Love Must Be Sincere
Today I was reading from Romans 12. It's by far one of my favorite chapters of Scripture, I suppose predominantly because I am always convicted by it. Today, however, a phrase stood out to me that I don't know I'd ever focused on before. Love must be sincere (v. 9). The profundity of that statement resonated with me.
Do we honestly know how to love? As Cities Burn has a song out called "Clouds" that says, "Is your love really love? Is my love really love? I don't think our love is really love, unless it's love to the end." I've had that stuck in my head for a few weeks because some of our youth at Olde Towne used it in a youth service a couple weeks back. I've been examining my heart... and realizing that I don't know if my love is really love--if it is sincere.
First of all, I've been questioning my love toward God. Last night I started a series with the youth on worship. For five weeks, we are on a journey in worshiping God. The first lesson was about our hearts--that worship isn't real if it does not come from a pure, sincere heart. I was amazed when I realized anew that the only way our hearts can be right in worship is if they are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. The only way we can worship God is through God. The only way we can love God is through God. Oh Lord, change our hearts! Enable us to love and worship You with sincerity! (Psalm 51)
Of course, only when our love toward God is sincere can we truly love other people. As I spent time in prayer today, I realized the only sincere love directed toward others is actually love which was received from God returned back to God--through others. Do we ever grasp what it is to love people? Jesus loved people... and His love meant laying down all His rights, all His comfort, and all His propriety. Do I love people like that?
Love MUST be sincere.
Do we honestly know how to love? As Cities Burn has a song out called "Clouds" that says, "Is your love really love? Is my love really love? I don't think our love is really love, unless it's love to the end." I've had that stuck in my head for a few weeks because some of our youth at Olde Towne used it in a youth service a couple weeks back. I've been examining my heart... and realizing that I don't know if my love is really love--if it is sincere.
First of all, I've been questioning my love toward God. Last night I started a series with the youth on worship. For five weeks, we are on a journey in worshiping God. The first lesson was about our hearts--that worship isn't real if it does not come from a pure, sincere heart. I was amazed when I realized anew that the only way our hearts can be right in worship is if they are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. The only way we can worship God is through God. The only way we can love God is through God. Oh Lord, change our hearts! Enable us to love and worship You with sincerity! (Psalm 51)
Of course, only when our love toward God is sincere can we truly love other people. As I spent time in prayer today, I realized the only sincere love directed toward others is actually love which was received from God returned back to God--through others. Do we ever grasp what it is to love people? Jesus loved people... and His love meant laying down all His rights, all His comfort, and all His propriety. Do I love people like that?
Love MUST be sincere.
posted by Amber Janelle Livermore at 12:53 PM
2 Comments:
And it's sometime hard not to get caught up in loving people on your own strength, rather than allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to love through you. Thanks for the reminder. :)
Great blog amigo! I love Psa 24 " Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false... will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation." Such an amazing thought- that nothing less than righteousness from God himself is the reward of true worship. Good stuff.
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