What does love look like?

What if our definition of love is so flawed and corrupted that we don't understand how to love God? Love is more than sentiment. Love is more than just feeling His embrace and cherishing His presence. Jesus said if I love Him I obey Him. Love is active. It is not passive. It is not a "Dead Sea" which only receives and never gives out. If I'm only receiving God's love and not acting in it, love is not complete. Oh God, teach us how to love You!!

I love the song "Arms Wide Open" by Misty Edwards..

"What does love look like? is the question I've been pondering

What does love look like? is the question I've been asking of You

I once believed that love was romance, just a chance

I even thought that love was for the lucky and the beautiful

I once believed that love was a momentary bliss but love is more than this

All You ever wanted was my attention

All You ever wanted was love from me

All You ever wanted was my affection, to sit here at Your feet....

Then tell me, What does love look like?...

Then I sat down, a little frustrated and confused

If all of life comes down to love then love has to be more than sentiment

More than selfishness an selfish gain

Then I saw Him there hanging on a tree looking at me....

He was looking at me, looking at Him, staring through me

I could not escape those beautiful eyes

And I began to weep and weep

He had arms wide open, heart exposed

Arms wide open

He was bleeding...

Love's definition was looking at me

Looking at Him hanging on a tree

And I began to weep and weep and weep

This is how I know what love is"

Just thinking

So I'm sitting here in my dorm putting off writing the paper that is due for my English Comp class in the morning. Procrastination is so much fun. Keeps me on my toes! Haha jk :)

I just wanted to write a little update on my college life so far. I'm absolutely loving it here! The people are awesome, classes are great. It really couldn't have been a better experience. God's direction is always perfect, and I'm so thankful that He has lead me here for this season of my life. I feel myself growing, which is something I haven't felt in a while. I'm being challenged, and I'm finding it's absolutely necessary to know what I believe and why. God has opened so many doors for me, and all I can do is praise Him. His goodness astounds me.

Now to end with a thought.. Do we appreciate God? Or have we grown so accustomed to His love that we no longer remember what it was like before Him? I grew up in a Christian home and have been in church my entire life, but there was a time that while I may have been saved, I didn't know what it meant to be in a relationship with Jesus. He saved me from a life of religion and ritual and taught me what it means to be in love with Him. Don't forget what God brought you out of. Don't fall into an attitude of pride and start to believe you deserve all that you receive from Him. He has made you righteous, but it is only through His blood that you have any standing with God. SO, all of this to say, just praise Him today. Praise Him for Who He is. Praise Him just because He is GOD. And be mindful of His goodness. Don't take Him for granted.

Have a blessed week!