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!
I think of Shakespeare’s famous quote: “To be or not to be. That is the question,” and I think it could easily be changed to: “To love or not to love. That is the question.” Love involves taking risks. It involves the possibility of getting hurt. To love or not to love.
We read in I Corinthians 13 that of faith, hope and love – the greatest is love. And also, that perfect love casts out all fear. Loving and being loved is what makes our lives worth living.
We all experience times in our lives where we feel unloved – and that love seems so far from us. During these times it’s easy to get stuck in those negative thoughts – and when we do that, we allow the negative thoughts to continue and grow – where will it lead us? It will lead to unhappiness and depression.
Love is more than just a pretty red heart, love is more than Dove dark chocolate – it’s the energy of life. It’s what motivates us to get up in the morning and keeps us going when things get tough! Love gives life purpose and meaning.
People are searching for love everywhere you look. It doesn’t matter your age, what language you speak, the color of your skin, your gender, your sexual orientation, if you’re rich or if you’re poor, or how educated you are we are all searching for love. The problem is many of us look for love in all the wrong places. (There’ve been so many songs written about this, haven’t there?).
God is love, and as we bring God into all of the places we’re seeking for love that energy will be attractive. How many times have we said during our benediction, “Go in love and let your light shine brightly sharing that love that you’ve been given with those in your life.”
Love is more than words, it’s best seen in action. We can put love into action by reaching out and loving others.
Sometimes we make it so hard on ourselves and we choose not to receive God’s love for us. Joyce Meyer tells it like this: “As soon as I made a commitment to God, I began to hear people talk about the importance of loving others. Since I wanted to live my life according to the Bible, I wanted to walk in love, but I just couldn’t. I had the urge but no power to follow through. I always made elaborate plans but couldn’t carry them out.
“Unfulfilled desire is often frustrating. I felt very frustrated and wondered what was wrong with me. I was impatient with people. I was legalistic, harsh, judgmental, rude, selfish and unforgiving and that is only the beginning of the list. The harder I tried to walk in love, the worse I became.
“I began to understand that I could not love others because I had never received God’s love for me. I knew in my head that the Bible said God loved me, but I didn’t feel God’s love in my heart. I wondered how God could love me…”
I’ve got good news for you: God loves you! When’s the last time someone told you they loved you? God loves you now and always!
God’s love is unconditional. In fact, there’s nothing we can do to escape God’s love! God’s love is the power that forgives us, restores us, heals us and transforms us.
Sometimes we think we’re not worthy of God’s love by something we’ve heard or were taught. That’s a lie. There’s nothing we can do to earn God’s love; there’s not enough work we can do to buy God’s love. God loves you so much, so much, and there’s enough to go around!
When we receive God’s love and let it fill our hearts and our spirits and then live in that love we can start to reach out to others more freely in that love. Because God’s never-ending love is in us we can give it to others without fear of ever running out!
We all want to be loved and accepted. And the love of God, that wonderful gift that is freely given, is for you to help give you confidence and peace. And as God’s love flows to us, then it can just as easily flow through us to other people.
I John 4:7-12 says: “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent Jesus into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that God loved us and sent Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and God’s love is perfected in us.”
I want to be the type of person that pours God’s love into others. To bless them, to put a smile on their face, to encourage them, to make a positive difference.
In Matthew 5 Jesus says that we are the salt of the earth. We are to “season” the lives of those around us. Without love, life is tasteless and bland. Love is the salt, the energy of life. The perfect ingredient! And there are no calories!
Know that you are deeply loved by God; and we can never run out of God’s love no matter how much you give away!
Rev. Dan Koeshall is the senior pastor at The Metropolitan Community Church (The Met), 2633 Denver Street, San Diego, California, themetchurch.org. Services every Sunday at 9 and 11 a.m.
