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A LOVING PEOPLE
by willetta pilcher 1 JN 4:11-12 "Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us." Love. Take a few minutes and define the word. I used to do that in my SS class of 20-40 yr olds. It was amusing and yet sad. Their definition of love carried a dangerous mix of scripture and the world. They absolutely could not define love without getting around to sex. Now no one is saying or even suggesting that sex cannot be a loving gesture between a married man and his wife. But that is the only acceptable place and with mutual consent. Sex was God's idea from the very beginning of time. Genesis 1:27-28 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it."31 "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morningthe sixth day."Genesis 2:25 "The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." The world defines love as hugging, kissing, touching, flirting, sex, a relationship (between man and woman, between two men or two women) a strong liking, and the list goes on. But God's love contains none of those things. God's love is unconditional. He loves because He chooses to love and it always seeks the best good of the other party. It is never selfish or self-serving. It includes direction, comfort, kindness, teaching, correction, testing, and discipline. The latter ingredients are all necessary for love to be Godly. God's love (or godly love) is never weak, unstable or unfaithful. It can be depended upon at all times. God's love never forces. It always seeks the permission of the one loved. Humanity is invited to accept His love, to voluntarily place themselves under His authority. If you choose not to accept His invitation He will allow you to experience the consequences of your own choice even though He is often blamed for it. People often think that when God allows them to make their own choice He is mean and vindictive when they experience those very uncomfortable consequences. Regardless of what they think... they are the ones who made the choice. Sin has it's own set of consequences and the ultimate one is destruction and death. Death to relationship, family, friendship, health, wealth, and spiritual death. Sin offers bright light, glitter, feel good moments, and blood racing feelings. But it is all a sham, a deception. Sin never seeks your or my best interest regardless of how it may come packaged. It parades itself as glamourous and something to be desired but underneath the exterior is a fatal dagger waiting to destroy the hopes and dreams of its intended victim. Love on the other hand offers peace with God, confidence, joy and freedom. Who could ask for more! Willetta has spent most of her life ministering to people. In her late seventies, and a wheelchair now her mode of travel, she now ministers to people through the internet. Her webs are... www.teachmethyways.org www.successwithkids.org www.theseedsower.org Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |