Rebirthing Love

Most humans always exclaim about how great relationships are and how those relationships are necessary for existence. Some people need lots of close friends and then some acquaintances to spice things up. Others just need a few friends and could care less about the next person they meet. But I'll admit, there are times when I get drained from relationships. People let you down, expectations change, Satan begins to take over and change your perceptions, teasing you, giving suggestions about what feels right, and clouding your mind with doubts. He literally plays with your emotions and uses them against you to get you caught in a rut, and I'll be honest its not a fun place to be and it can be even worse for those around you. So what do you do when you feel like you can't love anymore? When you're so twisted around mentally by Satan that you don't feel the need to care? The first thing to do is to turn to God, and here's a great verse to start at: Luke 7:47 "Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” In this verse, Jesus explains that your forgiveness determines your love. When you understand that God has forgiven you of a great many sins, you learn how to love like never before. The same is true of forgiving others. The more you forgive others, the greater opportunity for them to love you back. Another great verse is 1 John 4:19 "We love because He first loved us." God loved you first, and because of that you can find the strength to recharge your love meter and share that with other people. Just think about it. God loves you. He loves you enough to forgive all your sins. He has promised to forget them. He has also promised to bless you, to protect you, and strengthen you. God has your very best interests at heart, despite how you respond, react, or even neglect His truth in your life. NO matter how much you ignore God, He cares for you continually. Think about it.....ponder that thought before going on.....let it sink in........

Do you feel better? Do you feel refreshed? So here's the next step. Ephesians 5 says "Follow God’s example....and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us." Let God's love envelope you so that you want to share it with others so that you follow this example: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Think about that.....have you been compassionate to others? Are you forgiving? Being a forgiving person isn't about liking someone. It's about not remembering what that person did that hurt you and not holding it against them. The first step, is to stop thinking about it, and every time you think about it change your thoughts to something else because then you will harden your heart towards that person and that relationship will be strained, particularly for those who are close to you. Sometimes this will take patience but according to 2 Peter 3:9 God is super patient with us: "Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." God is always looking out for your best interests. He's concerned about you and He wants to talk, comfort, and uphold you. "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us." (1 john 4:16) Rely on God's love because it will renew you. So getting back to those relationships you have that maybe strenuous at the moment. What are you thinking now? Let God's love soak through you so that you are able to fully love those around you. Otherwise you're setting yourself up for failure because without love everything you do will be like a "clanging cymbal" it'll just be noise to that person. What do you want to do? Help those around you recharge through the Love of God? or be constant "noise" that only causes them to be more frustrated at their situation further pushing them into Satan's grasp and cunning.