’s up to you. Every minute of every day brings new opportunities to learn something we’ve never known before. As long as we remain open to receive – God will continue to teach us every day.
I’ve put together a compilation of Joyce Meyer devotionals to help create this series on MCC Love Stories. I’m sure she’d be glad to know she’s contributing to a vibrant, inclusive and progressive church – passionately sharing the Good News of God’s inclusive love to all people.
We are always learning and growing – especially about love. There is so much to learn about love – and as we are open to God teaching us every day about love, it will change our lives.
I like how Joyce Meyer says, “I’ve come to the place where I can honestly say, ‘Lord, eliminate everything in my life that’s holding me back. Please take away anything that’s keeping me from walking in love and finding true fulfillment in my life.’ In other words, ‘Lord, reduce me to love – bring me to a state or condition of walking in love completely!’”
I Corinthians 13 says, “If I speak with the tongues of humans and angels but have not love, I am but a sounding gong or a tinkling cymbal. Love is patient and is kind. It does not envy, it is not proud. Love is not rude, it is not self-seeking, and it is not easily angered. Love keeps no record of wrongs. It does not rejoice in evil but delights only in the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. Now abide faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love.”
One of the most important facets of love is that love is being unselfish. Being unselfish is a willingness to sacrifice your own wishes for those of others. True love will always adapt and adjust to the appropriate needs and desire of other people.
Recently, I was at a gathering celebrating a pastor and his partner’s 30th anniversary! When asked, what the secret to their long relationship was, Rev. John waxed eloquently about a myriad of things – it was inspiring. And then it was his partner John’s turn to talk about the secret to their 30 years together. He said two words … “Yes dear!”
When people have truly been reduced to love, it’s almost impossible to be selfish. You want the best for them. You want them to succeed. With God’s help, you learn to be adaptable and adjustable to others.
Selfish people, on the other hand, have hard hearts. It’s difficult for them to learn – especially if it involves self-sacrifice. They expect everyone to adjust to their needs and their schedule and their wants and desires. They simply don’t know how to adjust to others without becoming angry or upset.
Learning to adapt and adjust to the needs and desires of others is difficult. I’m constantly in the school of hard knocks trying to learn that. Have you ever just wanted it your way? And when you didn’t get it you got upset? What a lesson to learn.
I’ve been there, done that. I’ve been selfish. I wanted what I wanted, when I wanted it; on my terms, on my timetable. I found out that’s a pretty lonely place to live.
As God began to soften my heart, I gradually learned to see the needs of others. Then that grew into compassion – the heartfelt desire to meet the needs of others first before my own.
Like a toddler learning to walk, we slowly become committed to walking in love. To adapt our own needs and desires in order to help meet the needs of others, and to learn how to show love in different ways to different people. Not all people need the same thing from us. Some need one on one time, some need reassurance, and some need gifts. We all have a different language of love.
Sometimes giving love can be overwhelming – so many different people needing different things in different ways at different times. At times it might feel overwhelming. Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, remind yourself that God gives you grace and strength for whatever God places in your life – and then, think how blessed you are – to be loved and needed by so many!
And if that doesn’t work, I remember how lonely I felt when I lived in selfishness. When I think about this, it doesn’t take me too long to adjust my attitude.
Here’s another important lesson: just telling people, “I love you” isn’t enough. We need to go beyond the words and actually do something to show we love them – do something to help meet their needs. There’s a reason we know the phrase “actions speak louder than words” – it’s because it has passed the test of time. It is the truth.
Throughout the years as I’ve interviewed and counseled with couples, they all point to the fact that a secret to making their relationship work is being able to adapt and adjust to their partner. It didn’t work when only one partner was asking the other partner to make all of the adjustments. It’s a two way street.
Once we’ve been reduced to love our relationships will increase in health and joy. It’s about giving and receiving.
I love the verse where God shows love in such a tangible way: For God so loved the world, that God gave us a gift – Jesus – Emmanuel, God with us, an example of unconditional love, and a pathway to forgiveness, giver of joy and fulfillment of life, peace in the midst of the storm.
God is love. And the enemy to love is fear.
Perfect love casts out all fear.
Remember, we are never too old to learn or too young, or too smart, or too good, or too experienced – fill in the blank.
“Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. Now abide faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love.” Amen.
