This month on the blog we are focusing on different expressions of love. As we seek to live lives of love, the best way to truly love others is to first and foremost personally receive the incredible gift of God’s love toward us. When I think about His gift of love and the many ways it manifests in our lives, I can’t help but parallel it to gifts we give one another.
What makes a gift special? What does it take to fully enjoy a gift?
When you want to knock it out of the ballpark with a gift, you look for something that personally reflects who you are buying for - something that shows you know them, you’ve listened and paid attention to them.
When someone makes sacrifices or invests their time, that is a gift of love. Gifts that come from someone dear to us are special, even if they’re as simple as a hand-drawn masterpiece from a beloved toddler.
When the gift is personal, you feel loved immediately. When the gift is something you can see or use everyday, it becomes part of your life and regularly takes your thoughts to the giver.
Think now about the ultimate gift, the love of God, which also must be received, taken hold of and appreciated. His love is specific, knowing how He wired us and giving accordingly. It’s sacrificial, unique and personal, yet also practical, as He sacrificed His Son for us and gives us each spiritual gifts and talents to be used daily.
God gives gifts consistently. He pursues us regularly, displaying His love in so many ways. He speaks to us as a dear Friend through the Holy Spirit. He wows us with the astounding beauty in His creation and the sweet gifts of people in our lives. God makes Himself available as we connect with Him in prayer and worship, making His nearness palpable when we need Him most.
As we receive and soak up His love, we have true love to pour out into the lives of those around us. When we meditate on how much He loves us and the lengths He goes to show us, it changes our perspective. It allows us to see ourselves and those around us as He sees us, as new creations made in the image of God. Having our eyes opened to this truth opens our hearts to love God freely and to love others fully.
So today, let’s choose to receive this great gift of love from our God. As we allow the truth of God’s love to transform how we see ourselves and others, we are better equipped to go out and pass it on to a world so desperately in need of true Love.
Meet the Author!
Heather McAnear is a wife, mom, author and speaker with a passion for sharing God's truth to help women understand their uniquely beautiful design and how to use it for God's glory! In fact, Heather hosts the Uniquely Beautiful Stories podcast on iTunes in hopes do just that! She loves teaching young married couples with her husband, time with her three teen-aged children, traveling, enjoying good chocolate and long conversations in coffee shops. CRBC has been her church home for more than two decades and serving on the Women's Ministry team has been one of her greatest joys!