May Fast Day 3

Theme: Agape Saturated 

We’re in the home stretch! Hallelujah! Yesterday we focused on our love for God, which informs our love for ourselves and ultimately others. 

Scripture says love your neighbor as yourself. 

Which would mean loving yourself is also a part of loving others. Do you love yourself? Seems like an easy yes. However, our ability to answer this question is affected by our trauma, experiences, and relationships. 

If God is love and He established the true definition of love, then loving ourselves begins with our love for God. Else our love of self will be warped by things of this world. 

Let us bring it back to God! 

Jesus has died and conquered death for the sins of mankind, so that we can be reconciled to our Father in Heaven and have eternal life. Salvation is freely given to us. This is huge! God paid the ultimate sacrifice for us to know Him. That’s rich! Which means we have value. Not because someone thinks we do. Not because of our appearance, talent, GPA, credit score, marital status, age, or career but because the God of the universe chose us. You have value!! 

Jesus showed us how much He values us by His sacrifice for us even before we chose Him. This is foundational to our love for ourselves and ultimately our perspective and love for others. God chooses you! And God is calling us to consider His love for others as we interact with people every day. But we must know that He specifically loves each of us. It is from that truth we are humbled to love others well. Knowing we do not deserve His love yet He freely gives it to us. And from a heart of gratitude, we can love others in a way that honors God. 

And as we share the love of Christ, we show evidence that we are His children. 

Meditate on these scriptures today: 

Romans 13:8 

“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” 

Romans 13:10 

Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” 

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 

As you read through each scripture what are your thoughts? Do you believe you love yourself and extend that love to others? Are there any barriers that prevent you from loving yourself or others? 

Bring them to God. All of it. Share your heart with God today and pray that God would strengthen you to love yourself and others in a way that honors Him. All glory to God!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

May Fast Day 1

Theme: Agape Saturated  Love. Such a profound word that is quite overused and misunderstood. Scripture says “for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16. The Greek word for love in this passage is agape. Agape love is unique in that it is unconditional and sacrificial, noted to be a love that comes specifically from God. For us to truly live our lives as believers after God’s own heart we need to start with the fundamentals. Who is God? And what has God done for us?  Scripture says God is love. Which means the standard for love is established in God Himself.  And because God loves us with agape love, He sacrificed His only son, that we may be reconciled to Him and have eternal life. Deep! Profound to say the least.  That knowledge should urge us to meditate on the truth of God’s love for us. It is from the knowledge of the love of God we are able   to truly lo...
Read more

June Fast Day 1

Our focus this fast is kingdom synergy  According to Cambridge English Dictionary synergy is "the combined power of a group of things when they are working together that is greater than the total power achieved by each working separately". This is powerful!  Think about how this is applicable in our christian walk. Before we think about the power achieved in group activities, let us think about the power established in our lives when we profess our belief of God and received the Holy Spirit.  Immediately there is a spiritual shift that takes in place. The spiritual shift is really for our benefit. God does not need us. We need God. And God is gracious enough to not just call us, give us life eternally when we repent and seek Him, but He has also given us authority. John 15:5 reads  I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him , he  bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing . The key to us operating in power is our abidin...
Read more