This is often the time of year when I re-evaluate my “love walk”. Yes…did you know that we can make a decision to walk in love with those around us?
Often we are expecting certain levels of love and respect from others in our life towards us; however, when was the last time you evaluated your life to see if you have been demonstrating love to others?
Have you recently reached out to someone with an act of kindness with no expectations in return? Have you recently reached out to be kind to someone who everyone else ignores? Or perhaps when was the last time you were kind to someone who has hurt you?
Love is not just a ‘feeling’, it is a decision!
Decide today to be loving towards others, regardless of their behavior towards you, and watch God do amazing things through you. When we take the focus off ourselves and direct our thinking towards the needs of others, our own lives improve.
Jesus demonstrated the ultimate sacrifice of love. He died, so that we may have eternal life. He loved us before we ever loved him. Let’s share our blessing of the love of God with those around us. Dare to be different, step out of your comfort zone, and love others just because God loves you!
I have two teenage daughters who struggle greatly with teen peer pressure, etc. I love these devotions. They give me the added support I need in getting God’s message accross without constantly hearing my voice.
I post these all over my house & change them frequently… By the TV remote control, on the frig, in the entryway, and I’ve even posted copies at eye level next to each “potty”. They say they’ve been reading them, PRAISE JESUS!
Thank You!
wow, i totally agree with this. i’m homeschooled and i often have a hard time interacting with kids my age. i love the challenge of steping out of my comfort zone and seeing what a difference i can make with god’s help. thank you so much for this. blessings:)
Thanks Lucy Ann!!
I needed just that kind of advice. I have been having trouble loving my sisters for a while now. It’s because they have been rude to me and my youngest sister Jola, and when I try to stand up for Jola, my sister Riley yells at me and it makes me feel awful. I’m the oldest of the four and so far this year hasn’t been going all that good for me. I’m also going to be 12 in 16 days. I also have been feeling like I am not the sister I should be honestly. So if you could please pray for me I would be very very grateful for it. GOD BLESS YOU ALL GREATLY!!! P.S. Thank you for the Devotions!!
Wow, thanks again Lucy Ann. “when was the last time you were kind to someone who has hurt you?” that’s the part I struggle with. I can do all the rest, be kind to people who are otherwise ignored or reach out to people, but there is this one girl who goes to my Church, of all things, who has done some pretty awful things to me. She’s the one I don’t feel like loving. But now I’m going to try decide to.
Heidi,
It is a struggle to put our feelings of hurt aside and choose to love, but the rewards are wonderful! Keep moving forward with Jesus!
I really struggle with showing others love but I think I deserve a lot of it. I feel really spoiled now because I get a lot of love without giving it back in return.
Lydia,
I am happy to hear you are taking up the challenge to rise higher with your walk with God. He is truly able to help you. Keep your trust in him, and watch the wonders he does in your life!
Marisa,
I will be praying for you, and I pray now, that God will give you wisdom in knowing how to handle relations with your sisters. God hears your desires to be more loving, and he will help you. I pray that you trust him to direct you. I pray that your spiritual ears will be opened to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. I pray that you will not condemn yourself for your past actions, but rather will devote yourself to be loving in the future, with God’s love. We all need to learn how to love like God loves! Keep moving forward, and I pray that you will always have a heart to seek after God. Blessings!!!
Brittany Lee,
You need not feel condemnation, but rather have a grateful heart that God is revealing his ways to you. I am thankful you have love in your life, that will mean you even have more to give and that is a blessing. The enemy wants you to feel bad, God wants you to be encouraged. Keep close to Jesus and he will show you how to love others. Blessings!!!
I think you are right. Love can be a feeling but it is a choice. And not something to be playing around with. I Love God!!!!!!!!!! Joy
It’s nice to know that others feel the same way, that’s it difficult to love every one, especially if they have done some harm to you. It’s taken me almost 3 years to forgive a former best friend of some terrible things she has done to me in the past. Now that I have learned to love her for who she is, I feel much more satisfied with my life.
“When we take the focus off ourselves and direct our thinking towards the needs of others, our own lives improve” you have given me new focus 2 my life ( thank you ) this is an amaizing website
some girls at school really make me mad and it’s so hard 2 4give them! i try to but they hate me cause i’m kaylee n not bcause i tell them about Jesus! i wouldn’t care nemore xcept i’m gonna c them again wen i start school. i pray 4 them but i just wish they would grow up!
Let us fix our mind and heart to Jesus…and love&love&love others…
We should all try to pray for all those people that are mean to us…
They need to have jesus in their lives…
KayLynne, I stand in agreement with you, that we all need to be praying for those that hurt us. When people hurt others it is because the are hurting themselves. Keep on praying. Blessings!
Lucy Ann,
I have been trying really hard to be nice to all who hurt me… It is really hard to do that all the time. I keep praying I will get better at it and God helps me soo much! I would like someone to pray that I find some Christian friends at my school… I am not surrounding my self with the “right” people…
thank you for this article!
KaLynne