Choose Love (15 page)

The same Holy Spirit who works in our lives and in the world today worked in the miraculous life of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the same as well.

Paul prayed for the Ephesians that they would “be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). He wanted them to receive Christ in their heart so His Holy Spirit would live in them, and they would be “rooted and grounded in love” so that they could comprehend “
what is the width and length and depth and height
”
of God’s love
(Ephesians 3:17-18). He wanted them to “know the love of Christ which passes knowledge” and be filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19).

Paul prayed that they would build on a foundation of God’s love—not just the
knowledge
of God’s love but the
experience
of it. We ought to pray the same for ourselves as well.

Because God loves you, you can have peace beyond comprehension. The peace of God can always be yours. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you…
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid
” (John 14:27). He said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”
(John 16:33).

Jesus overcame the world and now empowers you to do the same.

The life God has for you is a fruitful life.

Jesus described Himself as the true vine. He said when we receive Him, we become branches that are grafted into Him. He warned us that we cannot bear fruit unless we stay closely connected to Him as our lifeline. He said, “
He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing
” (John 15:5). If we are not bearing good fruit in our life, it’s because we are not plugged into the true vine.

Jesus also said, “My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and
every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit”
(John 15:1-2). In order for a branch to bear fruit it must be pruned. That means it must be cut back so the dead or unproductive areas are taken away and it can become stronger. We cannot prune ourselves as well or
as thoroughly as
He
can. We need Him to see all that is dead in us that has to be cut off. He will get rid of whatever keeps us from producing more fruit.

If we choose to not walk with God and continue on in that way, we are then cut off from our life source. But if we stay connected to Him, or come back to Him in repentance, then our prayers are answered. Jesus said, “
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you
” (John 15:7).

Abiding in the Lord is the key to having your prayers answered.

Jesus saves you
from much
, and
to much
, for a purpose. He wants you to bear good fruit. And because He loves you, He will enable you to do that.

God loves you more than you know. You can choose to open up your heart and receive it. When you do that, your life will never be the same. And I assure you that you won’t want it to be.

Prayer of Love

L
ORD
, I am amazed at what You
can
and
will
do in me because You love me. Help me to understand the expanse of Your reach into my life. Enable me to remember this when I am in the middle of a storm and need You to bring calm (Psalm 107:28-29). Thank You that You can turn a wilderness into a pool of refreshing water (Psalm 107:35). Thank You that You always see me and know where I am. I am grateful that because I have invited You to be Lord over my life, Your hand is always upon me. Thank You that because I am with You, You are always with me.

I have made You my hiding place from trouble, and I know You will surround me “with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7). Thank You that when I am afraid I can run to You and You will deliver me from all my fears (Psalm 34:4). Only You can bring good out of bad situations when I submit them to You. I pray You will bring great things out of all that is difficult and troubling in my life.

I am grateful that because You love me, there is no place I can be that Your Spirit is not with me (Psalm 139:8-10). Thank You that You will never leave or forsake me, and even in old age I will always have a great purpose. Help me to abide in You so that I will always bear good fruit in my life. I know that without You I can do nothing good and lasting. Thank You that because You love me You will give me everything I need to live the life You have for me.

In Jesus’ name I pray.

Words of Love

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

1 J
OHN
4:18

The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous will come through trouble.

P
ROVERBS
12:13

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

R
OMANS
8:26-27

The blessing of the L
ORD
makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.

P
ROVERBS
10:22

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

P
SALM
30:5

Second Choice

Choose to Express Your Love for God

8

Love Who He Is Wholeheartedly

T
he second major decision you must make—after the first major decision to
receive
God’s love—is to
love God
. Consistently. Without doubt. With everything that is in you. No fingers crossed. No dipping your toes in the shallow end but instead plunging full force into the deepest part of the ocean of God’s affection for you.

When you understand who God is and how much He loves you—and you open your heart to receive His love—then you cannot help but grow in love for Him
.
It just happens
.

The amazing thing is that the more your love for Him grows, the more you will forget about who you
think
you are and begin to understand who He
made
you to be. God wants you to love Him so much that you walk closely enough with Him to allow the knowledge of who
He really is
define who
you really are
.

Expressing our love for God involves more than just feeling it. More than just saying a thank-you to Him when you think of it. Nothing is wrong with either of those things, but there are also specific decisions we need to make regarding how we live and relate to God.

The Bible not only tells us how much God loves us and how
far He has gone to assure us of His love, but it also tells us how we should express our love to
Him
in ways that please Him most.

Jesus instructed us to love Him with all of our being
.

He said, “You shall love the L
ORD
your God with
all your heart
, with
all your soul
, with
all your mind
, and with
all your strength
” (Mark 12:30).

That means wholeheartedly, with all that we have, by every means possible, with no holding back because our inner jury is still out on the verdict about Him.

Jesus instructed us to love Him more than anyone or anything
.

He said, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37).

That doesn’t mean we don’t love our family members. It does mean we refuse to allow our love for anyone else to in any way diminish our love for God. In other words, we don’t get so caught up with other people that we are too preoccupied to get caught up with
Him
. We seek His kingdom first, as He asks us to do, believing He will provide for those we love as well as for us because we are praying for them. This shows that we trust God to take care of them, knowing He loves them even more than we do.

Jesus instructed us to love Him more than wealth
.

He said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24
NIV
).

That means if we love money and possessions more than we love God, then we don’t really love Him because we cannot do both. If our life is all about gaining wealth, then it’s not all about serving God. If it’s about loving riches, then it’s not about being rich in the things of the Lord.

Wanting to make enough money to pay your bills doesn’t mean you don’t love God. But understanding where the money to pay the bills actually comes from means you recognize the source of everything you have. When you submit all you have to God and intend that your possessions glorify Him, then you are led by the love of God and not the love of money.
He
is directing you and not anyone or anything else.

Falling in Love with Someone Special

We have to know God intimately in order to love Him wholeheartedly. It requires great understanding and knowledge of who He is and what He thinks about you.

It takes falling in love with Him.

I was speaking at a large conference of women a week after Mother’s Day, and I was talking about loving God. I asked the women to remember the way it was when they fell in love with someone. How it felt. Where they wanted to be. How they acted around the object of their affection.

I described it to them this way. See if it sounds accurate to you.

When you fall in love, that special person you love occupies your every thought, so much so that it’s hard to focus on anything else. You long for that person when you’re not with them, and you cannot wait to be in their presence again. You are thrilled with everything you see about them. What’s not to love, right? You want to know all there is to know about that person, so you often look lovingly at them for clues as to who they
are
and who they will
become
. You want to wrap your arms tightly around them and never let go. And every time you embrace that person, you feel new strength, fulfillment, joy, and life flowing into your being. You have deeply connected to that person at a depth you have always dreamed about, and your heart has found a home.

As I was describing all of this, I realized that each phrase perfectly described how I felt about the Mother’s Day gift I had received just the week before. When my son and daughter-in-law handed me a small package wrapped in pink with a pink bow on top, I was smitten. She was 6 pounds, 13 ounces, and the moment I saw her it was love at first sight. My first grandchild—my granddaughter—was only minutes old, and yet she had a way of bringing such joy and happiness into my heart that I knew she was someone I would love forever.

What’s not to love?