Day 164 "It's Never Too Late With Love"

There exists in our world today a wide spectrum of motivators that lead and push us onward or downward in life. Some positive and uplifting, while others are negative and destructive. Unfortunately, for many of the negative ones, we blindly enter into a realm of unchartered waters with only our self-interest and self-centeredness to navigate and guide our way. Such has been many who have journeyed this course and have shipwrecked themselves upon the sandbars and rocks of poor choices, insecurity, impatience, intolerance, and greed and hatred. Almost all of the choices made were based on self-interests. Though you may feel like all is lost, I assure you that it is not. There is a force much greater than ourselves which helps to reshape our thoughts and ideals, mend our hearts, provide redemption, heal the brokenness, shore up the insecurities, shine light out of the darkness of our past, and give direction to find our way home. That force is called love.

Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

You are my friends if do what I command." John 15:13-14

"If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching." John 14:23

"Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching." John 14:24

"for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law. The commandments-do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not covet, and whatever other commandments there may be, are summed up in this one rule: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does not harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." Romans 8:8-10

Love is not grounded in self. In fact, love flourishes in the absence of focus on oneself. Love is what I call "otherly focused."

"then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being in

one spirit and purpose. 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 interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ." Philippians 2:2-5

From out of this world, God's love for us is unconditional and without merit. Our actions, beneficial or harmful, do not change God's love for us. It is redemptive, calling us out of our darkness to embrace a personal, intimate relationship with him.

"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the

kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness

of sins." Colossians 1:13

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new

has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and

gave us the ministry of reconciliation.: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them." 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

Every individual is redeemable to God, from the most vile, heinous individual to the most beloved among its people. Everyone is loved by God, unconditionally. It is his nature. There are no exceptions! And you are no different. Take a look around you. All that you see with your eyes is merely temporary. It will pass. But God, through his one and only begotten Son, has revealed eternity to us and God's provision for us to be a part of it. Compare a minute to a year. Then, compare your lifetime to forever. Our lives are but a vapor through the lenses of eternity. Do you not think that God knows everything about you? And yet, here is the marvelous thing about God, he still unconditionally loves you. That is grace. That is acceptance.

In God's love, it is never too late to change the nature and course of your life.

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"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

"Who shall separate us from the love of God?" Romans 8:35

"for I am convinced that...nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God

that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

That, my friend, is what is meant by the "Gospel," the "good news," that God loved us enough to send his Son to redeem us, no matter who we are or what we have done. We are redeemable!

In his love, see you tomorrow...

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