How to love...

 

My prayer:

Awesome Father. I come to you in the name of Jesus, the Christ Messiah and I need some help with love. It is the commandment of the new covenant, to love you and to love others as I do myself. More specifically, you have told me that is my ministry, to love those you have put in my life. Something that is so easy to say but at times, so difficult to do. 

You are love. To love perfectly comes so naturally to you. I have a harder time. Love in this world has been pretty beat up and mishandled. Is it more loving to tell someone they are wonderful when the truth is that they have some things that really have to change if they are going to be successful. Or is it more loving to help them understand, in a loving way, what they can do differently. Am I loving my fellow man when I help them with something that is difficult for them or am I actually hurting them by taking away the opportunity for them to learn and grow. Or, does motivation really determine it all. If my true motivation is love and I make decisions out of that love, is that the best love I can give?

I ask for your help to love better.

What God Said Tonight:

Love, human love, is not perfect. the only perfect love is from me. Human love, the love you are capable of on your own, is flawed and has to be given out with equal measures of love and grace. 

Motivation does matter. If your heart is right and your intentions are right, that often leads to the right actions of love. If those intentions are wrong or are not out of love, then there is very little possibility that the outcome will be good, that the outcome will be love. I may even say it is impossible. 

When I ask you to love those around you, I am asking more than anything, to reflect the love that I have shown you. The closer you can get to that reflection, the closer you get to perfect love. 

When faced with a decision, first check your heart. Are your intentions right? Is your intention to love that person? If so, consider situations in your life where you have been faced with the same issue. How did I handle that situation with you? Reflect that love and grace that I showed you. 

It isn't always easy but it gets easier every time you do it. I love you my child, now and forever.