Living In Love

Last week I wrote about how we can live like Jesus, in the experience of being loved. Sometimes when we think about that we wonder how on earth it can be possible. We ask ourselves what we have to do in order to make it happen, it seems an impossible task. 

Although it seems an impossible task it is truly possible for us to live in love. It's an impossible task as it doesn't originate in us - we love because he first loved us. Living in love is simply us being the recipients of the love that flows from the Father. God is love. He pours that love into our heart through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). What he does therefore is pour himself into our heart so his nature, character and personality fill us and begins to change us from the inside out. We think it's the other way - that we change ourselves through our own actions or beliefs. Yet it is love which is the biggest transforming power in the universe. As we are transformed by love we will become more like our elder brother, Jesus. 

In Exodus 33, Moses is having a conversation with God about how he is to lead the people. Firstly he asks who is going to help him, then he wants to learn God's ways and finally he realises it's all about God's presence going with him. When he sees that, he almost breathes an audible sigh of relief "if your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here" (Exodus 33:15). Once he knows God's presence is with him he then has the confidence to see his glory. In doing so he gets a glimpse of the nature and character of God (Exodus 34:6-7). 

When Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations he is clearly not having a very good time. He is miserable and depressed, he has lost hope and everything has become too much for him. How often do we feel like that? It is at his low point that he remembers something, and as he does it gives him hope. His life returns as he remembers the most important thing - he is loved. 

"I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'the Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for him'". (Lamentations 3:20-24 NIV)

It is possible to live in love because we are not relying on something that we have to produce. We are relying on the steadfast, unchanging nature of the One who is love. His love never changes nor will it ever let us down. That is what can give you hope today.