Monday, August 24, 2009
Love and the hope of heaven
I was thinking about changing my blog name from "Learning to Live", to "Learning to Love". I am not sure I have time for both. And loving seems the most important biblically. I am alive in Christ already, whether I feel like it or not. Loving is really, really hard. I am not even completely sure what it is yet. Speaking of which, I have been pondering what these verses mean the last couple of days, Col 1:4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 5 which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. Why would our confident hope of what God has reserved for us in heaven cause us to love? That is so weird to me. Unless we love everyone in their imperfections (including ourselves) now because we know we will all be perfected in heaven? Or we don't worry about people loving us back because we know everything will be made right in heaven? I can see serving and obeying God because of what He has reserved for us in heaven, but loving? I am sure God will explain it to me sooner or later.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Oh man, do I need to learn a LOT about loving....and living too for that matter! I feel like I'm still in pre-school in the loving department. Maybe middle school in the living one!! I used to be afraid of the vulnerability of loving but now I think I'm afraid more of the cost of loving. Know what I mean?
I know totally what you mean. The cost is very high. It feels like death sometimes. And sometimes, I think it is...
The first thing that comes to my mind is that God is LOVE..and when we get to heaven we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him like He is (isn't there a scripture that says that????). Anyway, for what it's worth, that's what came to my mind. In those times when I am immersed in Him (in prayer)....doused by His Holy Spirit, forgetting about myself, is when I am overwhelmed with love for others, even the ones who are most difficult to love. Those are the moments that are the greatest in my life, yet I do not often enough divert from the "to do life list" and allow myself the luxury of these amazing experiences...which I know give my Father great joy - intimacy with Him! Such is life...we are in these earthly bodies...and I know our Lord understands. But one day, we shall be transformed! WOW!
Hi Tawny :) Great to see you back! How has your summer been?
Such a great point you make about growing in love - there's so much to challenge this day to day I find - especially when I look at all the aspects of loving as it is laid out in 1 Cor. 13 - patient, kind, not easily angered, doesn't keep a record of wrongs, always believes the best, and that's only a few of the verses :) Wow, so much to grow in!
Lovely to see you back, hope you're well :)
Hey Birgit!
I have been trying to get caught up in reading your blog too. I think your pictures are getting even better!
Yes, I have those verses painted on my kitchen walls. I have to go in there and read them a lot to remind me of what I am supposed to be like. :)
Post a Comment