“Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.”~~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. King spoke those words in his “I Have a Dream Speech” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., just 4½ years before his untimely death. It is one of the most widely recognized quotes in all of history.
Today, I was looking at the pictures in my office–of my three boys and my husband and others. I became very aware of how I am free in Christ to love them and everyone in my life. In my head I have known that for many years. But, I didn’t completely get it in my heart. I haven’t always let myself love like that because of old and wrong recordings in my head that I listened to.
In fact, that kind of love is exactly what Jesus commands us to exhibit as His followers: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13:34, NAS) We are fulfilling the law when we show people love, consideration, and respect. “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8, NAS) For me to be afraid of loving others, to withhold my feelings for people was really against what Christ teaches.
So, I had to pray and ask the Lord to forgive me and to please help me to love as He would have me to. To love those around me according to His Word, not the words of the world which can be spoken behind a facade for selfishness and deceit. I want His love to fill me up so much that when I interact with others, all that love cannot help but automatically flow out of the abundance in me.
Imagine what the world would be like, or your own life, if we all loved others the way Christ loves us. Not a love that says I will only love you “when you look and talk like this or that” or “if you have the same opinions, interests, etc., that I do” or “when you become the person I want you to be.” We honor God when when we show others the same love and respect that He gives us.
But, how do we do this? How do we love the way God does? It is true that we cannot be infallible as He is. We cannot possibly love in the perfectness that He displays. As humans, I will dare to say that we don’t even have the capacity to do so. But, I also believe we can love beyond our perceptions when we see others through God’s eyes and allow Him to love them through us.
Ask Him (I’m speaking to myself here also) to show you how to demonstrate His love to others. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11, NAS) He is faithful, and He knows our hearts. I believe He is very pleased to fulfill our requests when we ask for something that can only bring good to everyone around us and will draw people to Himself. I want to surrender to Him daily to fill me up with His love and mercy to give out to others.
“Oh, Lord–You have given me this gift of Your love to demonstrate to others whom I come into contact with each day. It is Your love in me that I will pass on to others in my life–without fear.”
Blessings–be immersed in His love for you, Tammy
©2012 Tammy Maseberg All Rights Reserved
