Friday, April 10, 2015

Perfect Love



There's nothing I can do to make Jesus love me less, and there's nothing I can do to make Him love me more
He loves me perfectly. 

This is Grace truth The Holy Spirit stitched into this sinner's heart years ago. But I often revisit it...run my fingers across those words to remind my weary soul. 
And I repeat to myself: 
I don't have to BE perfect for Jesus to love me perfectly. 
At times like this that I just have to journal it to remind myself- to make it sink deep, because some days, some seasons, the world screams at me-this mama, wife, daughter, sister, pastor's wife, teacher, worship leader, writer- yes, the world screams the exact opposite at every turn. 
I am tempted to fall in love with working towards some false perfection rather than His Perfect Love.

But JESUS.

Hebrews 12 tells me that JESUS is the Author AND Perfecter of my faith. 
When I look Grace in the face, I am undone. 
When I am enveloped in the embrace of my Savior, my walls fall. 
When I am positioned at His feet, 
I am not driven to DO; I am driven to LOVE.
cannot hold back or hold in what He has done for me. 

When I live from His love and not for it, I am FREE to truly love. 
 
Hey Do-er? Breathe deeply. 
Every single bit of His love, grace, and forgiveness is available to you right in the middle of your mess and your crazy. Let's change our cry from "If God..." to the truth declaration: God IS! 
God is for you. 
God is with you. 
God is love. 
God is enough. 
He loves us perfectly, even though we are far from it. 
Find rest and JOY and POWER in that truth today. 
You are SO loved. 

Hebrews 12:2
"We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne."

Romans 5:8
"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."