Receiving God’s Love
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
We know from the Word that God sent his Son to die on the cross, taking away our punishment and our sins. We know God loves us, but do we experience God’s love deep in our hearts? How do we get God’s love and compassion into our hearts to where it is more than just knowledge?
If God’s love and compassion is in our hearts, we are changed forever, and we are focused on God and others. His love in our hearts changes us to live for Christ, because God’s commands become natural and desirable to us. If you love me, keep my commands. (John 14:15) If we truly have God’s love in our hearts, then we will obey his commands.
How do we get God’s love and compassion into our hearts and what changes our hearts to love the Lord? We understand the Lord’s love from reading scripture and that Christ died for our sins. But for love to be resident in our hearts we must give it away. When we minister to lost souls and get to know them, we start to care, and we start showing compassion. God’s love and compassion flows through our hearts to the people we minister to. The more lost souls we minister to, taking time to know them, the more God’s love and compassion flows into our hearts. When God’s love and compassion reside in our hearts, our love for the Lord comes from the deepest part of our souls.
When we minister to others it drives us into the Word, into prayer, and into fellowship. This is how we mature spiritually. Do we grow spiritually just by weekly fellowship, studying the Word, and praying? We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. (John 2:3) God is molding us to the have the mind of Christ so that we can be his disciples and walk the life of Jesus.
We know God’s love is in our hearts when we start caring about people as God cares about people. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7) A heart filled with God’s love and compassion is a heart that accepts people where they are, a heart that is patient with people, and a heart that is not prejudiced. We are driven by our caring hearts, filled with God’s love and compassion, and we seek to help and to minister to others; this becomes the first priority in our lives.
Today seek to find souls that need an encouraging word, a listening ear, or someone to pray for them. Pray that the Lord will fill your heart with more love and compassion so that you can pass it on to others. Notice the fulfillment you experience when you take the time and patience to listen to and encourage someone.
Let’s Pray: Lord, fill my heart with your love and compassion and help me to reflect it to others. Help me to live the life of Jesus; with my family, with my church family, with my friends, and with everyone the Spirit leads me to. Thank you for your unconditional love and forgiveness through Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen