Loving God is for Good

We often hear quoted Romans 8:28, "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God..."

But it just struck me, love is in there.

Are you loving God, so that all things will work together for good? Perhaps it is not for you or your plan, but it is for good.

Do you want good? Then, love GOD.

Know God, know love

"...knowledge of God gives love, and knowledge of self gives humility." Oh yes, another Mother Teresa quote (page 129, The Joy in Loving)

In other words: Know God, know love. Know self, know humility.

We should strive to know both, and who we are in relation to the facts and the implications.

Humility is good, it helps us know God and to love others.

Love to know love

"I love in order that I may love." St. Bernard of Clairvaux

How do you love? Count the ways. Figure out the pattern. I'll bet you can't.

St. Bernard had a method: Love in order to know love. Love in order that you will feel love.

Love in order that you may show love. Love begets love. Love's seed is within itself. We must love so we will know more of love and so love will have a bigger part of us. Love is the pattern for love. There's no other way, but to love.

Receiving Love

As my niece pointed out, love is not only giving (see Post dated January 27), but it is also in the receiving. Are you willing to receive the love that is given to you? Love if given, needs to be accepted. Sometimes that is the hardest part, receiving. I am a giver by nature, so it's hard for me to receive. But, I must submit to receiving what God has so freely given me...the pain and the joy. Admonish yourself when you refuse to receive His blessing. His greatest blessing is love.

Love is Giving

"Love is not getting but giving." Henry Van Dyke

I know we think the opposite. Love is getting and getting and getting more. It's limitless. We certainly don't want to be giving and giving and giving on end. That wears us out. But, the truth be known: Love is giving, all the time, in all kinds of ways, at mostly inconvenient times. When we realize that, it will make giving a lot easier. Expect to give. Desire to give. Experience the joy of giving, by giving love.

Your Assignment: LOVE

"Love is not the answer. Love is the assignment." Martin Luther King

Your assignment today, should you choose to accept it is to love.

That's all you have to do.

All other assignments come from that one alone.

So, whatever you are doing, whatever your job, your main priority is to love.

Don't forget nor neglect your assignment. It cannot be delegated. It cannot be postponed.

God loves Righteousness

Psalm 11:7 says, "For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness."

If God loves righteousness, we should do a couple of things:

1. We should love righteousness

2. We should be righteous, so He will love us.

How's that? Just 2 things: love righteousness and be righteous.

That's your goal today.