Live From Love
As we move on from the well-known “month of love” and onto the rest of the year, we should remember that love wasn’t ever meant to be celebrated just one month or one day. When we know how much our God truly loves us, we can live from a position of being loved, allowing this love to pour out from us onto those in our lives. It’s a love that fills us until we overflow into those around us. We were never meant to go out and find love, look to people to love us, accept us, and tell us we are good enough. Rather, we were always meant to return to our Maker’s lap again and again while he reassures us how precious we really are to him. Someone who knows that, I mean really knows it, doesn’t need anything from others. They can simply give.
“God- you’re my God! I can’t get enough of you!
I’ve worked up such a hunger and thirst for God,
traveling across dry and weary deserts.
So here I am in the place of worship,
eyes open, drinking in your strength and glory.
In your generous love I am really living at last!
My lips brim praises like fountains.
I bless you every time I take a breath;
My arms wave like banners of praise to you.
I eat my fill of prime rib and gravy: I smack my lips.
It’s time to shout praises!
If I’m sleepless at midnight, I spend the hours in grateful reflection.
Because you’ve always stood up for me,
I’m free to run and play.
I hold on to you for dear life,
and you hold me steady as a post. ”
Now that sounds like someone who was pretty full of God, but David didn't just praise him while he was king. If you notice at the beginning of this Psalm, it says A David Psalm, When He Was out in the Judean Wilderness. He was in the wilderness running for his life and he still filled himself with God. I believe this is one of the reasons he was so influential as King. God could trust him to love his people well because he was so full of God's love for him.
Now, not all of us will be in charge of a nation, but we all have people that God has strategically placed in our life for us to love through him. Most of us want God to give us more influence and status among people, but we miss the very ones he's already given to us. When we're faithful in the little, we will be made faithful over much (Luke 16:10) and God isn't going to give you more of his children if your abusing and misusing the ones in your life now. He is a loving father and we are made in his likeness.
Moving forward into the rest of this year, let's keep this concept of "love" on the forefront of our minds. Only when we sit at our Master's feet will we be filled with the very love this world so desperately needs. An empty vessel cannot fill anyone and we daily need to get refilled so we have something to give to people, without needing them to fill us in return. Only then can God truly use us to bring His fullness into the people around us.