Love Is Calling – “Learn of Me”

Photo by Mandy Vincent Stahl (unsplash)

When you hear the word love, what comes to mind? Me, I now think of Father God! In my past life, my answer would have been quite different. I struggled for so many years in the area of love because I didn’t know Father God’s love. Not being secure in His love I walked in low self-esteem and became a “people-pleaser.” Unfortunately many people of today struggle, like I used to, expressing their love in ways that hurt self and others; and this is evident when we read or listen to other’s testimonies of being hurt in relationships. We are not born with inherent knowledge of how to express love to each other, love is taught; but we were created to be loved and to love others.

Two months ago I watched a very good movie that demonstrated true love in action. A 12-year old girl (we will call Molly) was placed in foster care because her mother didn’t want her. Molly as you can imagine was very angry about being placed in a foster home, with people she knew nothing about. Molly was very disrespectful to her foster mother (who was a Christian Woman) and rude and spiteful toward the other foster child. As the movie progressed, Molly continued to express her feelings of rejection through rudeness and intense anger. The more Molly refused to show love or gratitude, the more love the foster mother showered upon her.

Photo by Carolina Hernandez

This movie reminds me of scriptures found in First John Chapter 4: “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:7‭-‬10 KJV)

The foster mother’s actions toward Molly was one of genuine love – God’s love. Before the movie ended, Molly was transformed by the foster Mother’s love. When the Foster Agency found Molly’s natural grandmother, who was very wealthy, she didn’t want to leave the foster mother, who had very little to often Molly accept love. She learned, at an early age, “real love” is what we all need.

When I came into the Kingdom of God, Holy Spirit had to teach me “real love” – like Molly, I came into the Kingdom, which was new to me, with many years of rejection that kept me at a distance with Father God. Actually, as I look back over the years, I came into the Kingdom of God because I didn’t want to die and end up in hell. With Holy Spirit’s love, He took me on a journey to discover the truth, and I learned two very important pieces of information on this journey: “we can not love apart from God, for God is love; and God’s love for mankind compelled Him to send His Son to reconcile us back to Him!”

For many years in my Christian walk, I didn’t believe in love. I thought of it as an emotion people pretended with each other. Some thinking, hah! Holy Spirit had to soften my heart and restore my deceived thinking with the truth of His Word. On my way to work one day in 1987, I was listening to a radio minister, who preached an anointed message on love. I can remember the preacher and message as if it would yesterday. Like the Christian foster Mother, Holy Spirit used the radio minister to poured in the oil of healing in my heart with a powerful message on the “Love of God.” I learned that my anger, due to rejection, was aimed at God. I was indirectly blaming God for all my problems. That day, I surrendered my anger and rejection to Father God and I was drawn into His loving arms. For the first time in my life I really felt loved. Can you imagine the Lord using a radio minister’s message to set me free from my old way of thinking about love? Well He did, and I am still walking and living in Father’s love, and sharing it with everyone!

Read First John Chapter 4, I like to call it the “Love Chapter.” This chapter taught me to: 1) to encourage believers and unbelievers about God’s love. Apart from God we can do nothing, especially in the area of love. If we are not secure in His love or know God’s love, we won’t know how to love self or others. 2) To remind believers and unbelievers of God’s love in that God sent His Son to die for them. God’s love is so great that He gave the very best to reconcile us back to Him in love. 3) Encourage all to let “love” bloom in their hearts toward everyone. As we stay connected to Father God our love will bloom inwardly and spill outwardly into the lives of other’s. We will be secure in loving others, especially the unlovable, like Molly, which can be transformational. 4) As we grow in the Lord, we will know that “love” is KEY in the Kingdom of God and apart from God, we will never be able to comprehend love or have lasting, meaningful relationships.

Friends, I challenge you today and everyday don’t let your circumstances determine your day or life, instead let love cancel out all negativity and allow Holy Spirit to be your guide in this life called a journey. Friends, we serve an awesome God, surrender all your hurt and pain to Him, He is faithful to heal and restore your wounded heart. Trust God today with your heart and learn of His love! Jesus won every victory for us at the Cross, just believe and trust God by standing in the victory that is already ours.

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