Day 112 "Love: A Powerful Game Changer!"

Imagine what our world would look like if each of us tried to live fully in each moment, motivated by putting the interest of others before our own? Think of the areas that man struggles with: poverty, racial inequality, religion, hunger, personal rights and freedom, abortion, domestic violence, crime, and divorce just to name a few. Think of each of these areas and ask yourself this question, "Which of these areas would still be a problem if we were able to put the interest of others before our own?

I contend that none of these areas would exist it we truly cared for one another. So, why do we continue to struggle so much? I would like to propose four reasons, I am sure there are more, but these I think we can wrap our arms around: fear, acceptance, identity, purpose.

Fear

We live in a world where fear dominates many areas of our lives and dictates why we do the things we do. We fear what other people think of us. We fear failure. We fear those things which we don't understand. We fear those things which are different from us. We fear loss. We fear being victimized. We fear loss of personal control-being told what to do and when to do it. We fear death. We fear loneliness. We fear making the wrong choices thinking that we might miss out on what is best for us. We fear not being important. We fear being rejected. We fear being made fun of. We fear what God thinks of us. Wow, did you ever stop to think of how many things we do out of fear of something taking place?

What if you lived your life with no fear. What would your life look like? Almost all the fears that we face have their roots in our own insecurities. What if there was a way to shore up our insecurity and make us whole, independent of what others may think of us. Is there a way for this to happen? I believe there is. How? By understanding God's unconditional love and acceptance of you. The Bible reveals God's love for us. The more you understand it and live by it, the more you will experience a reduction of fear in your life.

"Perfect love casts out all fear." 1 John 4:18

God's love cuts the tether that binds us to one another out of fear and replaces it with freedom to be who we are and allow other people to be who they are.

Acceptance

So much of what we do and how we act is tied up in how we feel about ourselves. We are always and constantly on guard of our own image before others, for in many ways, we are who we feel and believe that others think we are. Therefore, we bind ourselves to the reactions of others.

God's love sets us free from needing the acceptance and approval of others. Christ's sacrifice upon the cross made us holy and righteous before God. We receive a full and complete pardon from all possible condemnation.

"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those in Christ." Romans 8:1

It was God's love and grace that designed and implemented our salvation and reconciliation of our relationship back with him. If God be for us, who can stand against us? In Christ, we are children of God, c0heirs with Christ.

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

It's important to understand the term "unconditional," along with all of its ramifications. If God loves us unconditionally, then it means he places no condition upon our actions. Unlike so many people around us, God's love sets us free to simply be who were are, free from any possibility of rejection. Should the love of everyone else around us fade, God's would still be there.

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

Identity

If God defines us, who can undefine us? If the creator of the whole universe has a personal interest in you and tells you that you through Christ are one of his children, who else in this world would you allow to undefine you? It is God's unconditional love that sets us free from the acceptance from one another and free from any rejection. Our spiritual identity and future has already been secured for us through Jesus' death upon the cross. What fear is left, then, when it comes time for each of us to leave this temporary world and move into God's eternal kingdom?

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared

for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9

Purpose

The ultimate purpose for why we exist is to have a personal relationship with our creator. If you come to this understanding, then it only makes sense that God is not no much interested in our goodness and righteousness, as he is interested in developing a relationship with us. Listen, if you are already made holy in God's sight through Jesus Christ, then any further acts concerning your goodness is no longer of importance. God already sees you has righteous and holy. You can't add to it! The great news is that you can't take away from it either! Our developing relationship with God through love will take care of our behavior. Jesus said that the greatest command was to love. You cannot live your life any better than when you live each moment in love placing the interest of the people around you before your own.

"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." Galatians 5:6

"And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 1 John 3:23

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law." Romans 13:8

"Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law." Romans 13:10

I believe wholeheartedly that our purpose on earth is learning how to love. For many of us, we will spend a lifetime trying to get ourselves and our own needs out of the way. When we finally begin to see how temporary everything around us in this world is, our hearts will begin to gravitate to those things which have eternal significance. There is no greater commandment than to love. Why? Because when we understand that real love puts the interest of others before our own, then we see how far reaching love really is. Love can affect every area of our lives. And when we are finally secure in ourselves, then we become free to love others as Christ first loved us.

"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19

Jesus told us that if we seek to find our lives, we will lose it. But, if instead, we seek to lose our life for his sake, we will find it.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interest, but also to the interest of others." Philippians 2:3-4

Being loved and learning how to love others is an absolute "game changer" for this life.

"And now these three things remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

"Follow the way of love" 1 Corinthians 14:1

And, now, you know the reason why love is such a game changer for your life. It changes us. Then, it allows us to help change the world- one person at a time.

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"Carpe Momentum in Love (Seize the moment in love)

Love changes everything! See you tomorrow....