Not only am I learning about meekness/humility, but I am learning how LOVE is the root of it ALL!
I used to think that I had it down, loving people. But it was with all the wrong motives. I loved to be loved in return, to have the approval of man etc…But now the Lord is breaking these things off of me and I am finding that I have no idea how to love people! It is one of my daily prayers…let me love others like You do, Jesus. And let me love You like the Father loves You! This is the first and second, greatest commandments. Out of Jesus’ own mouth. Matt. 22:36-40.
I am also finding that if we do not live out of love, we are living out of duty or out of legalism. What is the purpose of what we are doing then? Just to do it? Love should be the motivation of our hearts! The one whose heart is aflame with love will ENJOY and DESIRE to obey the Word.
If we truly understood the love that Jesus has for us, our lives would be COMPLETELY different. We would no longer live for the approval of man. But only the approval of God. We would no longer worry, we would trust God, that He loves us and knows what He is doing with our lives (Jer. 29:11). We would be freed from wounds in our hearts. We would live for OneThing. Our eyes would be focused only on Jesus Christ. We would give up the chase for other lovers, and truly be satisfied with the only One who can satisfy us. As David said in Psalm 27:4 “One thing I have asked fom the Lord, that I shall seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in his temple.”
Humility would also be a lot easier if we lived our lives in love. We would LOVE everyone and DESIRE to put them before ourselves. We would value what people have to say. Love covers a multitude of sins! We wouldn’t have anger, bitterness, jealousy or unforgiveness in our hearts towards others.
Man, if I could only walk like Jesus walked! Oh how this is the desire of my heart!
My prayer is Eph. 3:17, that we all would be rooted and grounded in His love! That we would understand the length, width, depth and height! To know the love that surpasses ALL understanding!
Amanda i loved reading your blog. If we do not have love, we have nothing. I have and continue to pray that we love each other well and as we ask God, his spirit leads us in love and it looks different and unique for each person in our lives and path. We are His ambassadors and may be the only Jesus others see. Lord, help us….it is not about us and we desire to reflect you. Thank you Amanda for your faithfullness in the kingdom. 1John 4:7&8 I pray you will have a wonderful week. Michele
Thank you so much Michele! God is really working on me and exposing my heart, and it is hard but wonderful! I want to be more like Him. As He is working on me, it gives me a greater desire to intercede and see this love in His bride as well! Thank you so much! I hope your week is so blessed and full of Him!
Dear Amanda: I’m currently a youth pastor in Colorado and I have several girls in my youth group. It is my desire and prayer that they realize their worth comes from their intimacy with Jesus and not from man. OneThing 09 is going to be right down the road this weekend in CastleRock. I love the poem on Misty Edward’s song I will waste my life. …I’ll leave you with this…
“A woman’s heart should be so lost in God that a man must be seeking the Lord to find it.”