Friday Freelance: REAL LOVE

real love fully accepts a person "as is"

real love sees beyond appearances to the heart of a person

real love sees evil and remembers that all humanity’s got the disease

real love sees the evil in another and looks past it to the good

real love sees the evil that causes hurt and challenges it to get out

real love sees the good in a person and challenges it to come forth

real love sees every person as made in the image of God

real love knows every person is as special as God makes ME feel

real love knows EVERYONE suffers from inferiority complex and needs validation

real love speaks truthfully, without overdoing it

real love sees the pain another carries and draws close to help carry it

real love discovers the right way to meet another’s need

real love recognizes a heart feeling emptiness and offers what will fill it

real love gratefully accepts imperfect gifts given with sincerity

real love remembers to say "thank you"

real love stands ready to says "yes"

real love says "no" when it’s truly best

real love isn’t irritated by the irritating

real love finds the right outlet to dissolve anger instead of burying it or lashing out

real love says "I’m hurt" without causing hurt

real love means that when I know I’ve caused hurt, I hurt too

real love knows it’s EVER needing to say "I’m sorry"

real love knows saying "I’m sorry" means most when it comes with "I was wrong"

real love forgives completely

real love knows what and how to forget

real love knows what and how to remember

real love wants to share what’s most treasured

real love knows that real love means real sacrifice

real love will sacrifice even what’s most dear

real love is willing to go to the grave

real love goes past the grave into eternity

real love loves without dependence on being loved back

real love loves even those who seem unlovable

real love is usually simple but rarely easy ...

... and PERFECT love does not fear


The ultimate REAL LOVE is God’s love. In fact, the Bible says that God is love. History’s greatest "I love you" was written in blood on a hill called Calvary, sent by Almighty God from His throne in heaven as a gift to you personally.

God knows that the evil in our hearts would ruin heaven. Only the blood of Jesus has the power to wipe out sin and clean up our hearts. There’s NO WAY the Father would have allowed His Son to die the way He did if Jesus’ blood hadn’t been absolutely necessary to clear the way for His love. He won’t impose this gift on anyone who won’t admit that it’s needed and doesn’t believe it’s real. He asks those who trust and accept His gift of love and salvation to remember and value it, and to keep trusting in Him and His love.

The same amount of love it took to send Jesus to Calvary is the same amount of love God wants YOU to have from Him EVERY day. If you’re not feeling His love right now, take a moment and ask the Lord to show you if there’s anything between the two of you that’s hindering the flow of His love, that you need to get rid of. Then allow His REAL LOVE to fill your heart. We don’t have to deserve God’s love (He loves us in spite of ourselves!)—we only have to be willing to receive it.

Whenever you want to know more of God’s love, read His love letter to you (the Bible). Talk with Him, tell Him you’re sorry for the times you don’t pay attention Him, tell Him you love Him, and ask Him to show you as much of His love as you can handle. When you’ve received His love, you can prolong it and multiply its power by sharing real love with others—EVERY day.

And we have seen and testify that
the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God,
God dwells in him and he in God.
And we have known and believed
the love that God has in us.
God is love,
and he who abides in love abides in God,
and God in him.
In this is our love made perfect,
that we may have boldness in the day of judgment,
that as He is, so also we are in this world.
There is no fear in love,
but perfect love casts out fear,
because fear has torment.
He who fears has not been perfected in love.
We love Him because He first loved us ...
And we have this commandment from Him,
that he who loves God should love his brother also.
~ 1John 4:14-19,21 (MKJV)


HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY
REAL LOVE is something to celebrate every day!

Copyright 2004, 2009 Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved
May be reprinted in entirety for free distribution,
or individual lines may be quoted, with credit to author.

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