In All Things We Love.
This phrase is on a lightboard in my bedroom. It’s the main principle of my ministry. It’s the war cry I’ve been screaming for years. That, if we just pepper every move we make, every word we say, every thing we do in love, it all HAS to get better.
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘love’?
Cute little chubby babies that smell like Heaven? The unwavering loyalty of your beloved pet? A deceased loved one that you miss in abundance? The perfect, happily-ever-after relationship you’ve been dreaming of all of your life? Family gatherings with laughter, tears, and all the good food? The children you’d give your life for?
In my study on David this morning, God revealed some things to me. Love is a verb, an action. Love is what you do, not what you say, or even what you feel. Love is how you show up for the people who would never show up for you. Love is giving your last to help someone else, trusting that God will take care of you. Love is being uncomfortable to make someone else comfortable. Love is taking a loss so that someone else can win. Love is humility, action, and sacrifice.
Love is also attitude. When we do things begrudgingly, we cannot say we did them in love. What’s the difference between being handed a gift with a hug and a smile and being thrown a gift with an eyeroll and a snarl? Attitude. What’s the difference between saying yes with an open heart and an open mind and saying yes out of obligation and pressure? Attitude. I remember how upsetting it was for me when my children would huff and puff before doing something I’d asked. The task would eventually get done, but their negative attitude towards doing it triggered a rejection response within me. In almost every instance, I would tell them never mind, and do it myself. Who wants anything from a person who didn’t really want to give it?
God showed me today how my attitude needs adjusting in this season. I’ve waited long for certain things. Prayed hard for certain things. Cried tears for MANY things. Carried defeat because these things haven’t come to pass. This spirit of defeat is reflected in my attitude. My answer is still yes, but it’s yes with a deep sigh. I’m still in motion, but that motion is forced. I’m still showing up, but only part of me is really there. I’m bringing attitude, not love.
Perhaps this hit you like it hit me today, or perhaps this is just a reminder to keep moving, truly moving, in love. When God provides wisdom and revelation, it is for a reason. I am going to meditate on this and identify the areas where my attitude needs adjusting. It’s okay to sometimes feel despair or even defeat. Christ, in His flawless example, shows us His vulnerability more than once. He is also the purest definition of love, in ALL things, and in ALL ways.
Sometimes, it’s not what you do, it’s the WAY you do it that counts.
