1 John 4.15-21

" ¹⁵If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. ¹⁶And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. ¹⁷In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. ¹⁸There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

¹⁹We love because he first loved us. ²⁰If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. ²¹And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."

I know, I know. All this talk of LOOOVE... Well get over it! haha. It IS the LOVE MONTH after all. So grin and bear it. Maybe there's a reason you're not the happiest right now, take that as a check in your spirit and get right with God, because God is ALL about love.

With that being said, I really like these verses. They are so so true.

He who does not love his brother (or sister) (aka friends, ENEMIES, coworkers, bosses, etc etc) does not love the Lord. EEK! HARSH WORDS, GOD! But he's serious about this. We can't just be selfish and merely love God, or Jesus (in that vertical love). He wants us to also love people the way that HE loves people, without finding fault or blemish, (in that horizontal sort of love) and once you have both vertical and horizontal love, what do you get?

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, A CROSS...

God is love, God is love, God is love. I will continue to repeat it until it completely sinks into my spirit. I am called to love- that's a lifestyle that differs from what the world thinks is "normal or acceptable". According to the world, you don't like someone, that's fine, don't talk to them, leave them be. Whatever. But you know what that does? It leaves the possibility for the Enemy to place thoughts in your head about that person. Thoughts of anger, rage, maybe it's fear, jealousy, contempt, whatever the case. And you'll realize you've ended up in a worse place than where you've intended it to go.

Don't allow yourself to get to that point.

Jesus,

I thank you for today, sniffles, coughs, soar chest and all. I ask that you release your healing on me, in the name of Jesus. I put it in your hands and trust you. I ask for a larger heart to love more, Jesus. I want to always be remembered for my loving heart, not to be confused with someone that becomes a doormat and lets people walk all over, but a true, genuine heart of love, and in that would come discipline, vigor, and righteousness. I thank you for the place you have dragged me, literally took me by the shirt and plucked me out of... The deceptions I was living in, thus hardening my heart to not love. I thank you that I don't need to prove myself to anyone, but your love speaks for itself. Your spirit has given me my testimony and I love the fact that if anyone would have issue, all I need to do it point to you. You are my defender. My life is a living, walking testimony of your grace, your love, your abundance in life. Thank you. I am so in love with you. Holy Spirit, remain with me today as I make it through this sickieness. Fill my heart with your love, my head with your thoughts, my feet with the steps you want me to take, my mouth with your words. I love you so so much.

amen.