I’m guessing there isn’t a person over the age of 16 who has not been crushed by heartbreak—at least once. It’s such a hard road back, isn’t it? We are afraid to trust, because it’s just too risky to give our heart away again. But we do. However, it seems that each time we’re hurt, the next time—we give even less of our heart away. We feel we can’t risk it all.
We must hold back just in case the next person fails us too.
We hold back our love for others because of fear; YET—we expect others to love us—without reservation. Do we have a double standard? The answer is “yes” and— “no.” You see, when it comes to our relationships with others—WE have a double standard: We expect way more than we give. But GOD—IS the standard: He gives way more than we expect. Because God IS love; He can fill us with love—without ever running out.
Because we were created in the image of God (who IS love) we were created FOR love so—understandably—we have high expectations about love.
It is NOT our EXPECTATION to be loved unconditionally that creates our double standard; rather, it is SIN. Sin separates us from God’s presence which means we are separated from love. Suddenly, we become very needy and demanding as our soul cries out for love like a starving orphan in a death camp. We beg, steal, connive, manipulate, and make demands to—feed our voracious desire for love. And God help the person who dares to hurt us or steal our closely guarded love. But God did not intend for us to experience love like a starving beggar. Rather…
…God desires for us to experience the extraordinary generosity of His unconditional love.
To be in the center of God’s love, we must draw near to His presence. He is holy. His ways are righteous. We cannot expect to experience God’s unconditional love apart from Him. When we ask Jesus to be our Savior and the Lord of our life, our spirit and soul are born into His family. But, to experience a deep and filling sense of His love, we must not let sin rob us of His presence.
Sin causes fear and robs us of love.
“The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”
Proverbs 28:1
But God’s love…cast’s out fear.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
1 John 4:18
Thus, the more we live in God’s ways, the closer we get to experience His perfect love. The more we experience God’s love, the less we are afraid to love others…even when we’ve been hurt.
God’s love covers a multitude of sins.
To learn more about Kimberly Faith and the mission of Faith Strong, click HERE.
Out Now – Essential Faith, Volume II. Find it on Amazon by clicking HERE.
