That Kind of Love

Have you ever been madly in love?

That crazy, head-over-heels kind of feeling. You can’t stand to be apart from each other, not even for one day. You can’t eat. You can’t sleep. You can’t even think straight, AND, he or she is all you think about. Everything else takes a back seat. It’s as if the world has stopped just for the two of you…and, then those feelings fade. Why?

One of the reasons love can fade over time is that it's hard to keep that dopamine buzz going. According to a Dr. Lieberman, "Dopamine gets us interested in each other, but it responds only to things that are new or that are possible rather than real," "Once you’re in a relationship, that dopamine excitement fades and eventually stops…” And, unless you are fully committed and understand those feelings, the relationship will tend to fail.

It's not all about feelings, but for some that is the gauge they use in every relationship. If it doesn’t feel easy, they are out. If it doesn’t make me feel good, if they don’t get a buzz out of it, they are gone.

People will fail you and let you down based on their feelings. It is a sad reality, but here is the good news, God’s love never ceases.

Jeremiah said it best when he wrote, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;” Lamentations 3:22 ESV

God's love never ceases. Never. Though we spurn him. Ignore him. Reject him. Despise him. Disobey him. He will not change. Our evil cannot diminish his love. Our goodness cannot increase it. Our faith does not earn it any more than our stupidity jeopardizes it. God doesn't love us less if we fail or more if we succeed. God's love never ceases. Max Lucado - Just Like Jesus Devotional.

It's hard for me to wrap my mind around that kind of love, but I want it, I want it badly. The sad thing is, I usually don’t extend that kind of love. If someone spurns me, ignores me, rejects me, despises me, disobeys me…I am not going to be very loving toward them. It’s my sinful nature to act and react.

It is said this was inscribed on the wall of the Children’s Home in Calcutta run by Mother Teresa. It’s called, Anyway Poem

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.

Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight.

Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.

Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God.

It was never between you and them anyway. ***

I want to be a better person in this arena, but it is so incredibly difficult. I want to love others the way Jesus loves me, but it’s hard.

Psalm 103:8 tells us the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

We are loved beyond anything we can begin to imagine.

As you go through your day today, remember you are more precious than gold, more precious than a lot of pure gold. Psalm 19:10. And for that reason alone, we should be able to extend love to those around us, even the ones that disappoint us.

Ephesians 4:32 tells us to “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” NIV

Let’s make that our prayer, Lord, help me love like you do.

By desk calendar this morning reads: “At that time I will make a treaty…I will bind you to me forever with chains of righteousness and justice and love and mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness and love, and you will really know me then as you never have before.” Hosea 2:18-20 TLB

I looked those verses up to see what was missing between the “ … ” and I found this.

This part of scripture seems to be referencing the end of days, the end of sin, and the beginning of eternity in the perfect setting Jesus has planned for us and that begins with a treaty between us and the wild animals.

“At that time I will make a treaty between you and the wild animals, birds, and snakes, not to fear each other anymore; and I will destroy all weapons, and all wars will end.

“Then you will lie down in peace and safety, unafraid; and I will bind you to me forever with chains of righteousness and justice and love and mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness and love, and you will really know me then as you never have before.”

Jesus says to you and to me, I will betroth you to me and you will really know me then as you never have before.

by Jeanette Stark – Wednesday, May 10, 2023